Finding the branches of your family tree

Ever wonder where your family came from, or whether you could be a descendant of royalty or a famous person? The Internet makes it easier than ever to find out.

It's so easy, says Jan Alpert, president of the National Genealogy Society, that researching family trees has become not only a favorite hobby but a national trend.

"The earliest genealogy society in the United States was in New England in 1845," Alpert said. "The difference is that it was all about blue blood and money. The rich people paid someone to do this for them."

"What's changed is that the Internet has made it into a hobby for anyone," she said. "That's why, in my opinion, the interest has exploded. There are a number of free and paid sites on the Internet where you can find many public records. In the past, you had to do the street research and had to take a weeklong vacation to visit places your family was from, which made it not as attractive to everyone."

Genealogist Paula Manzella, supervising reference librarian in the Burlington County Library System, would know. She has constructed her own family tree and teaches monthly genealogy classes at the main branch in Westampton.

"Genealogy is not for shy people. You have to be able to talk to people and be a self-starter and motivator," Manzella said. "Now with computers, anyone can do it. A lot of patrons don't even leave their houses. People don't have to go long distances they used to have to go - now, there is a higher level of faster communication."

John Somers of Lindenwold began researching his family tree almost 20 years ago. He uses a variety of methods to pursue the quest, which was inspired by a discussion with an older aunt, Catherine Somers Ward.

Since Somers came from a family of seven siblings, five of whom are alive and living nearby, he began with them and then broadened his research to more distant and older relatives. The entire time, he gathered family photographs, which he copied and shared with his brothers and sisters. More importantly, however, he documented each discovery on a family history chart with a birth or death certificate, marriage license, or church records.

"When you do this type of work, you have to be able to prove everyone on your family tree [existed], with an official document," Somers said.

One "find" was a 1918 photograph of an aunt, Jane "Jennie" Gallagher, who served as a nurse in World War I. She was standing on the banks of a river in France a few days after the signing of the Armistice.

"I always wanted to research my family tree, but never got around to it," said Somers, a father of four.

It took until he was retired to start his quest in earnest. Somers traveled with his wife, Becky, and his sisters and brother to a number of states, visiting city halls, churches and historical societies to look for birth and death certificates and land deeds.

But it was while visiting an old cemetery that he hit pay dirt, finding a side of his family he knew little about.

"Never discount graveyards as sources of information," said Somers, a lifelong Lindenwold resident, who, so far, has traced his family to Ireland, circa 1808.

He and his wife have taken one trip to Ireland but didn't have enough time to do much research. He plans to go back.

Judy Olsen's genealogical inspiration involved both a graveyard and an older relative.

Olsen was close to her grandfather while growing up in Pemberton. She recalls that when she was about 10, her grandfather was diagnosed with heart problems and told to walk each day to improve his health. Olsen accompanied him, and they often traversed the town's graveyards. She cherished those times, as he told her about the people buried there and life in olden days. Those talks peaked an interest in genealogy, and Olsen has been researching her family tree ever since.

That search helped Olsen discover ties to the Lippincott family, who were once affluent and prominent in South Jersey. She has written three books on the subject, published with the help of the Gloucester County Historical Society.

These days, Olsen uses a combination of old and new methods in her research. She still sends for some government documents through the mail, but is thrilled with Web sites that post data such as census information and ships' logs with passengers' actual signatures.

"One of the things I think is wonderful is all the places, like libraries and historical societies that are putting actual documents online and you can actually read the handwriting," Olsen said.

Get started with your family research at www.ancestry.com www.rootsweb.com

A "genealogy huddle" meets the first Wednesday of the month at the Burlington County Library in Westampton. Call 609-267-9660 or visit www.bcls.lib.nj.us.

The Gloucester County Historical Society (www.rootsweb.com/~njgchs/) specializes in genealogy.

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