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So you want to trace your family roots...It is a long and tedious process, but it can also be very rewarding to find out who your ancestors have been and where they lived. Sooner or later curiousity will compell you to visit your ancestor's town, and there you may discover relatives you didn't know existed! You will have discovered a great deal about yourself. The real value of genealogy is finding out about the people and places which made you who you are!
You're probably wondering...how do I start? Well, with yourself! You just need a couple of simple forms. One is a Genealogical Chart, which starts with you, and lists your parents, their parents, etc, with birth, death, and marriage information for everyone. Fill one in, putting yourself as number 1, and see how much information you can fill out to start with. Then get a Family Group Sheet, and fill out the information on each family on the Chart, husband, wife, and kids on each Family Group Sheet.
If you don't have information about one of your grandparents, you can get it from their death record. Most states have birth and death records from the early 1900's, see Vital Records Addresses for the state you need a record from. If you don't know the exact year they died, most states, such as Kansas, will search a certain number of years for the basic price (Kansas will search 5 years for the one fee). This death record will give information such as their address at death, their parents names, (IF the informant knew their parents names) a woman's maiden name, social security number, if the man served in the armed forces, and the cause of death. If you want to send to a state for a birth or death record, specify as much information about the deceased as you can, such as: full name, maiden name of woman, where and when died, where and when born, name of surviving spouse, if known. Also include your full name, and identification, and Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope, and check or money order for the fee. If you need addresses to get vital records (ie: birth, death, marriage, divorce records) go to my Vital Records page. I also have addresses of Libraries with good genealogical collections, and LDS Family History Centers, as well as the National Archives Addresses. If you have trouble searching a woman's line, check out my articling about Finding Elusive Women. Be sure to avoid problems in your research by reading the Ways to Avoid Genealogical Grief. Another important point is Evidence for Genealogy.
Good luck, and hope I can help you in beginning your search!