Anyone here tried those genealogy webservices?...

[samwisefoxburr]

...I don't know much about my family past my grandparents and would like to learn more. I've asked my parents and they don't really know that much past their own grandparents.

I was wondering if anyone has had success with any of the webservices available and if they found one service better than another.

Thanks!

[Historic NY]

1. it depends some make you pay for stuff that can be found in the public

domain. For a start go to http://www.familysearch.org./.

What state are you in? I find genweb a good start to begin tracking down info.

[Metrix]

2. Hi

There is Ancestry.com and Rootsweb.com. Same database, different formats. Ancestry.com is a subscription site, but you can register as a guest. These sites have message boards where you can post queries. I recently let my subscription go because I was tired of the high prices, but I had a lot of success searching the census images.

You may be able to get census images for free online if your local library subscribes to the ProQuest HeritageQuest database. I'll assume you're in Indiana by your atavar. The Allen County Libary in Fort Wayne is supposed to be one of the best in the country for genealogical research.

I just found relatives in LaPorte County (and also Porter). Their local genealogical organization maintains an excellent site, with cemetery, birth, marriage, death, Civil War, et cetera, databases. So you might want to search your county name.

[jdots]

3. i hope someone has found a good one

They have teasers to try to get you to spend the money and so far the teasers have been very wrong.
Just google your last name,sometimes you get pages of info and maybe even someone from your familly has started a search.
So far I have found that my last name is rare but shows up 2 different famillys using the name that have nothing to do with each other.
Also emailing realatives you have never met will sometimes be met with fear of idendity theft,so you come up empty handed.
2 groups know about your familly the Mormons and the F.B.I.
( ha -ha hopefully )

[shraby]

4. Go to:

<http://www.usgenweb.org>

It has coordinators who put stuff online from every county in the United States. Some coordinators are better than others about putting info on, but it's all free and they will do free lookups for you. I was a coordinator for many years.

There are some scams out there so be careful. Another place you can get general info from is:
<http://www.cyndislist.com>

She has tons of links to places to find info. Have fun.

[signmike]

6. The Mormons and the F.B.I. *sigh*

Why ME all the time?

I looked into (I think it was) Ancestry.com a couple years ago, anyway one of them with a bulletin board, and actually wound up with a photograph of my great grandmother, and the location of her grave. That's it. Since then I get spammed at least once a month from them.
I also found 8 people with my same last name and wrote to them. One answered - he has my same exact name, first and last and is in prison. I can't wait to find out the authorities have me confused with him. And probably taken off voter rolls.

[cornermouse]

5. Don't forget your local library and genealogical societies

of the various locations. Another good but not free source, if you find anyone who was in the Civil War, NARA will send you their civil war pension files which sometimes have things like marriage certificates, listing of survivors, signatures of them and their relatives.

Added. Also courthouses. There's also the bureau of land management which lists people who owned land online. You can find it through www.cyndislist.com.

[samwisefoxburr]

7. Thanks everybody! I've already found something!

I've found my grandfather on my mother's side. I've never met him because he passed away long before I was born. It says he died in September of 1969. I'll have to confirm that with my mom. In my mother's bible, it has the same name and same date of birth; also it was in New York which is where my parents were born.

This is exciting!

[utahgirl]

8. Professional Genealogist

Start with www.familysearch.org and rootsweb.com which are both free. Start with what you know. Document everything carefully. Prepare a budget because if you start ordering death certs or SS application forms, you'll be into big bucks very quickly.

My prefered US research methodology:
1. Bracket with census searches on the federal level, naturalization records, passenger lists
2. Go to state resources like birth and death records
3. Go to county resources like marriages and land or probate records
4. Use historical societies or DAR, SAR records; newspaper obituaries
5. Go to "on the ground" searches like cemeteries

Patience is everything. It took me 17 years to find a death date once. It was on a shipping manifest for the casket. :)

Good luck!
utahgirl

PS I've had a subscription to Ancestry.com for the census images for some time. It's an invaluable resource for me.

Disclaimer: I worked for Ancestry for five years.