I tried but it's hard when you just find out a little over five years ago your dad was adopted. LOL Nice, now we'll never know! Hope I never need a kidney.

I do know on my grandma's side we're related to Minnie Pearl and The Thrasher Brothers. haha

Another good resource is the Mormon church. They have assembled more records in one place than just about any other organization. Awhile back when I was doing some researching, they were just getting the records online. Now, it appears they have done that at www.familysearch.org - they boast the largest free collection of records.

I started and stopped on this search. My grandpa's side is easy because his family came over in the early 1900's. He was the last of 5 children and the only one born in the US. I found an online census report from 1930 showing their household. My grandma's side is harder and I haven't even really started looking at that. My paternal side is a mystery - never met my dad or his family and only have a name.

There is info out there, but the search can be consuming. I think I will start looking again at some point in time. When my grandma moved in with me last year, she had some documents that are quite helpful. I actually have my great grandfather's naturalization certificate and some birth certificates. It's like touching history. Holding that certificate the listed my great-grandfather as a "subject of the Chancellor of Germany" was amazing. You could almost feel the hope and dreams.

Sandy...my dad's mother committed suicide when he was 11, most of her people have died. I've met one child from my grandmother's brother...I need to go talk with her. Daddy doesn't remember a lot about her family and never saw his uncles once she died.

It is very hard even knowing some facts, can't imagine with an adoption.

Heck, I'm still looking for two cousins that were adopted...the court says I have no claim since I'm not the grandparent or sibling...how stupid is that.

My grandmother (maternal grandma) supposedly went to school with Minnie Pearl.

Grandma isnt around anymore for me to confirm that story tho. (g-ma died in 2000) I wonder if my aunt would remember the story tho?

Both my parents have done extenive genealogy record searching. On both sides of the family I have records going back to the 1700s. Dad kept this huge 'black book'. All the kids would run when he got it out and wanted to show some of the grand kids what he had. My youngest daughter didn't so after he died she got his book. Since she was still at home I have it. It is my job now to add any marriages, births, deaths etc. One year my daughter had a project to do where she had to make a family tree. She had the most intricate and largest and organized and got an A+.

What my Mom wants in addition to the genealogy is the how they got places. Like how did they get to Le Heigh Pa to Greene Co Ill? What route did they take. So I do hours of research for her and I find some pretty interesting things. I just do a google search and start opening up a loot of sites and read. One site wil lead me to another one. There are also genealogy message boards where you can post inquiries.

I have been researching my family for about 12 years now. I was fortunate to grow up living next door to my grandparents and I guess I listened and absorbed the stories and names they talked about.

Armed with their information, I searched cemetery listings online and filled in many blanks as to dates and spouses. I found a distance cousin who was researching as well. We shared photos and found out many things about that branch of the family. We have data tracing them back to early 1700 Ireland and England. Funny thing is, I discovered that I am kin to over half the county where I grew up!!

My husband's sister spent a couple of years researching their family. She finally found the cemetery where their great grandmother was buried and with the names and dates she has been able to piece together the family tree 5 generations back.

It is fun piecing together the puzzle of where you come from.

Well you folks will hate this.
I hail from the most prolific Pilgrim on the boat. The family married into what may be every other family that was there and came since! Every move they made, every child they had, someone documented and cataloged before I ever got to it. There's even books published about them all!

On the other side, same story, all the way back to Lords and Ladies and highfalutins back in Merry Olde England until your eyes hurt trying to read all the titles. All I need to know now is did any of them leave me any of that money???

I may be related to all of you! Hi Cousins!

Which pilgrim was that? From the original boatload of colonists??

On my Mom's side her paternal people said Queen Victoria was an ancestor, At the Monument in Province Town, Cape Cod. Mass., A female ancestor's name is written on the wall showing who came over on the Mayflower. But did all that get canceled out when son of that house got Irish serving girl pregnant and Mom was born? Dad's mum and Dad from Ireland worked ar same big house, Her the Housekeeper, him the carriage driver, later a car!!! No wonder I get so confused and think I'm the Queen of Maryland! And really, a SINGLE female on a boat full of sailors?? Who was she really? HMMM??

We got a great-great grandma who was an Indian. DH gets a little jealous, I think, when I zoom in my chair up and down long drive next to the woods with my pale Irish face saying I'm channeling my Indian and listening to all the animals move about. My mom coud read palms. My brother always said I was a gypsy child stole by a band of roving housewives. What a mutt I am!!!!!