FamilySearch Record Search

So, imagine how excited I was to find FamilySearch’s online Record Search. They have created an online search system that allows you to search records from around the world from the convenience of your home.

Volunteers from around the world are pouring through documents and transcribing them into the system in multiple languages. Millions of rolls of microfilm containing census records, vital records, probate records, church records and more are being indexed by individual volunteers, societies and companies. You can search the indices or browse through images that are waiting to be indexed.

I was able to search the records and found birth and marriage records from Rußheim, Baden-Wüerttemborg, Germany—the town where my Hacker ancestors lived. While I didn’t find any information on the people I was researching, I did manage to find Hackers in the village in the early 1900s.

I also search the Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania death records online and found numerous death records from my Hacker/Hocker relatives who lived in Philadelphia.

Researching your family history remotely can be a trying experience. Access to online indices can greatly improve your ability to continue your research. Access to free, searchable indices AND digital images of original records is a dream come true for any genealogist.

While a lot of work has already been done and made available to the public, it’s far from complete. I’m so excited about this opportunity that I volunteered to be an indexer. You can, too.

Now all I have to do is make some time to do some research and then do some indexing, too!

• Category: Resources