Life Story Tips: Use Other Resources
I want to include the basics such as complete family members' names and dates, but what if I don't have that information?
A wonderful resource for finding family information is just a few miles, maybe just a few blocks, from your home. Visit the genealogy section of your local library. For example, here where I live, the Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th Street, Overland Park, Kansas genealogy collection features: obituaries from local newspapers for Johnson County citizens 1977-present; Kansas census microfilm for Johnson County 1855-1925; early newspapers of Johnson County towns, on microfilm, dating back to 1861; county and family histories; genealogy journals; and atlases of Johnson County 1874 and 1902.
If you need to search farther afield, the collection also includes passenger lists of immigrants to America from various European countries, guides to ancestry research in many countries, and miscellaneous records from states and counties around the U.S. Also, find information on historical societies and other genealogical libraries in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
You can search for Kansas information at http://genealogy.jocolibrary.org. If you don't have a computer, you can use those at the library. Volunteers are on hand to help. Also, see the library catalog for free introduction to genealogy classes and computer classes.
Find the Iowa Genealogy Society at www.iowagenealogy.org or call 515-276-0287 They have 20,000 volumes, 15,000 microforms including vital records, histories, federal & state census records, military records.
There will be a genealogy society in your location too. Ask at your library, ask your friends, do an online search, and find all the information you need.
I want to include some information about past relatives, or maybe just some general historical information, but I have no idea where to find such information.
The National Archives have anything you could want. Recently I visited the Central Plains Region, Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration. These particular archives are located in Kansas City, Missouri at 2312 East Bannister Road.
If you plan to visit, especially if you want to use original records (not microfilm), call first (816-268-8000) so they can assure the records are available. Also ask for driving directions. There are several buildings, and it is tricky to find the correct turn.
For those of us who love paper, old books, and old documents, this place is just wonderful. Stacks of files that seemed to reach out to the horizon just begged to be inspected. But the best part is, if you arrive prepared with a specific name and place of birth or name and date, they can set you on the path to finding what you want.
Someone in my family has already done all the genealogy work, but I would love to just visit the archives to look at the variety of stuff there: federal prison records from Leavenworth back to prisoner number 2, Indian records, census records, territorial papers, Civil War photographs, and records documenting the unexplained loss of Navy flight 19 in the Bermuda Triangle. These are just a few examples.
Prepare for your visit and find a regional archive in your area by reviewing the web sites: www.archives.gov/central-plains/kansas-city, and the NARA home page, www.archives.gov.
I would like to include some family history such as war records and photos. Where could I obtain some information?
Usually, I don't recommend places that require a fee, subscription, or payment; however, www.ancestry.com has just unveiled new records that are nothing short of amazing. They have more than 90 million U.S. war records, from the first English settlement at Jamestown in 1907 through the Vietnam War's end in 1975. This new information can be accessed free until June 6, the anniversary of D-Day. After June 6, users can pay $155.40 a year for unlimited access to thousands of U.S. record databases. Check with your local library. Some genealogy websites can be accessed through the library without paying a fee.