Getting Started - Family History Strategies - Part 4

This is the 4th in a series of getting started on family history.
 Click here for part 1
 Click here for part 2
 Click here for part 3

You might ask yourself why is genealogy catching on so? Well, there is a special spirit to it. If you just get started you will find that out.

Strategy # 4: Taken from Diana Toland class at Riverton, Utah Family History Center

Historically, circumstance created patterns:

Families were less mobile, they stayed more locally and lived near relatives. Don't just find a name on a census, take a look around the neighborhood. A new product is about to be introduced that will help you focus on areas. I will be a beta tester for the product. I have seen it and am excited to bring it to you.

Immigrants settled with relatives or friends, people who spoke their language. Consider this as you do your research.

Until the early/mid 1990's, births usually happened at home. 

People attended churches near their homes. Sometimes there were only 1 or 2 churches in the area. Church records are often a great source. Marriages were likely to be in a church near their home.

Aging parents often lived with one of their children. Poor and widowed may be on the church assistance rolls. Cemetaries often contained family plots. CHildren were buried near parents or grandparents. People registered their events in the Nearest jurisdiction. Check nearby county records.

Instead of searching a name, your best results are when you place yourself in a space where you are searcing understanding the times. Mobility wasn't as it is today. Employment was different, often on farms. People resourced with their families. Thinking this way makes the hunt more interesting and more successful.