What is the best way to research my family tree?

I have just lost a grandfather to lung cancer and I am realizing just how much Ive lost now that he is gone. I would like to create a family tree, but I need help getting started. Can anyone recomend software or a research site I can use? Thank you!What is the best way to research my family tree?
I'm sorry for your loss.

My suggestion is first you get a copy of unpuzzling your past by Emily Croom. It's under $20. It takes you step by step. I still use my copy even after 15+ yrs of research.



Then sit down with your living relatives and record what they know and any family stories. They may have documents like birth, death, marriage certificates, obits and family Bibles that you can make copies of.



Don't trust what you find online. There is a lot of bad research out there. Only use it as a tool, DOCUMENT everything. If you find something online that someone has submitted ask if they would send you copies of the documents. If they don't have them don't believe what they have until you prove it.



Documents 75 yrs and younger will be almost impossible to get. States have sealed them up unless you are a person on them due to identity theft.



Cemetery records are usually free so you can get lots of clues from those. Obits you will probably have to pay for.



Check your local library's homepage to see if they subscribe to heritagequest. If they do you can access it from home with your library card. This contains the census and other interesting stuff. They may also subscribe to ancestry. This you would have to use at the library.



Visit your local LDS Center. They have tons of stuff on film.



As far as software. I use family tree maker. Have for years. It is user friendly. But there are a lot of different ones out there that you may like. Try google. Put in genealogy software and read each one carefully. See if they have a try before you buy. Don't put much in it until you decide if its the one you want and then buy the software so if your computer ever dies you can reload it.



Make sure you back up your work on cd's or floppy's this is really important. If your computer dies you loose everything unless you have it backed up on cd's or floppy's. Nothing worse then having to enter all your info again.



Good luck on your quest. Just remember this is not a cheap hobby. But the rewards are priceless.What is the best way to research my family tree?
I am very sorry about your grandfather. I know you miss him and I think it is wonderful that you would want to preserve his heritage.



First of all get as much information as possible from family members. Talk to the senior family members and tape them if they will let you. They might be confused on some things but what might seem to be little story tellings just possibly will turn out to be very important.



Go to your public library and find out what they have in the genealogy section. They might have a subscription to Ancestry.Com which has lots of records. They have all the censuses through 1930. The 1940 is not available to the public yet.



Now, be very careful about taking as fact information you see in family trees in any website(free or paid). They are submitted by folks like you and me. A lot of the information is not documented. You frequently will see different information on the same person. Then all too often you will see repeatedly the same information on the same person without documentation. That means a lot of people are copying without verifying. There are errors in family trees on the internet.



Use the information as clues as to where to get your documentation. Ancestry.Com and Rootsweb allows you to probe a name and get the name and email address of the submitter.



Call your nearest Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Church and find out if they have a Family History Center. They have records on people all over the world, not just Mormons. In Salt Lake City they have the world's larges genealogical collection.

Their Family History Centers can order microfilm for you to view for a nominal fee.

They don't bring up their religion and they won't send their missionaries by to ring your doorbell.



Cyndi's list has a lot of websites that deal with family history and records.



While at the library and Family History Center, you will probably have a great opportunity to talk with people who can give you some great tips and advice.



Good Luck!