What type of information do you want to find? Choose an item below. Don't forget to take a look at the "Keys to successful genealogical research" at the bottom of this topic. For an explanation of how to use this Step-by-Step Guide, see the topic Instructions for the Step-by-Step Guide.

Birth date

Birthplace

Death date

Place of death

Burial place

Marriage date

Marriage place

Maiden name

Names of children

Names of parents

Name of spouse

Divorce or marital status

Social Security number

Age of individual

Country, town, or parish of foreign birth

Date of arrival into the United States

Naturalization date

Name of ship

Port of entry

Port of exit

U.S. military service record

Places the family has lived

Names of living relatives

Address and phone of living relatives

Adoption information

Religion

Ethnic background

Previous research about the family

Activities the family was involved in

Keys to successful genealogical research:

Guidelines for writing information requests

Preparing for outside research

Using libraries

Taking notes

Problems with reading old records: what to watch for

Determining accuracy of information

Other danger zones

Return to the Main Menu of the Genealogy "How-To" Guide