Have These Three Things and Get Genealogy Assistance

To get assistance at Genealogy Just Ask Groups, we ask that you know three things:

· the name of your ancestor

· location

· time period

First, it is important that you have a name even if you do not know who the father or mother was. You should always search for the child of the father or mother, so you should always have a name (Genealogy Just Ask Facebook Groups).

The problem comes when the name has been altered by the indexer, census taker, or just changed over time with different variations. Make sure that you record the different names for whoever takes over. This will save them from having to do the work over again. When you must ask for assistance, this name can be beneficial. Second, we tell the members of Genealogy Just Ask, LLC that the quest for documentation is determined by location. To find your person it is much easier to have an exact location.

Beginning the search to identify and document your ancestors can be frustrating if you do not know where to look for records. Many family historians want to experience the joy of the hunt themselves. As a result, some begin searching online databases for the records they can easily find. Here we will help lead you to discover more resources in the locality where your ancestor lived.

What do you want to learn?

Knowing precisely what you want to learn about your ancestor will help guide you to the types of records that will answer your question. You will want to avoid the endless searching where you turn up everything except the details that you set out to find in the first place.

There is a certain thrill when you find your ancestor on an online tree and connect to a living descendant, and you may find important clues. Therefore, it is essential to compare notes with others who are researching the same person. It is especially rewarding if they can share or point you to the actual historical documentation that they used to draw their conclusions.

When you first start researching, you will be looking to document basic details about birth, marriage, and death of ancestors closest to you such as a person, a parent or grandparent. It will save you a great deal of time and energy if you know exactly where these events took place. In some cases, you will be able to access these records online, so you determine how to find access to vital records.

This is how you access the Research Wiki:

· To search the Research Wiki, go to familysearch.org.

· Look for Search at top after Family Tree.

· Click Search. The Research Wiki is at the bottom of the list.

· Select Research Wiki.

Then, you are at the Research Wiki:

Research Wiki

If you were looking for North Carolina Births, Marriage, or Deaths, search for “North Carolina Vital Records.”

North Carolina Vital Records at Research Wiki.

Records vary according to:

· period of time you are researching

· type of vital record (birth, marriage, death, etc.)

· place to access the record

How do you learn about records in a locality?

You will also need to research the records available in the area. The Research Wiki is a helpful resource to use here too. Search the county or parish and state to discover records in the area. Search Cyndi’s List to find more.

If you want to discover more. Study the holdings of the local archives to see if they list the record collection online or offer a publication that you can purchase. Also, the local library may have a collection on site or online for researchers. Finally, review the library's website for links to the history or genealogy.

For example, Buncombe County, North Carolina Libraries website lists genealogy resources under the link, NC Collection (Pack Library). One thousand images are available online with more coming (oral histories, newspapers, genealogies and more).

Make a list

While you are keeping in mind that you want to learn, make a list. Keep a record of the places where you find the documentation because you may discover more later in those same places.

Be sure to ask for suggestions of other places that you may try. Local librarians and archives are experts about the historical documentation that survives in their areas and where to access those records. If you learn of resources that are not listed on the Research Wiki or Cyndi’s List, be sure to contribute what you learn to make it easier for the next person who comes along.

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