Researching Your Family History on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Beyond
The holidays mean many things to different people, but regardless of what traditions you follow, the holidays have a universal aspect among everyone regardless of religion and that is family. Whether you split the holidays driving between parents and in-laws, spend five hours on a plane trying to get to your parents' house, or spend a quite holiday season with just your spouse and children, family is an important part of the holidays.
It was during the holidays four years ago when "family" took on a new meaning for me. I was pregnant with my first son and suddenly "family" wasn't just my parents and grandparents. It was all the people who came before them that made up my family, and I needed to know more about them. I wanted to find my roots so my son could know his.
Genealogy has exploded in the 21st century with online databases making it possible to research your roots from anywhere in the world. In the United States much of this is thanks to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormons. The Mormons have been relentlessly collecting family histories and archiving historical documents for years. They have made this information available to anyone who wants it through local Mormon Churches, which will allow you to view their collection in their family history rooms. They also have a wonderful online resource, FamilySearch.org, which points you in the direction of where to find historical documents, such as census records.
Another great online resource is Ancestry.com. You've probably seen the commercials about clicking on a leaf and finding out about your ancestors. Well, it's one cool feature amongst many. Just type in your family member's information, like name and date of birth, and you'll be amazed at what pops up. If your family roots lie in other countries, these databases are invaluable. In the years since they were first developed, international records have been continuously added to them making it possible to find your family in many parts of the world. In my case, as a first generation American on my mother's side, it made it possible for to track down my ancestors in England and Wales from the comforts of my living room.
Additional resources are local churches and other religious and social organizations. Many have begun scanning and uploading their records, making them available for everyone to see. In my case, I was able to search the parish records for the town in England my mother is from and was able to find baptismal and marriage records for many of my ancestors. Doing a simple internet search for the parishes in the area you're researching should help you find any available databases.
Online databases are a wonderful way to get started in researching your family. Not only can they point you in the right direction and provide you with archived materials, some provide the ability to create a family tree and document your sources. But what do you do when you've exhausted the online resources and have hit brick wall after brick wall? A trip to your local library's history and genealogy department is well worth it. For Harrison County, Mississippi, that department can be found in the newly built Biloxi Library on Howard Avenue. The library has numerous resources available for those who have deep roots on the Coast, as well as those who don't. It has microfilm of the Sun Herald, the Daily Herald and many other area newspapers, yearbooks from Biloxi and some from Gulfport, and numerous books and vertical files documenting the Coast's rich history. There are also resources to help people who aren't from the Coast research their family's history. In addition, the library has subscriptions to Ancestry.com and GenealogyBank.com, a national newspaper archival site. And of course the librarians at any of the libraries you go to can offer expert advice on where to turn when you're not sure what steps to take next.
For me, discovering my family history has been enlightening. I've managed to trace my family back to the 18th century, connect with cousins my family had lost touch with 30 years ago, and even found out my roots lie in completely different parts of England than what I had thought. Finding my ancestors has helped me find out who I am, something I'm able to pass onto my children and hopefully will be passed on for generations to come.
"Researching Your Family History" first appeared as "Searching for Roots" on http://www.zoominmom.com/, a family website dedicated to helping parents find fun things for their kids to do on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Bilxoi, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula. In addition to articles about the Coast, http://www.zoominmom.com/ has information and reviews for playgrounds, activities, restaurants and a family events calendar.
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