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Surnames:
Cheek Line
~Calhoun
~Kunkel
~Pryor
~Ownby
~O'Neal
~Moe
~Sanford
~Taylor
~Todd
Recources Page
This page is the result of encouragement by my son to add a page with some of the resources I have personally used. I believe that my experience is very limited compared to many, but even limited resources can yield a wealth of information. I will add to this page as I have opportunity to use more resources. For those who are new to genealogy, I will try to give some details concerning how to use these resources or links to information on-line.
People
People are probably the resource which is least used. However, the first place to start your search is to talk to your relatives. Parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles; you get the picture. All of these people can supply names and places that will give you the basis for all of your research.
My Mom and Dad were the ones who introduced me to genealogy. I don't think they
knew the how deeply I would get involved. My wife says it has become an obsession. Dad gave me the first of the files which we have worked from. Those files came from one of his sisters, a cousin in the Kunkel line, and a distant cousin in the Cheek line. Mom supplied the basic information for the Sanford, Taylor, Calhoun, and McAnally lines. The three of us have pursued our heritage for several years now.
Since starting, we have been in contact with many distant cousins who are also doing research on the same surnames. I'll talk more about the Internet later but let me say here that it is a great way to meet others who are involved in researching you surnames. We have exchanged "gedcom" files with many others and have gained a great deal of information from the ones we have received.
Original Documents
Proof is the name of the game in genealogy. Original documents(or copies of them) provide proof. Birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, obituaries, military records, pension files, etc. are the "gems" we search for. Some of these documents you may find with relatives, while others will take some real effort. Here are some places, other than from relatives, where I have found original documents.National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Located at ? and Pennsylvania Ave., the National Archives are home to a wealth of information. I have used U.S. Census files, Census indexes, Native American records, and military and pension record files from the Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. The National Archives also has regional offices around the country, which may be closer to you, and you can order copies of files by mail. Visit the National Archives webb site at http://........Pennsylvania State Archives and Library, Harrisburg, PA
At the State Archives in Harrisburg, PA, I found a micro-film copy of the will of John (Johannas) Kunckle, my earliest ancester in that line. The will is dated 1843 and is from Bedford Co., PA. I have yet to get to Bedford Co. but hope to soon.York County Historical Society, York, PA
This is our local historical/genealogical society. I have used it for Kunckle/Kunkel research. Local societies where your ancesters lived are great resources. If you can't visit them, write to them for help and information. Most socieities charge modest fees for research and copies.American - Canadian Genealogical Society, Manchester, N.H.
I joined this society in 1999 and used the library to research my wife's Roy ancestry. By using church marriage records, I was able to trace a direct line from Claire's father back through Canada into France.Family History Center, York, PA
The Family History Library in Utah holds one of the largest genealogical collections in the world. Local Family History Centers give you access to these records. Many of the records must be ordered from the library in Utah. There is a small fee to cover shipping costs. Visit the ........The World Wide Webb
The gold mine of information on the internet seems to grow by the hour. You can find everything from chat rooms, genealogy courses, and message boards to on-line copies of censes. There are large genealogy projects like the USGenweb project and Cyndi's List to personal home pages like this one. Check out the Links Page for some of my favorite sites.By using message boards such as Gen Forum, I have contacted many others who are researching the same surnames. Several have turned out to be distant cousins. This is one of the best parts of using the internet for genealogy. Even those who turn out not to be related can become friends and sources of information. Remember, as you do research, you will find information that is not connected to your line but could be the one bit of information someone else desperately needs. The same may be true for others who are searching your surname. NOTE: Be sure to confirm the information you receive by checking sources.