"You have to know where you came from to know where you're going. Cornelia Floyd Nichols (1886 - 1977)

In 1996, I had received a large box filled with genealogy-related notes, photos and copies of correspondence that had belonged to my deceased grandparents. It seemed that they had been desperately trying to find the origins of my grandfather's Hosmer lineage, and meeting with little success. "The family's from Concord, Massachusetts," they used to boast, but neither one of them could prove it.

In the age before computers, family genealogists were limited with both time and resources in conducting family research. The hours spent in libraries must have added up quickly when going through stacks of old newspapers, looking for that one obituary column. One would have to travel to the town of his/her ancestor's birth to obtain information from the library's archives. Corresponding with vital statistics bureaus assured several months for a response, while contacting a potential family member could lead no response at all.

The roots-related struggles of the past have eased substantially with the emergence of the Internet. There are now hundreds of genealogy Websites that will help the novice in his/her quest for filling in the family tree.

But, where should I begin? There were so many selections, each one more interesting than the last. I had with me all of my family's notes and knew that I would have to learn an accepted format in submitting them as information.

Perhaps the best thing that I did was to sign up onto a genealogy discussion list. A list is like a club. Once subscribed, you receive e-mail messages addressed to everyone on the list from other novice genealogists all over the world. This was where I observed a format on how to submit information. There are professional genealogists that man the message boards and help answer questions to the group, guiding those who are "stuck" on what to do next. These pros are extremely helpful in providing the URL (address) to each Website and explain its specific usefulness. Some examples are the Social Security Death Index, Passenger Ships Lists or LDS (Latter Day Saints Family Centers) to name a few. Even the non-professionals on the list are extremely helpful since they share what they've found and where they found it.

Many of the genealogy web sites have search engines. This simply means that information (usually a surname that you are researching) can be searched for. Instantly, the names of other researchers who are researching the same surname as you are listed! No more waiting for a response from a possible relative as it was in years past. If their information is on the site, it is safe to assume that he/she is also interested in locating family members. You can look over their information and e-mail them back with yours. You will also be guided to post your own query (information) so that other researchers can contact you. Best of all, there are many, many web sites where you can post your information.

This was also how I was able to find my complete Hosmer line. After posting many queries and receiving just as many responses, a distant cousin e-mailed me with his grandfather's research, which tied me in to his line. This saved me years of work, as this part of my family's history had been already written by someone else.

Family genealogists of the past have led the way to the age of computers. It was their pride in their family history that has survived through the years, making its way into the hearts of the genealogists of the 21st century. Their stories, anecdotes, letters and notes helped the tie generations together and instill a sense of belonging...of continuity.