[nannyo]

I, too, LOVE Ancestry.com. Last night I was working on my daughter-in-law's family. Starting with her maternal grandmother's father, I was able to go back SIX generations -- in one night! And I feel pretty confindent in the accuracy of what I found, though I'm going to check it over again very carefully.

BUT -- please be very careful before adding relatives from anyone else's Ancestry family Tree onto yours. There are MANY people on Ancestry who have done research only online and don't really know what they're doing. It's very easy to go off on a wrong tangent and not even realize it. Verify! Verify! Verify! Find reliable resource for each and every fact.

For instance, on an Ancestry Profile of an individual it shows "sources" for Birth. They use census records which "prove" nothing. The best of the censuses is 1900 which gives the month and year of birth - but just as it is reported (by someone) to the Enumerator. It may not be accurate. And even if it is, there's no verification of who the parents are, and on and on.

Just be thoughtful and careful. There 's a genealogical rule or guideline that warns you to find three sources (if possible) for every fact.

Having listed all these warnings (and there are more), there has never been a genealogical source as rich as Ancestry and all the records it has and is adding every day. Find A Grave is also a perfect gem. There are 103 million records on it now and another million added every few weeks. There are also some very interestin, historic and even funny entries. Take time to just sit and browse on it. Don't forget to add YOUR ancestors - the ones you're sure of.

Sorry for going on so. Enough.