CURRY-L Archives

From: "gayle" <>
Subject: Re: Clara Sara Curry, beginner needs help
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 12:56:49 -0600
References: <55.1143ff6a.27beed74@aol.com>

I am a retired genealogy librarian/ archivist. As a beginner, may I suggest
that you start by going to your public library and checking out a good
how-to book. It will help you a lot! I would recommend first Val
Greenwood's "The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy" and second "the
Source". While computers are wonderful tools and we are finding a great
deal of information on the internet if you learn the basics first you will
achieve a much better finished product.

Your public library either has or can borrow in interlibrary loan census
records on microfilm. There are indexes for many of them. there is a
soundex for the 1880 census and also for the 1900 census, both of which will
be on your list to search. A soundex is an index of sound alike surnames
and heads of households showing those who resided in the same household in a
particular state that directs you to the
actual census that gives you even more data. With the soundex, you do not
need to know the county of residence only the state. Someone at your
library will be able to get you started if you inquire about soundex for
census records. Once you find Clara in the 1900 soundex and census, it will
tell you the state of birth for her parents, and you can search that 1880
soundex for her father.

You might also inquire at your library about borrowing the Indiana
newspapers for the time frame when Clara's parents were buried in Indiana.
Their obituaries may give you a good deal of information.

My next suggestion, inquire (someone at the library will know) if there is a
local genealogical society. Even if you don't live in the county where your
ancestors were, the people in the local group will become your support
system as you begin your search. Genealogists are always nice people who
like to help others! If there is no genealogy society, ask the librarian if
there is someone else that does a great deal of genealogy research that they
might introduce you to.

Welcome to the world of genealogy! Just be forewarned, you will never be
the same again. It is an unending hunt!

Good luck to you

Gayle

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