Genealogy: Real research is not for faint of heart
By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020
By Sheila Benedict
Most people are interested in their past, especially those who know nothing and want to find out everything: the who, what, where, when, and how of their ancestry.
To do a thorough, accurate research project into your “roots” is not a simple thing, nor is it for the faint of heart. Further, it is not just for retired folks with time on their hands; many young people are just as enthusiastic and want to do the research. People in the professional genealogy community in which I work range in age from 21 to 81 years old.
Some folks have the idea that if they have names, dates, and places, that is all they need – not true! The history of place and time is important to get an understanding of who your ancestors were and how much of “me” came from part of “them.”
In addition, accurate information from reliable sources is the only type of genealogy that should be done. “If grandma said it, it must be so” is a fallacy, and we know it.
There are some truths that one needs to know: