I apologize in advance for the lenth of this reply. I got on a roll. I�m new to this Community and I�ve just started reading the messages today. So, if any of the following information should be on a different forum, please let me know or move it to the proper place. Thanks.

I just started being interested in genealogy. My Dad is 95, with mostly a sound body, and still with a great mind. Both he and my Mom have been telling me stories about their families all my life and, while I thoroughly enjoyed hearing them, I wasn't interested in writing them down. I regret that I didn't do that before my Mom died, but at least I still have Dad's memories. He's thrilled at my interest, however late.

My best friend was researching her family long before there were computers to help. She also finds my family much more interesting than hers. Maybe that�s because her family were pioneers and mine were Eastern city dwellers, so she gets to research different things than she�s used to. Anyway, she volunteered to do the grunt work of finding the facts (she loves the hunt) if I would enter the data. Works for me! Since she�s a paid member of Ancestry.com, she created a tree for my family. I�m a free member and she set me up as an Editor on my tree so I could enter the data. This arrangement has worked out for us, but I�ve found that Ancestry has some limitations and unexpected glitches and gaps. My friend has researched genealogy sites through the years and is of the opinion that Ancestry has the most access to information that she wants, but I�ve read the opinions of other people who feel just as adamant about their favorite site.

Fortunately, I live in a city big enough to have a genealogy department in the library. It contains lots of information that isn�t available at some of the genealogy sites, unless you pay a fee.

In addition, there are LDS genealogy �offices� all over the U.S. with computers that have access to the main database of the massive storage area of genealogy that has been collected by the LDS. Ancestry.com was started by the LDS. The LDS main site will have the locaton of those offices. I�m sorry I don�t have their website link at my fingertips. Just Google something like �LDS genealogy� and you should get there.

When I�ve Googled a family surname (or full name), I�ve found many sites that are very specific, and not all of them require a fee. I�ve found sites for specific nationalities and sites that concentrate on adding and sharing information from grave markers (including volunteers and paid helpers that will go find that information for you if you don't live close by).

If there�s a historical society in the city where your (recent) ancestor lived, email or write them for information, maps, etc.

With a little work, you can find a host of free information out there.