Have faith! You can do this! And you may know more than you think!
You will need some basic information to get started. Start with what you do know or even think you know. Get a notebook and start writing things down. First write down any names you have - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, any relatives you know of. Start with your own information, if you have to. Where did they live? Even a state will help. If you know a specific person lived in a particular place, write it down. Approximate birthdates will also help. Most people have children when they are about 20-40 years old.
Start your search on a genealogy site such as Ancestry (they offer a 14-day free trial membership) or Rootsweb. Especially look for census records. Do not get hung up on proper spelling! Back then, people often spelled by sounding out names. Be flexible. You don’t want to overlook an important record just because the spelling was not what you expected.
Check out records at the courthouse of the county where you believe your ancestors may have lived. Look for any birth, death or marriage records with any of the names you wrote down and copy the details into your notebook. These records should provide not only dates and specific places, but possibly names of parents or other relatives. [Don't try to write down every person of that name that you find. That could be overwhelming and should only be used as a last resort.]
Take your notebook of information to any local genealogical societies and ask for their help. I wish you the best of luck in your search!
© 2011 LuAnn Goeke
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