Rich's Top 10 Places to Look for Your Relatives

Looking for ancestors can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Here is my list of where to look:

1. On the government rolls (the U.S. Census)

2. In the archives (Vital records)

3. In the book (City directories)

4. In church (Church records)

5. In the courthouse (Wills)

6. In real estate (Deeds)

7. In the Bible (Family Bibles)

8. In uniform (Military records)

9. In print (Newspapers)

10. In the ground (Cemetery records)

Help! I'm Stuck!

Everybody gets stuck while tracing their ancestors. What to do? Here is a list of ideas drawn from my experience in getting stuck in the snow:

1. Stop spinning your wheels.
2. Rest.
3. Take stock of where you are, what you know and write it on your pedigree chart (if you have one; if you don't, start one).
4. Think about what you need to find out.
5. Broaden your search to other resources or related people.
6. Go slowly and deliberately until you are on firm ground.
7. Work on someone else.
8. Call a professional (www.apgen.org)