Unless you live alone on an island, you must have many friends and relatives that can help you start your family tree.
Sometimes the death of an older relative can trigger the desire to learn as much as possible about all your ancestors and family.
Maybe that older relative wrote everything down in the family Bible or she may have many certificates tucked away in a drawer that you will need.
The day I decided to start my family tree, I went to the archives in our town.
A sweet little lady asked me who I would look for first, so I said my grandfather who died when my dad was twelve years old.
She showed me a huge book of deaths that they probably got from a mortuary.
There he was, native of Ireland, father name, but no mother name, cause of death, doctor who attended him, address and date of death.
I was hooked.
Next, a trip to the courthouse produced his death certificate.
Still no mother name.
That was common in the old days.
Some emigrants who left home at an early age probably forgot the name.
Irish names are flexible.
Honora is Nora, Bridget is Biddy and so forth.
The next day, I went to the public library that housed the 1870-1920 U.
S.
Federal Census.
I found the family in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 census.
The children were there with grandma and grandpa in 1910.
Grandpa died in 1912.
The rest of the family had moved by 1920 but they were together.
At the courthouse, I found the wedding certificate for grandpa and grandma.
Her parents were listed with the same surname and they said they came from County Cork.
I cannot wait for the Irish church records to go online.
Try to find two Sullivans in County Cork! Once you start the family tree project, it will mushroom.
Write to all your known relatives and ask them to send what knowledge they have.
You can get family group sheets from the internet or from genealogy books and send them for them to fill in.
Genealogists are the most friendly and helpful people I have ever known.
Meet them and ask questions.
Attend genealogy conferences.
You will learn a lot and meet fellow addicts.
If you have computer access, you have no excuse for not starting your family tree.
There are thousands of genealogy web pages.
Google any questions for any answers.
Beware of copying a tree with similar surnames.
It may not be your family.
Slowly add names to your tree as you do not want to add hundreds of people who are added quickly and without verification.