Genealogy
 

Is anyone else here interested in genealogy and family history research?

I've recently gotten back into tracing my dad's side of the family, which I had done some research on about 15 years ago but lost all the info during several moves. I remember it in my head but am trying to go back and find the actual data.

I understand that genealogy sites need to support themselves but it's frustrating to find a "please register and pay" sign at every other turn, when I'm not even sure what info is even there.

I'm at the point in history where I'm tracing their immigration to America and am emailing archives in the Czech Republic. I'm back to a woman born in 1824 who immigrated to America in 1878 with at least one son. I know the village that they came from and I remember the immigration information but I just can't find it again. :( I know they came from Bremen, Germany, to New York via ship in 1878 but can't find their immigration records again. I had it at one point. I also had more info from the Czech village, including a copy of a birth record from a Roman Catholic church tracing several generations back to a man born in 1792 in that area.

But I don't have that info anymore. I just remember having it at one point long ago. And I haven't figured out how to get it again.

I've been getting into learning my family history lately.

You can join ancestry dot com for free as long as you don't track outside of the US. I started that way but quickly decided it was worth the cost to join and pay.

I was really into tracing my family history last year. I found out that my local library had ancestry.com for their computers available to the public. Maybe you could check if yours had it available as well.

Originally Posted by valid28:
I was really into tracing my family history last year. I found out that my local library had ancestry.com for their computers available to the public. Maybe you could check if yours had it available as well.

I was going to say the same thing. I've chased many of my dead people through the computer in the genealogy dept. Also, do you have a National Archives near you? You can get many immigration records there. I was going to the one in San Bruno, south of San Francisco, several times a month there for a while.

Don't forget the Mormon Church. The LDS records are online and you can find quite a bit there. If you have a Mormon temple that has a family search dept near you, you can go in there. It is, or should be, free.

Originally Posted by valid28:
I was really into tracing my family history last year. I found out that my local library had ancestry.com for their computers available to the public. Maybe you could check if yours had it available as well.

thank you! that's a good idea! i will check on that....i definitely have to trace outside the US now as i'm back to the point of immigration

i remember using the mormon church a long time ago to do research...i need to call them here and see if they have the same resources available here...i think that's how i found their immigration records before

I'm interested but my family came over in the 1960's from Hungary, I don't know if I will be able to find much. Do these pay sites include decent stuff from former soviet states?

Originally Posted by sacha:
I'm interested but my family came over in the 1960's from Hungary, I don't know if I will be able to find much. Do these pay sites include decent stuff from former soviet states?

I havent paid any money for the sites but I haven't seen much yet that takes you internationally. I know the Mormon Church can access immigration records. I just need to track mine down from them again. I would assume that more recent immigrations, like yours, would be easier to find than mine, which was back in the 1870s.

Also keep in mind name changes...Was your name Americanized upon arrival in the US? I know my family's was...It was Sramka in the old country, changed to Shramek upon arrival in the US and also alternatively spelled Sramek, which makes tracing farther back reallyyyy confusing at times.

If you want help, or just have questions, you can always ask me or PM me on here. :)

Working on my family history is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I highly recommend it!

I think you can join ancestry dot com free for fourteen days. The library version of the website is available free through Navy Knowledge on line, if you happen to have Navy connections. It could be it is available through other military websites, too.

The LDS website is frequently undergoing renovation which makes it a little difficult to use sometimes, but very worth the effort. They also have lots of lessons about how to do your genealogy. All you need to ask them is if they have a family history center at their church.

Google is your friend, here, too. A couple of weeks ago, I was just amusing myself, and I googled one of my French relatives from way back. This led to an actual email contact with a woman whose ancestor is the brother of my great grandfather. She sent me a copy of his birth record. So exciting!!!

I have contacted many new 3rd cousins which has been fun. One couple even stopped by our house to visit. I have located and communicated with descendants of all ten of the children of the original couple who immigrated to Canada and then to the US from Scotland.

You want to know the bad news? I was absolutely obsessed with this for about two years. Every time I found a new family member, or had some exciting related experience, I would celebrate with food. Every time I couldn't find something, I would console myself with food. All that food and sitting on my posterior in front of the computer for two years got me back here weighing more than I every had. Take heed. Otherwise, have a ball running down your relatives!

I don't know anything about eastern European research, but feel free to PM me, too, if there are any general questions you have.

Thanks so much!! I'm actually in Canada. No it wasn't changed as it was a simple easy name (Olah) although most Hungarians did as it is usually Szchejoiadhsagsdoiujsd (okay I'm exaggerating but it's pretty bad). That sounds so interesting, keep us posted !:) I'm not sure the sites are too $, are they?

Ancestry dot com is 34.95 per month for the international version after the 14 day free trial.

Originally Posted by gailr42:
Working on my family history is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I highly recommend it!

You want to know the bad news? I was absolutely obsessed with this for about two years. Every time I found a new family member, or had some exciting related experience, I would celebrate with food. Every time I couldn't find something, I would console myself with food. All that food and sitting on my posterior in front of the computer for two years got me back here weighing more than I every had. Take heed.

Yeah, all those family recipes . . . :stir: nothing like channeling grandma through her apple pie recipe . . . (How come no one has a green salad dish from their ancestors?)

I love genealogy, but haven't had time. It is totally going to be my empty nest hobby (kids are 16 & 18). I'm sure DH will love traipsing around cemeteries and city halls with me all over the east coast!

I was able to trace my direct lineage (just father to father) on my dad's side back to the early 1700s. I found some really interesting facts. I had always been told that my family is Irish, but I discovered that we're actually Scottish.

Originally Posted by Jennifer1966:
I love genealogy, but haven't had time. It is totally going to be my empty nest hobby (kids are 16 & 18). I'm sure DH will love traipsing around cemeteries and city halls with me all over the east coast!

My dad calls me and my mom "tombstone junkies" because mom once spent an entire vacation combing through cemeteries and taking photos of her family's tombstones. I have all those photos in an album still. LOL

Originally Posted by alaskanlaughter:
My dad calls me and my mom "tombstone junkies" because mom once spent an entire vacation combing through cemeteries and taking photos of her family's tombstones. I have all those photos in an album still. LOL

That may be a great starting place. Perhaps you can contact the cemetery. If it is on a church grounds, then they will probably have a record for you.