YOUR ANCESTORS

FUN WITH YOUR ANCESTRY

Just recently I had an experience that made me get excited all over again about checking into my ancestry. I knew that my grandfather was a personal secretary to Gen. John Pershing in WWI. He did all kinds of neat things - ie. sending messages via the little white flags that you wave around in the air, etc. He rode his horse alongside the general and was Gen. Pershing's "right hand" man. What got me all excited was that I didn't know that Gen. Pershing wrote a book about his experiences in the war. When I discovered that - I wanted to know if my grandfather was mentioned in this book. So here I am really anxious to get to the library and find this book and start reading it. This is just one of the fun and exciting things that will help you learn more about your ancestors.

Do you know something special that one of your uncles, aunts, grandparents, etc. have done? Maybe you don't know all the information concerning that something special. If they are still living, get in contact with them and pick their brain as to all the different aspects of this very special thing that happened to them. Be sure to take a tape recorder or your computer and get everything they say recorded somewhere. You may be surprised and possibly excited about your newest information. Be sure to document where/who you got the information from.

Then if you are into the groove of writing books, articles, etc. make a family book and let all your relatives know what you have found out about your ancestors.


YOUR GENEALOGICAL SEARCH

Here are a few ways that you can search for your ancestors and have fun at the same time:

1. Visit cemeteries and find the headstone/inscription of your ancestors. Be sure to take a picture!
2. Visit a local Genealogical Society and possibly become a member.
3. Plan a family reunion and have a blast chatting and visiting about your ancestors.
4. Visit a local LDS Genealogical Library and search their records.
5. Do a google search for the surname of your ancestor.
6. Search online for social security numbers of deceased relatives.
7. Search online for military records.
8. Search online for baptismal records.
9. Visit museums and look for your ancestors name and possibly an invention by your ancestor.
10. Plan to visit with a relative (ie. great aunt, cousin, etc.) that spent time with your ancestor and tape record the stories that they are able to tell about your ancestor.
11. Search online for an obituary of your ancestor. Obituaries contain a lot of great information.

Hopefully this will help you in your genealogical search and let you have some fun at the same time.