In our modern mobile society few of us live near the graves of our grandparents. This disconnection of people and places we come from is why which many people have the desire to reconnect with their roots through genealogy. The word conjures up unpleasant mental image for many. Fortunately, you do not have to pour on a volume of dust in the dark bowels of a European cathedral somewhere in Europe. You can do a lot of progress from the comfort of their Wi-Fi connected laptop with these six easy steps:

1. Get Genealogy Software. There are plenty of options there and it's easy to get bogged down by comparing them all. I recommend something cheap or free when you are just beginning. Do not worry, all genealogy programs using the format GEDCOM file so you can migrate the files in the software of your choice at any time. Do not let the quest for the perfect software slow. You can start immediately Personal Ancestral File. Look for it on Google to download the latest version.
2. Write what you know. After obtaining software genealogy up and running on your computer should start working on your family tree. Start with yourself and go as you know. Most people know it unless their parents names and birth dates, but you can learn more. You may not know the maiden name of her grandmother, which leads to the next step.
3. Interview older relatives. In family gather Aunt Martha next pull aside and ask if you can fill in the blanks on the tree family that has begun. Old people love any chance they can get to talk about the past. For that you should bring a recording device with you so can capture these stories. (These stories can help validate the information found later or even help you decide where to start looking when you have reached to a dead end.) older relatives may also be in possession of a family Bible or baby books that contain genealogical information. Take high-resolution digital photos on these pages if you can.
4. Order Death Certificate. If you've reached a dead end (no pun) must request the death certificate of the oldest person in your tree. The death certificate will reveal the names of their parents and sometimes the birth place of parents. Also reveal the maiden name of his ancestor, if they are women. To order a death certificate will need know the person's name, city and county of death and an approximate date of death. You can then consult the website of the Department of Records Vital status of his death and see what are the requirements to request a death certificate. In most states, you can get a certified copy of a death certificate for about $ 20.
5. Search Government Census Data. The U.S. government has conducted several censuses since 1790. There are several websites that make this data available online for a small monthly fee. (Many of them have free trials that tell you about the end of this article.) If you're lucky you can find one of their ancestors as a child in the home of his parents. This will give you the names of their parents and other interesting tidbits as the state / country of origin, state / country of their parents came from the occupation, and more. This is where well have been recorded interviews Aunt Martha. You can cross reference the data that gave you the data in the census to ensure that you are looking at the correct John Smith, Cook County, Chicago.
6. Search for online sharing. There are many genealogy Web sites that let you share your family tree online and collaborate with others research are the same names and places. You literally could add hundreds or even thousands of names to your family tree with only a few mouse clicks. I personally have made great strides in my genealogy through the connection with the investigation by distant cousins. I've even had the opportunity to meet these distant cousins in person, which is always fun.

Genealogy is a fascinating and rewarding hobby that quickly became addict once I started. Now that technology makes it so easy to investigate, document and share genealogy information from around the world should be able to quickly and easily together a family tree generation. I hope these inspire you six steps to get started today.

Many genealogy online services offer free trials. If you start your free trial with a set of specific goals in mind you can actually get a lot accomplished during that time. Check out my website to see what genealogy free trial you are most interested in… then get started!

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