Tech-Climb Your Family Tree
Americans have long been interested in finding their roots, but only the most dedicated had the time and patience to do all that digging. Now, computers and the Internet are rapidly transforming that hunt into a pastime that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home. Here are some sources and tools that can get you started.
Genealogy is the third biggest hobby in the U.S. and the second most popular topic on the Internet, according to a Maritz Marketing Research study conducted for American Demographics Magazine .
It still takes patience and digging, but now you can get your computer to do a good deal of the spadework.
Among the tools that can help you on your quest is a software package called Generations Grand Suite from Sierra Home . The kit is designed to help users trace ancestors; create family trees and charts; repair and preserve family photos; and collect and save family recipes.
One interesting feature of the package is its "research center," which includes an enormous bibliography of records referencing microfilm, books, CD-ROMs and Internet resources.
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| Generations Name Glossary. |
The tools are not only easy to use, but quite fun. By using the Names Glossary, we found that CBS This Morning Co-Anchor Mark McEwen's last name is thought to have derived from the phrase "the son of Eoghan," which means well-born.
Then there are the vast resources available on the Internet.
Until Monday one of the most famous sources of genealogical information was available only in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormon church, has put together its own FamilySearch Web site. The site includes information on 400 million names, taken from the church's renowned Family History Library.
The church has the largest collection of genealogy data in the world, and its records include the International Genealogical Index, the Ancestral File, and the Family History Library Catalog files. Many more names are expected to be added later this year.
Other popular genealogy sites are:
- RootsWeb, a site for trading genealogy information,
- And Cyndislist.com, a categorized and cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet.
To help you through the process, there's a book called Netting Your Ancestors by Cyndy Howells, who is the creator of cyndislist.com. The book gives basic information on how to research your ancestry online.
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