- Check with your local library - many of them offer genealogy classes.
- Talk to family members. I asked some of my older family members to tell me about their childhood and wrote that down along with any information they could give me about their ancestors.
- Sign up for a 14 day free trial with Ancestry.Com (make sure you cancel it before your credit card is charged.) Note: some libraries offer free research on Ancestry. While you have access, copy as many documents as you can find especially copies of church registries for birth, marriage and death and any census records.
- Family Search is a free site run by the Seventh Day Adventist/Mormon church and is free to use. The only problem with this is people can remove or change entries on your family tree which can be frustrating.
- Wikitree is another free site
- Keep a record of documents. I have set up a spreadsheet for each branch of the family in Excel showing the name and columns for Birth, Death Marriage and Census dates. I note when I find a certificate or documentation so that I can quickly see if it's something I already have or need to do further research.
- Note sources (see #6). If a name seems similar it may not be the same person. Make sure you double check with census records and other documentation.
- Look for a local Family History Center (usually at Seventh Day Adventist Churches). You can access many of their records located in Salt Lake City and someone is available to offer advice.
Hop on over to Joy of Genealogy for more information and guidance.
Have fun - you never know what you may find.
