Seeking advice on how to make a family tree.

Hi Kari,

Thanks for posting to the history Hub.

I would start by just talking with your family. Make note of the family information they have. Once you have pushed this back to 1940 you will be able to use the US Census to push it back further. The census is taken every 10 years but, is withheld from the public for about 60 years. 1940 is the last census that was made public. 1950 should be coming on line shortly.

There are numerous sources that are available on the internet such as Family Search, Ancestry, County Historical societies,  Newspaper obituaries,  County Marriage Books, Tax Records, Death Records, Diary's of relatives, Family History and Genealogy published books, and so on.

Before you go to these sources though you should firmly establish yourself, your parents, Grandparents, and Great-Grandparents. Then fill in your Uncles and Ants, Then Cousins. This will give you many people to consult with about your family. You may even fine a relative that has already done all the work for you.

Good luck on your research.

Joe

Dear Ms. Bennett,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

For an overview on how to begin your research, we suggest that you review NARA’s Resources for Genealogists, as well as the FamilySearch Research wiki for United States Genealogy.  In addition, the document Suggestions and Advice for Family History Researchers  may be useful. 

As Mr. Armstrong mentioned, we suggest that you begin by talking to your various family members, especially the more senior ones, and ask them questions so you can gather names, dates, places, and stories. With that information in hand, you may begin to gather records about these family members and the places associated with them.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!