Fustration; I Don't Want To Quit!

[Promise24]

On my mother side of the family its HUGE... my great grandmother has like about 10 or more kids. she raised her grand children and some of her great grand children.. including me when i was a toddler back in jamaica.
I asked mom some information about her mother and all she knew was her moms name and that was it. Oh she has half sisters/brothers whom lives in england that I don't know. They know more of my grandmother then i do...

Then there is my father side of the family. I knew who my father is but I only knew his grandmother. who is in jamaca right now. I also know my half brothers and thats about it. don't know no aunts cousins etc...my younger brother knows more then i do but not that much either...

My mother said its no point in trying because the family is TOO big and i'd go crazy trying to figure it out.. what do i do? The family reunion I went to last year on my mother side of the family hails from jamaica of course, the states, other places in the caribean england etc... All i know is the start was in jamaica. but how far back? i dont know how far.. my great grandmother would be 101 in april...

[SweetHoneyLocs]

The best place to start is with your great-grandmother. If possible use a camcorder to record what she says, otherwise use a tape recorder (especially if is going to over the phone).

Tell her what you plan on doing and ask her permission to ask her a few questions.

I suggest you start with;

1) Have her state her full name, date of birth, place of birth, and current age?
2) Ask her what her parents names?
3) As well as where are her parents from?
4) Ask her if she had any siblings?
5) Ask her about her grandparents?
6) Anything else you can think of to ask.
7) Let her share any fond memories she has about anything that took place during her life time.

With these questions you should have laid some good ground work. You are truly blessed to have a great-grandmother who has lived so long, I am sure she is full of valuable information. I am almost positive she would be more then delighted to share with you.

[Promise24]

Thank you so much.

[BelindaLuz]

After you get the information that you need then you can go to verious genealogy sites/forums and start filling in the gaps to your family.

You can creat trees and ask questions and the such.

I am on onegretfamily.com and I input names and if the information that I put in matches others they will link the info.

I have done all of the footwork for my mothers side but the computer updated my fiance side twice it was cool to be in the middle of working on the tree and then seven names pop up out of "nowhere"

HTH