TipWorld - http://www.tipworld.com The Internet's #1 Source for Computer Tips, News, and Gossip And now for today's tip... THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE FAMILY Every family has a few members who simply don't conform to the rest of the family's idea of "acceptable behavior." The reasons might be related to financial security, religious beliefs, choice of marriage partner, or even a legal misdeed. Some of these family members simply disappear into the distance, and all that remains are family stories about them. Fortunately, there are several ways to track down relatives who have "disappeared." Check national census indexes or even check one state at a time for the most recent, public census index. Also check the Social Security Death Index to see if their death was reported to the Social Security Administration. You can search indexes such as Switchboard, which is located at http://www.switchboard.com for your relatives' names. There's a chance they may have married and named a son or daughter after them or a family member. Don't forget to check the local and/or district courts for incarceration records. Although they are public, these records are sometimes difficult to find. ---------------------------------------------- Diana J. Muir, Professional Genealogist Former Host of the World GenWeb Teacher of 8 free online genealogy classes at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~genclass/