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Tag: Ancestry

  • Genealogy Subscription Sites: Worth The Cost?

    Genealogy Subscription Sites: Worth The Cost?

    If you want to know more about your family’s history and where you came from, you may enjoy genealogy. Genealogy involves searching historical records and family stories to find out more about your ancestry. The Internet has made it easier than ever to research genealogy, and there are plenty of ancestry sites that will help you locate the records you need. Most of these sites charge a subscription fee. The question is, are they worth the cost?

    If you plan on putting a lot of time and effort into your genealogy or family history project, you may find that ancestry subscription sites are well worth the cost. These sites offer access to records that you may not be able to find anywhere else and they are easy to search and distinguish between family members.

    Ancestry.com is one of the most popular genealogy sites and has the most records online. There are several subscription plans to choose from and prices start at $19.99 a month. You can sign up for a 14 day free trial before you buy a subscription and you can cancel at any time. The site offers war records, census records and allows you to search through birth records, death records and marriage records.

    World Vital Records is another site that charges a fee and allows you to search through records that are hard to find elsewhere. The site offers many of the same records as Ancestry.com and they offer a 7-day free trial. Many of the records available on the site come from other family trees.

    So what makes the subscription sites better than the free sites? Subscription sites offer more support and a bigger records selection. Many free sites such as FamilySearch.org, use Census information and other public records but do not offer access to certain types of documents such as war records or immigration records. Subscription sites also offer better customer support. You can contact customer support for questions about certain records or question on how to use the site.

    Subscription sites also have large communities where you are more likely to find family members or other people who are looking for the same records or ancestors as you. You can also find family trees that are complete and even discuss your ancestry with other members. Many people who use subscription sites find a lot of help from other members who have been doing genealogy longer and know the ropes. Some experienced members will even offer to help other site subscribers find records of family members.

    Most people who pay for genealogy subscriptions believe they are well worth the cost. If you are new to genealogy or only interested in doing it occasionally, you may want to start with a free ancestry site first. If you want are having trouble finding the records you need on a free site, you may want to consider paying for a subscription site.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Genealogy: 3 Reasons You Should Try It

    Genealogy: 3 Reasons You Should Try It

    Genealogy is a popular hobby that many people enjoy. It is also a great way to learn about your family history and your ancestors. While millions of people enjoy genealogy, not everyone is willing to give it a try. Some people don’t know where to start, some are afraid they won’t be able to stop once they do start and others are afraid of what they might find. If you are considering giving genealogy a try but can’t make up your mind, consider the following points.

    Connections
    While you might think you know most of your family members, genealogy will prove to you how few you really do know. You can create connections with relatives you never knew existed and learn about your family’s history with stories shared between family members. You can also introduce your children to extended family members and their lifestyles.

    Learn From The Past
    There is an old saying that goes, “Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” While your ancestors may not have made any serious mistakes in the past, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them. You can learn about inheritances, family medical problems and even find out if you are descended from immigrants.

    Create A Project For The Future
    If you have ever wanted to leave something behind for your children but aren’t sure what it should be, a family tree or family history could be it. Your children will enjoy learning about the past as much as you and may even want to use your genealogy research for class project or a family tree of their own. Your children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren can add on to your family tree or family history project and you may even start an amazing family tradition.

    Genealogy doesn’t have to take up all of your free time, cost a lot of money or be complicated. If you are trying to decide if you should start a family history or family tree, the answer is yes. Give it a try. What do you have to lose?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Genealogy: A Sense Of Self And The Past

    Genealogy, which is a search for “family history” has been around for centuries. Knowing where you came from can be a link to your past, present and future. A search for your “family tree” can be a fun, interesting journey but it can also be frustrating when you hit dead ends.

    The recent influx of interest is spurred by many classes that are taking place all over the country, teaching the best methods for searching for great grandmas and grandpas, and even their original lineages.

    Many opt for hiring a board certified Genealogist who can reach further into the past through oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family. Their results are sometimes given in charts along with written narratives.

    The motivation to find family history can be linked to family health history, country of origin of ancestors, preserving the past and future in knowing precisely where families originated.

    Questions such as “where did my grandparents meet and marry” or “was my father legitimate” can be answered.

    This is a project that can be taken on by the entire family, for an interesting and enlightening activity. It can be done in steps, but experts warn, it takes patience.

    Frank Faulker, the head of the Texana/Genealogy department at Central Library, said the first step is talking with relatives.

    “Get names and dates and places for births, marriages, deaths,” he said. “They’re not going to have everything, but it’ll give you an idea of what you need.”

    “There is no easy button,” said Debbie Countess, a Texana/Genealogy librarian who leads the workshops. “It’s like doing a puzzle, fitting the pieces together. It takes patience.”

    One source that many find helpful is a very popular website, “Ancestry.com” where more and more data is uploaded regularly and might just get you some important information.

    There are classes for those who just don’t have the family background information to even get started. Search public libraries and Google for classes in your area. There are genealogists that can get you started, and many are free.

    Learning your family history can reveal decades of information about your heritage, nationality, marriages, divorces, siblings and might also include funny anecdotes about family members which can be extremely rewarding.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons