BRANCHING OUT: THE INTERNET PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING FAMILY TREES

Think there might be a king or queen lurking in your family closet? Even a pirate or Civil War hero would make for interesting conversation. Tracing you family ancestry can be an exciting adventure, and until recently a very time-consuming and sometimes costly one.

Bill Eddleman, president of the Cape Girardeau County Genealogy Society, was fortunate enough to receive search material from his uncle who went into a nursing facility in 1988. Eddleman has spent the last 12 years adding to that material.

He recently went to Nashville, Tenn., in search of more family records, including ones that produced an ancestor with the surname Thompson. Being a somewhat common surname, Eddleman knew he was in for a lot of work but the first name, Zephaniah, held some possibilities.

Eddleman immediately went to the computer to search the Web for Zephaniah Thompson. In a matter of minutes he was able to trace his ancestry back three more generations and that produced a Revolutionary War soldier and another Cape Girardeau County connection.

Using the Internet was a real time-saver for Eddleman. "That would have taken me years otherwise," he said.

Research made simple

More and more primary records, like census documents, are appearing online. In some instances actual scanned documents are available for download or printing.

There are a variety of Internet sites that can help you do genealogical research, but for the beginner Eddleman recommends Cyndi's List.

"She started her site in 1994. It's very well organized with connections to different titles," Eddleman said. The site provides more than 80,000 links in 140 easy-to-use categories.

Internet searches often lead to other states and countries. Traveling to retrieve the information is sometimes impossible. "Make use of the genealogy society in your area," said Eddleman recommends. The local group can contact other genealogy groups, which will aid in your search.

Family Tree Maker software is a program many genealogists use when filling in the branches on their family tree. Online service offers assistance in retrieving information.

Beginning a family search is sometimes a daunting task. "Help, I don't know where to start" is a common plea. Eddleman said the best place to begin is at home. Start a journal of information and begin by writing down everything you can about yourself, like your name, when and where you were born, if you were baptized in a church, making sure to list when and were. Then do the same thing for your brothers and sisters.

A link to the past

Listing your parents' names, birth dates and where they were born is an important next step. Record their marriage date and location and anything you know about how they met. What may seem like an innocent comment can unexpectedly produce another family link.

"There's still no substitute for getting to the original records," said Eddleman. The initial search will probably lead to the local library and county courthouse. Keeping materials organized is a must. A simple genealogical research kit should include a three ring binder with a zipper to keep papers from falling out, at least two pens, a yellow highlighter for marking copies of documents, a pack of pencils, loose leaf paper, maps of research areas, a magnifying glass for small print and plenty of time.

Cemeteries also offer additional information. Using a mirror and directing the light at the inscription will aid in reading a gravemarker. Some family cemeteries remain on personal land requiring owner permission for admittance.

A big boost to genealogists will be the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center, scheduled to open in April. This state-of-the-art facility will bring together records that have previously been scattered throughout the county. Some of the oldest records in the state will be housed in the center.

"This will be a great place for genealogists to come," said Mike Davenport, assistant director.

Circuit court, marriage, personal and real estate tax and probate records will be available. Patrons will be able to make photo copies of records. A reader-scanner will allow for documents on microfilm to be read, scanned and then sent out via e-mail.

County records available

"We'll be able to supply people with good information about the history of Cape County," said Director Jane Randol Jackson. Even though the facility has a multitude of documents, more would be welcome. Anyone with county records, especially records from one room schools, can donate the records to the Center.

When looking for birth, death and marriage records another good place to investigate is the local newspaper.

Sharon Sanders, librarian for the Southeast Missourian, also a genealogy buff, said the newspaper has microfilm and file clippings of newspaper dating back to the 1800s.

"If a date can be given when looking for specific information, the turn around time isn't very long," said Sanders.

With only a name to go by, the search may take her a little longer. The Missourian also has the capability of scanning microfilm documentation and sending it out via e-mail to people requesting family histories.

Whether searching online, in an archive center, at the library or local paper, be prepared to pay for copies. Fees vary depending on the facility and length of time involved in getting the necessary information.

WANT MORE?

Get more information on genealogy at these Internet sites:

Cyndi's List: www.cyndislist.com

Family Tree House: www.usaafter.com/games/htm

Genealogy Home Page: www.genhomepage.com

Ancestry.com

Genealogylinks.net

The Paper Trail

The Southeast Missourian offers a research service that includes the following newspapers and dates of publication:

The Daily Republican (Oct. 3,1904 to Feb. 28, 1918)

The Daily Republican 10th Anniversary Edition (1915)

The Southeast Missourian (March 1,1918 to present)

The Weekly Republican (Jan. 7, 1910 to Jan. 6, 1921)

The Daily Republican (December 1903 to September 1904)

The Cape Girardeau Western Eagle (March 31, 1848 to March 23, 1849)

The Weekly Eagle (May 11, 1849 to March 21, 1851)

The Cape Girardeau Eagle (Oct. 29, 1857 to March 21, 1862)

The Western Eagle (Union Series) (May 10, 1862 to Aug. 16, 1862)

The Cape Girardeau Democrat (Weekly) (Jan. 3, 1891 to May 29, 1909, except 1901)

Southeast Weekly Bulletin (Jan. 6, 1955 to Dec. 28, 1967)

Cape Girardeau Bulletin (Jan. 4, 1968 to Oct. 14, 1976)

Cape Girardeau Bulletin-Journal (1979 to July 1986)

Dyer County Tennessean (May 16, 1966 to present)

Dyersburg News (May 24, 1955 to present)