1. First Things First! Gather What You Already Know
Before searching records, start with your own family.
Gather as much information as you can about:
- Full names, including maiden names and nicknames
- Birth dates
- Birthplaces
- Marriage dates and locations
- Death dates and locations
- Parents’ names
- Grandparents’ names
- Great-grandparents’ names
- Places where family members lived
- Family stories, photographs, letters, obituaries, Bibles, certificates, and other records
Go back as far as you can with the information already available to you.