Finding out about family history?

Question:My family isn't exactly the best about being honest. There's a few relatives I know have passed, but their deaths seem pretty shady, so I want to find out the real story. Also, I'm kind of interested in if I have more relatives out there than I know, which I'm sure I do. So is there a free site that I can try finding out info on?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My family isn't exactly the best about being honest. There's a few relatives I know have passed, but their deaths seem pretty shady, so I want to find out the real story. Also, I'm kind of interested in if I have more relatives out there than I know, which I'm sure I do. So is there a free site that I can try finding out info on?

There are loads of sites. However most researchers on them have not proven their work. The best way to find out about your family is to do the actual research with documents.

Use birth, death, marriage certificates, obits and cemetery records. The Census is great help before 1930.

It's hard work but if you really want to know the story about your family then you won't mind a little hard work

try familysearch.org and rootsweb.com as tools

good luck on your quest

Well the best way to find about your ancestors is by asking them but if you don't believe them there's not much you can do... Try finding the origin and history of your last name. Also, try asking neighbors or distant relatives in response to what your family has told you. Maybe looking at old newspaper articles @ your local library or something to the extremes perhaps...

A lot of subscription websites run free trials that last for about a week or so, and you can usually view death certificates on those that should have a cause of death on them. Just google and find out who has the best deal. Using free trials, I've managed to trace parts of my family back as far as the late 1600s!

Contrary to most preconceptions, solid research is not based in what someone tells you, but in documentation. Not to say that you won't use what is "known" as a lead..but memory can be fallible, even with the best intentions.
Your last name is not your total history, and it actually plays a small part. Consider this to begin with- you are 1/2 of each parent (history wise), and mom always has a different surname at birth. You have 4 grandparents, and each generation back, that doubles. All are distinct persons, and origins.
With few exceptions, don't look for birth/death certs online, or info on live persons. ID theft is a major factor here, and privacy rights. As a general rule, that goes back 100 yrs (US census is open to research up to 1930). If you can show relationship in some cases, you can order death certificates (date and place are determining factors) which show cause of death. It won't go into detail. "Real" stories (hubby beating on wife, that kind of thing) often won't show in records anyway. Accidents may or may not make newspaper stories.
There are thousands of free sites. Here's the key thinking to open that up- don't expect to find a full family tree for free. BREAK IT DOWN.. a marriage record here, a tax list there, cemetery survey, etc. Now it opens up. Every person, locality, time frame is different. No one magic site for marriages. But, Wise co, Texas (for an example) has marriages from 1881ish to 1920s. The next county may not have that. Looking for the Jones family history is a waste.. if you post looking for the marriage of John Jones of Michigan about 1915, it is likely people can help. "help" is out there.. expecting others to do the whole tree for you is not cool.
www.cyndislist.com is my personal favorite for starting out, she has a good beginner section, and PLEASE, take a few minutes also, to look through the section on genealogical myths and hoaxes. Remember too.. it will NOT all be online.
I can guarantee one thing.. you will be amazed at what you CAN find, if you know what you are looking for.