Janna and Daniela have both lived abroad and know how difficult it is to research ones family from a foreign land. Genealogy One-on-One puts great effort into reaching and serving the isolated and underserved segment of our population that live and work abroad. There were 3.8 million Americans living in foreign countries according to the July 1999 report of the Bureau of Consular Affairs. This does not include U.S. government (military and nonmilitary) employees and their dependents. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2000 there were 257,817 military personnel living in foreign countries. Many Americans are employed in the foreign services sector; over 16,000 are teachers or students in International Schools; most Fortune 500 companies have a multinational presence, with employees and their families living abroad.
It is necessary for all beginners to go to our How to Get Started and our What's Next? sections. After you have learned about the basic genealogical procedures, return to this place on the Website for more information.
The LDS Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints) has done a good job of microfilming records of genealogical value in foreign countries. These microfilms are available to anyone who requests them in LDS Family History Centers around the world. Go to www.familysearch.org and select library, then library catalog, for a listing of what is available in the Salt Lake City Family History Library or for loan in Family History Centers around the world. FHCs are prevalent in North, Central and South America, Western Europe, and Australia. There are few if any Family History Centers in the Middle East, Africa, or Asia even thought many records of genealogical value from these countries have been microfilmed through the years and are available in other countries where FHCs are established.
Go to http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp to determine the Family History Center nearest you. If there is a Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints) in your city, you might call on them to see how to gain access to microfilmed records in the Salt Lake City, Family History Library. You may be the first in your area requesting this service and it could be developed for you and others in your city.
For instance, if you are in Germany and know that you family came from Marengo County, Alabama, you will find that there are many records from the archives, churches, and courthouses in Marengo County that have been microfilmed. For Marengo County alone, there are 82 rolls of microfilm that can be searched. Some of the colonial states have thousands of rolls of microfilm to borrow and view with records going back to the 1600s. Records for some other countries go back even further.
Genealogy One-on-One can help you locate where you can find records of genealogical value, no matter where you live. Go to Services & Fees or Help Request, for information on how we may assist you with specific questions.
Family historians and genealogists in the United States and some countries have societies and organizations that put on workshops and seminars where one can learn how to do genealogical research. These societies and organizations are often not available in non-English speaking countries. Genealogy One-on-One’s goal is to help educate people in the methods of genealogical research and show people that they can do genealogy no matter where they live.
Help Me! Please do my genealogy for me as it is too difficult for me to access records.
Help Me! I have interviews and family notes, can you organize them and help me get started?
Help Me! I could like to find living family members that I can correspond with.
Help Me! I am here in France and have the opportunity of visit some of the places that my ancestors were from but I don’t know where they lived. Can you research my French ancestors?
Help Me! We live in Germany now but want to visit Scotland to see the places where our ancestors lived. Can you do our genealogies and help us plan where we should visit?
Help Me! I want to try and do my genealogy myself. How can I get information on my Colonial ancestors from over here?
To ask these or similar questions, click on Help Me!, fill out the form that comes up, and submit your questions.