BEGINNING GENEALOGY  

Where Do I Start?

Although it is tempting to leap into a genealogy project by focussing on your parents and grandparents, YOU are number one on the ahnentafel table of your genealogy; thus, the foundation of your personal family history rests on you and no one else. Begin with yourself.

photo: QHGS

Learn Online:

Many websites have classes to help beginners compile their family histories. A few of the best places to go for instruction:

FamilySearch: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Family_History_for_Beginners

Genealogy.com: http://www.genealogy.com/articles/learn/

About.com: http://genealogy.about.com/library/lessons/blintro.htm

Roots-L: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/roots-l/starting.html

Rootsweb Guides to Tracing Family Trees: http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index.html#Numerical

Learn at Your Local Genealogy Club:

Get help from more experienced members at meetings, and attend beginner classes offered by:

Questing Heirs Genealogical Society, Long Beach: http://www.qhgs.info/

Orange County California Genealogical Society: http://occgs.com/
South Bay Cities Genealogical Society: https://sbcgenealogy.org/content_education/education.php

RESEARCH TIP: Develop good research habits from the very beginning by paying special attention to the entries you make about yourself, e.g., your “date and place of birth” entry should cite your birth certificate properly. If you do not have a copy, obtain one for your files. You may be surprised at what you learn from your own birth certificate—many people have discovered that they were actually named something other than what they were called all their lives!