Just some general research hints. 1. First get yourself Pedigree or Family Tree Chart. 2. 2nd write down everything you know about your family. 3. Remember you are researching your family, NOT SOMEONE ELSE'S. You waste time and money by "collecting" one surname from a state. Unless you plan on publishing a book don't do it. it takes too much time. STICK WITH YOUR OWN FAMILY. PLUS in the long run it will on confuse you. 4. WORK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW! 5. DON'T TRY TO "FORCE" CONNECTIONS. IE: JUST CAUSE YOUR NAME IS JEFFERSON DOESN'T MEAN YOUR RELATED TO THE PRESIDENT. 6. Gather as much info as you can from living family members. 7. Gather as much documentation (make copies from those who don't wish to part with precious documents. 8. Start with the most recent and work your way backwards. 9. DECIDE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT. On your pedigree or family tree chart, write down your name, DOB & DOM if applies. DOB = DATE OF BIRTH , DOM date of marriage. And your spouse Gather up all your supporting documents, (make copies etc.) Then write down your parents names. Their DATES of birth/marriage/death if applicable. write place of birth,marriage, death & were buried if applies. Then gather up all documents that apply, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates & wills if one exists. *Newspaper announcements of birth or marriage & obits. WWW.VITALREC.COM IS A GOOD WEBSITE FOR ADDRESSES FOR VITAL RECORDS JUST CHANGE THE END TO THE INITIALS FOR THE STATE YOU WANT. EXAMPLE WWW.VITALREC.COM/NY.HTML OR WWW.VITALREC.COM/NJ.HTML OR WWW.VITALREC.COM/PA.HTML NOTE: ANY ONE BORN OR WORKING AFTER 1937 HAS A SOCIAL SECURITY #. IF DECEASED YOU CAN LOOK IT UP ON INTERNET. ALSO BE PREPARED! GENEALOGY IS EXPENSIVE. Cemetery's charge, Vital Records Court houses Charge a fee. Newspapers charge. Depending on how old you are, you should be able to gather info on your parents & grandparents without too much trouble. When you get to your great grandparents, you should be able to (again depending on age). Look them up in the 1930 cencus records. Look up an address in a city directory aka phone book. Look up a newspaper birth announcement or marriage announcement. Look up OBITS. Keep in mind, papers also printed "gossip" back then before 1950ish. So and so went on vacation, or so and so came to visit. Or so and so went to war. etc. Don't forget cemetery's and funeral homes for a hugh source of info. You can send away for birth, marriage and death cert. You can look for a WILL, another source of relationships documentation. The further back you go you have to get more creative in your research. Don't forget about using the census, especially ancestry.com or other CD'S where you can search the entire state at one time (or country) if u are unsure just where your ancestor was during a certain time period. Their are land records. Tax Records. Tith tables. Divorce Records. Military Records. after 1937 there is also social security records. AGAIN if the 1930 new york census says they were born in virginia, DON'T GO COLLECTING ALL "MILLER" OR JONES INFO FROM VA. Get an earlier census and locate them there FIRST. then when you know the "local" area proceed. You will only waste alot of time and money, trying to collect on all millers etc. _ALWAYS PHOTO COPY THE DOCUMENTS, PAGES IN A BOOK, WHERE YOU FOUND YOUR INFO._ (http://www.nyvagenealogy.homestead.com/research.html) _usually the "title page" and the page your ancestor is on._ (http://www.nyvagenealogy.homestead.com/research.html) good luck, Kristina _www.nyvagenealogy.homestead.com_ (http://www.nyvagenealogy.homestead.com)