The BOOMERNET Genealogy Guide

Need To Know: As we grow older, many of us feel the need to learn more about our ancestors. Because of that, research into our "family trees" has become one of the most active online endeavors. From cryptic comments to 30-generation files, you can find it all on the web today. In fact, choosing a few good starting points can be one of the most challenging tasks. Our primary goal here is to help you get started.

Information Available: There is a great deal of genealogy information available. Much of it is freely provided by individual researchers, but there are also excellent commercial sites which can be of great assistance. This is one area that has proven to be a successful online business model for many. As shown below, we highlight some of the most widely used sites for you.

Caution Needed: As you trace the different branches of your family tree, however, be sure to always seek out copies of the original source documents. It is all too easy to incorporate other people's errors into your own work, so special care is needed. Try not to sacrifice the quality of your data for the sake of the vast quantity available.

Starting Points: With that caveat aside, there are several excellent starting points shown below:

• Global Search sites can assist you in determining what types of information might be out there already.
• Family Trees and GEDCOM files are also available, with many branches already completed. As above, though, these should be accepted as starting points for your research (and not as proven end points).
• Message Boards are places where you can inquire about and share information on your ancestors. You can review archives and post new queries, as needed.
• Other Resources are available, too -- and in an almost endless supply! Dig in and enjoy...
• Personal Links for use in my own research activities are also shown. Send me an e-mail and let me know if we share an interest in one or more of these surnames. I would be happy to exchange information with you.

Global Search

• RootsWeb.com -- the oldest and largest free genealogy site
• Ancestry.com -- primarily fee-for-service. Free items include:
  Ancestry World Tree
  Compiled Genealogy
• Genealogy.com -- primarily fee-for-service. Free items include:
  Family Home Pages
  Genealogy Web Sites

Family Trees & GEDCOM Files

• WorldConnect Project from RootsWeb
• FamilySearch from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Message Boards

• Ancestry Message Boards
• GenForum from Genealogy.com

Other Major Resources

• US County/State Resources at RootsWeb
• Ellis Island Records
• Cyndi's List of genealogy sites on the internet -- with more than 264,000 links
• GeneaNet genealogical database network
• Federation of East European Family History Societies
• WorldGenWeb Project at RootsWeb

Personal Links

• Cockerham-Davis research links, with the following surnames:

• Albiniak & Lublin, Poland research links, including surnames Albiniak, Skutrow and Termaz.
• Kmetz - Bretcko & Eastern Slovakia links, including surnames Bretcko, Kmetz, Kuzma, Lucas, and Pretushka.