Genealogy

Maybe ….

  • you remember hearing that you were related to someone who fought in the Revolutionary War,

  • or you heard a story about how your family housed or fed American patriots during the Revolutionary War,

  • or that your grandmother’s sister was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution,

  • or a cousin was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

  • Your interest has been piqued…but where do you start to find information?

STEP I

Take the initiative and ask relatives for information about your “Family Tree.”  Make sure you take notes or record your interviews; it is easy to forget little details that might just be the link you need to find the documentation to prove your lineage.

STEP II

Collect and make copies of all documents your family may already have such as birth certificates, death certificates, obituaries, marriage certificates, baptismal records, etc. . .

STEP III

Now it gets more interesting.   Tracing back and finding official documentation can be tricky; especially if you no longer live in the town or state of your ancestors.   Record keeping in the 1700-1900 centuries was not always the best and there were fires, floods and other disasters where records for a whole town were lost.

However, there are many sources of information where you can locate documents and order copies.   But don’t try to do this alone.   The Myakka Chapter has a registrar, who is available to assist you.  Email us on the “Membership – Contact Us” page.

Another source of help is the Venice Public Library and the Sarasota Public Library downtown Sarasota.  Both have very good genealogy departments with access to online documents and information about sources you may need for lineage documentation.