G-0LM5LRNCVT

Favorite Genealogy Websites

September 10, 2026

I’ve been doing genealogy for decades. New genealogists frequently ask me which genealogy websites are best. There’s no definitive answer. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish with your genealogy, there are lots of great websites out there. Each of them will have pros and cons.

 

However, for me, there are a few websites that I use consistently. I use a combination of free and paid sites. I often subscribe to paid sites on an “as needed” basis. As my research needs vary, I tend to change the paid sites I use.

 

Ancestry and FamilySearch are my go-to sites. I’ve used both for over thirty years now, and I’m sure I’ll continue to use them. Both Ancestry and FamilySearch are general websites that offer huge databases containing large numbers of copies of original documents. Both offer family trees that offer clues for further research.

 

Ancestry is a paid site, and it isn’t cheap. If you buy a full subscription, it can cost hundreds of dollars a year. For me it’s worth the cost. I find the website easy to navigate, and the site offers broad coverage. If you are not researching internationally, you can subscribe to a less expensive version. Many local libraries offer free access to Ancestry, as well.

 

FamilySearch.org is the genealogical website offered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is free to everyone. No matter what your research goals are, FamilySearch can probably help. It has records from all over the world, so if you are researching in a lesser-known area, it is a good place to start.

 

Newspapers are a great way to add meat to the bones of your family history. Most of us start with obituaries, but newspapers can help fill in gaps in vital records and add details about an ancestor’s day-to-day life. There are many newspaper websites both free and paid. My favorite free newspaper sites are state historical newspaper projects. An easy way to find them is to google “newspapers” plus the name of the state.

 

There are several paid newspaper websites, but I prefer Newspapers.com. It is easy to search for articles, and clipping and saving articles is simple. Its database contains a growing number of newspapers, but you should check to make sure the newspaper you want is included before you subscribe.

 

State archives websites are another favorite. Every state has a state archive and/or a state library. The websites usually contain digitized records from the state. For example, the Utah State Archives website has a database of digitized death certificates. Even if the archive doesn’t have digitized records, it will usually give instructions on how to order copies.

 

Beyond the websites I’ve noted, there are many specialty sites. These can include websites which contain records specific to a topic. Fold3, for example, specializes in American military records.

 

Other websites specialize in records from various countries. Find My Past is a British Isles specific site, while Arkiv Digital contains Swedish records.

 

Depending on your goals, there is probably a website that will help you achieve them. It may take some trial and error to find your own favorite websites, but it’s worth the search.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

Courthouse Research – In Person or Not

August 28, 2026

Some of my favorite genealogical memories include visits to county courthouses. I’ve written about some of those trips in prior posts. There’s nothing like digging through boxes of actual probate packets where each packet is folded into a neat package and tied with a thin black ribbon.  Climbing on to a rickety ladder to reach giant deed books is another fond memory.

 

If you are able, I’d recommend a courthouse trip to any new genealogist. Once you’ve scanned through an old ledger written in Palmer-style cursive, you’ll feel like you’re a “real” genealogist. You won’t even mind the grime that an afternoon digging through old records will leave on your clothes and hands.

 

Pouring through records that no one has touched for a century is a thrill. You can imagine your ancestors standing nearby as their names were written in a marriage ledger or the births of their children were recorded in a birth ledger. It’s a feeling that no digital copy will ever match.

 

However, sometimes it just isn’t feasible to visit the courthouse where an ancestor’s records are kept. Budgets are tight nowadays, and it’s hard to justify a visit to an out-of-the-way courthouse in Illinois when the rest of the family wants to visit Disneyland.

 

Luckily, many courthouse records can be accessed from home, even if they’re not digitized. Over the years, I’ve gotten probate packages, deeds, marriage licenses and divorce papers without a trip to the courthouse. It used to require a polite letter requesting a copy of the record. Nowadays, email is quicker. Sometimes the courthouse will even scan the records you need and send them back in another email.

 

Telephone calls also work, although you may have to play phone tag with the person you need to speak with. Whether you email or call, there will usually be a charge associated with getting the copies you want. Prices vary enormously.  Sometimes, the copies are free. Most times the price per copy will be a dollar or so.

 

Another way to get copies of courthouse records is through Family Search. Family Search has a huge collection of courthouse records from every state in the country. You can find them in the Family Search catalog. The catalog is available online and is searchable by place names.

 

Under the place names, you will find a listing of various types of records such as vital records, land records, church records and censuses. Many of the records are viewable online with the click of a button. Others may require a visit to a FamilySearch Center to access them. FamilySearch Centers are in most communities in local churches and other public facilities such as public libraries. You can google them by city or region.

 

Visiting a courthouse in person is an experience that most genealogists will remember long after they get home. However, when you can’t visit in person, there are other ways to access the records. It won’t be quite as much fun, but your hands and clothes will be cleaner.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

Unexpected Finds

August 21, 2026

This week I found an autobiographical sketch written by one of my paternal great aunts. Ellen Fernelius was one of my Grandfather Fernelius’ sisters. I remember visiting her when she was an old woman, but I’ve never known much about her life.

 

Ellen was born and raised on the family farm that I grew up on over sixty years later.

Even though Ellen grew up in the same place as I did, her childhood was very different to mine.

 

For me, school was a given. It was assumed that I’d graduate from high school and then go on to college. Although we lived in the country, the school bus picked me up every day. I attended modern elementary, junior high and high schools.

 

For Ellen, school was a one-room adobe cabin that she walked a couple of miles through the fields to attend. If it was cold, she and her brothers sometimes rode one of the family horses. In the winter, the horse pulled them in a sleigh over the snowy fields. Her one-room school ended after eighth grade. If you had enough money, you could move to town and attend the Weber Academy for high school. Most rural kids couldn’t do that.

 

For Ellen, school ended while she was in seventh grade. Her parents struggled to support their large family. My great grandfather often worked for the railroad or at other jobs to earn mortgage money. Despite having eleven children, my great grandmother spent most of her days working outside to keep the farm running while her husband was away. That left Ellen to tend to her younger siblings and to keep house.

 

After missing weeks at a time, Ellen fell behind in her lessons. With 35 students ranging from first grade through eighth grade, the teacher was unable to help Ellen catch up. By the middle of seventh grade, Ellen quit school.

 

In addition to working in the house, Ellen also helped on the farm. She milked four cows every day. After the morning milking, she took them to the edge of the mountains to graze. One day, she saw a bear sitting in a patch of service berries stuffing berries into his mouth. After that, she refused to herd the cows unless one of her brothers came along with his gun.

 

By the time I was growing up, my dad milked our cows with an electric milker. No one herded cows. The cows spent their days in various pastures. I roamed the same hills Ellen had herded the cows in, but the bears were all gone by then.

 

Ellen’s story then described her life through her marriage, childbearing and child rearing years. After reading it, I understand more about how life was lived on my family’s farm long before I was born.

 

If you’re wondering how I found Ellen’s story, it’s simple. I occasionally check the Family Search Family Tree for my ancestors and other family members’ profiles. I also check public family trees on sites such as Ancestry and My Heritage. It’s surprising how often people add photos and documents to them. Sometimes I find something I’ve never seen before.

 

Checking these online sources is a great way to solve family mysteries and gain new insights into people who have only been a name and date on a family tree. You never know what you might find.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society