Family Sources

People

Living parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends and others are an invaluable source of information for your genealogical research. In many cases, they can provide information and clues that you will not find anywhere else. Older family members may remember events that occurred as much as 80 years ago or longer. They may even recall family members who lived in the nineteenth century. If your grandmother was born in 1920, it's possible that she remembers grandparents born as early as the 1860s.

People can tell you much more about a person than documents and records will ever reveal, such as details about their personal history, personality, habits, or hobbies.

It's crucial to interview family members as soon as possible. One of the most common mistakes made by genealogists is to start too late, after elderly relatives are no longer around. These Interview Techniques and Interview Questions may be useful.

In the case of a distant relative, you might be curious about exactly how you are related. Is he or she your first cousin once removed or your second cousin? For an explanation of family relationships and a useful chart, see Understanding Relationships.

Photo banner: Detail from VPL Historical Photograph 70242