Putting together your family tree would begin with searching Alabama genealogy records. There are many documents (both in print and digital) that can help you research your ancestral history. You can learn about all of the previous generations in your family, discover family secrets, and find out more about family heirlooms. Investigating various public records online is probably one of the best starts you can get.
There is an Alabama Genealogy records website that is being created as a genealogical and historical resource for people like you who are interested in studying family history or creating a documented family tree. You can search cemetery records, census records and court records there so far. The website is available for use now, but they are in the process of adding more information and resources that can help you with your search. They have already begun to add county specific links that can help you narrow your search.
Another good website to visit when looking for Alabama genealogy records is the Alabama Department of Archives and History website. They have a records management section that may help you find some information related to your family tree.
You may be able to find out some interesting information about your predecessors. One place you may be able to find fascinating details is in old newspaper archives. If you have heard your grandparents tell stories about themselves or their parents or grandparents being active in the community, there may be news stories about them that you can locate! You can certainly find at least a mention of your long gone relative if they were reporting for the newspaper. Imagine finding something that one of your ancestors wrote about with great conviction!
Probates, last wills and testaments can be quite revealing of a person's character as well. What did they leave behind? What were the things that they cherished the most? Who did they leave these things for? The people that they loved the most will be included, and the people that they didn’t like probably won't be there! Can you see how an old standard document can reveal relationship dynamics within your family history? Maybe there is something special passed down that has been lost. You can possibly find it again and bring it back into the family.
If you are just beginning your family tree research, vital records are another place that you can find useful information. Certificates of marriage, birth and death may contain first names, last names, maiden names of your ancestors, and their parents as well as where they were born or married. There are some state specific websites that can help you locate these important documents, but you might even be able to find some of them in the attic or basement of a relative's home. Be sure to ask your family members what they may have that can help you put together a tangible family history.
Cemetery records and obituary listings are another way to find information about your predecessors. You can locate the burial ground online, visit the grave and read (or trace) their epitaph.
There are more than enough resources to help you create a wonderfully complete and detailed family tree.
People are becoming more interested in tracking down their genealogy in an effort to better understand their past and their family. In the state of Alabama, State Code 22-9A-2 mandates that the Office of Vital Statistics be run by the State Board of Health and it is the sole office that oversees matters of health and vital statistics. The Office of Vital Statistics oversees the data derived from certificates and reports of birth, death, fetal death, induced terminations of pregnancy, marriage, divorce, and related reports, all of which are essential to genealogy research in the state of Alabama.
It's important to note that it wasn't required by law that the state record births or deaths until 1908. Birth certificates list limited information that will not necessarily make a genealogical search easier. The birth certificates do not list a name, however, they do list names of parents, sex, race, place and date of birth of individual, and sometimes the physician/midwife attending are listed. Death certificates are more assistance as they list the name and the age of the individual at death. Marriage certificates in the state date back to 1936. Divorce certificates date back to 1950. While the Alabama Department of Archives and History keeps an index of both of those, copies can only be obtained from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics. This makes searching for Alabama genealogy records very difficult.
You can find additional information with each county's historical or genealogical society. This will be of great assistance when searching for Alabama genealogy records.
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