Re: Walling's of Kentucky
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In reply to:
Walling's of Kentucky
Thomas Walling 3/16/07
Okay Thomas, Let's see if I remeber how to do this.I used
to try to help out and be in the "frey" a while back but
sickness knocked me out for a while.First of all take pen in hand and hunt down any older relatives you can find.Get their knowledge before they "pass".They may not remember it just right but you will get some leads to follow. They get the bonus; a younger person interested in what they know and believe me they know a lot!Next; if your Mom and Dad are still living (many of us don't get the urge to know "who" we are until our family members start to pass.)Write down Mom and Dad's birth, marriage and passingdates (if applicable) and/go to your department of vital statistics for copies of these documents; they will often give you clues from the dates and information on them that you will need.Find out if your Dad was in the Armed Services.There are government sources online for this.Your State Archives and library is another source for use.
They have literally thousand of books, photos, maps, census
records and city directories there at your disposal. Oh, and
don't be afraid to ask the staff to help!They are usually
eager to help; especially if they know you are new to the game.Also; you want to document/copy EVERYTHING; if you are in this to "prove" who you are: marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, census rolls, pages from city directories (carry a pocket full of dimes and quarters with you - there are usually no change machines.
You need to put out more information in order for us to help you better.Where in Kentucky do we need to work backwards from. Give us a round figure of your age and your Mom and Dads'.If you turn out to be from my line I will be glad to share what info I have with you.About the documentation.It can be hard to find.I am in my early sixties and I set out to trace my family lines back to theold country.I wasn't out to prove anything so I don't have much documentation and remember also if you are looking in the "South" many records were burned or otherwise destroyed during the "uncivil war"....also most people were more concerned with just staying alive on a day to day basis; than they were keeping records....But every now and then you will have some kind soul who will throw you a peanut or two to keep you going and once in a while you will even find a "cherry" all on your own...AND MAN OH MAN ARE THEY SWEET!Good Luck, you may reply to my post or e-mail me at will.Sherrie Wallace