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My wife replies to the order requests as they are received. Results are sent to the email address you provide.
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Free lookups are meant to help you find another piece of your family story. Due to time constraints, we cannot conduct in-depth research on entire family lines through the free lookup service.
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My Journey into Genealogy
I began genealogy over 30 years ago during a period when health issues, including Crohn’s disease, kept me home for a long stretch. Since I was home a lot, I decided to dig into my family name and learn about the people who came before me. I thought I’d find a few names and dates. Instead, I found stories, patterns, and questions that kept pulling me deeper.
Initially, most of my research relied on books, libraries, microfilm, and handwritten notes. I learned quickly that genealogy is not about collecting names. It is about proving you have the right person and building the story from real records. Over time, I began collecting reference books and record guides and built a system to track sources, dates, locations, and clues that did not fit at first.
As more records came online, I added digital tools and genealogy software to help organize the research. Even with modern search tools, I still use the same basic approach. Start with what is known, confirm it with records, and then move step by step into earlier generations. A neighbor in a census, a witness on a marriage record, a land boundary, or a probate entry can be the piece that finally points to the right family.
When the internet was still new, I started sharing my findings so my family could keep up with what I was learning. I did not expect anyone outside my family to care, but emails started coming in from relatives and from people I had never met. They had their own family questions and were trying to sort out the same kinds of problems I was working through. That was the moment I realized this interest extended beyond my family line.
That is how Ancestral Findings began. I launched it on December 15, 1995, as a place to share what I was learning and to help people take their next step. The free lookups were part of it from the start, and it grew quickly. Within a few months, I had received over 1,000 requests.
Today, Ancestral Findings is still a family effort. I run the site, and my wife helps by replying to lookup requests. We keep the process organized and respond in the order requests arrive. The goal stays the same. Help you find the next record, confirm the right person, and keep moving forward without getting overwhelmed.
If you have a deeper genealogy question, I’d love to help as best I can. This is separate from the free lookups and is free as well. I answer these in my spare time when I can. Click here to submit your question.