Clan Anderson Genealogy Project
Meet Our Genealogists
Our dedicated genealogists, Donna Graves and Jean Anderson Hightower, are here to assist you on your journey to explore your family's history. Their role is to provide guidance and support in your genealogical research, regardless of your current surname. While they won't do all the research for you, they can offer valuable tips, hints, and suggestions to help you overcome any roadblocks you encounter along the way.
Donna Graves' Background
Donna's passion for genealogy stems from her personal experience. She was adopted as a young child, which sparked her curiosity about her origins. Over the years, she has delved into the genealogies of both her biological and adoptive families. Her commitment to genealogy has led her to volunteer as a Registrar in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), where she assists potential members with their genealogical research, conducts workshops, and helps rebuild membership for other DAR chapters. When she's not involved in DAR matters, Donna enjoys spending time with her husband, Steve, and their dogs, Goliath and Miss Bea, or visiting her kids and grandkids in OH/WV.
Getting Started
Genealogy can become an addictive and fulfilling hobby once you get started. But where do you begin? Fortunately, modern technology has made researching your family history more accessible, cost-effective, and less time-consuming. The crucial starting point, however, remains the same: you start with yourself.
Begin by gathering information about yourself, your parents, grandparents, and so on. Look around your home for copies of birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, family photos, family Bibles, or family record books. Newspaper articles and obituaries can also provide valuable information.
Do you have living relatives? Talk to them, but don't just talk—record their stories. Ask questions about places, dates, key events, and what life was like during significant historical periods. Their memories can help you understand your ancestors as real people, not just names on paper.
Now that you've scoured your home and collected family stories, what's next? You can take your research in three directions: online, local repositories, or seeking professional help. Donna personally prefers online research, given her distance from her birthplace. Below, you'll find some useful online resources to kick-start your research:
FamilySearch: A comprehensive resource created and maintained by the Latter-Day Saints, offering a wealth of information and documents.
Chronicling America: An online database of archived newspapers, useful for tracking your ancestors' movements.
Find A Grave: A user-created database of burial information. Use it with caution, as it may contain errors.
West Virginia Vital Research Records: Many states have their online archives, and West Virginia's is particularly important for those with ancestors who came through Virginia.
General Land Office Records: A resource to check if your ancestor received a land grant from the federal government, helpful for verifying Revolutionary War Patriot lineage.
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation: A great resource if you suspect your ancestor arrived in America through Ellis Island.
Daughters of the American Revolution Database (DAR): An incredible collection of lineage records. While you can search the database, you'll need to contact a local DAR chapter for more detailed records.
Sons of the American Revolution (SAR): The Data contained within the Patriot Research System website represents a compilation of numerous sources that may point you to actual sources to support your genealogical research. For membership, you'll need to contact a chapter in your area.
National Archives Research: If you can't visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., many records are available on their website, along with time-saving tips for your research trip.
Remember, genealogy is an exciting journey, and our Clan Anderson genealogists, Donna Graves and Jean Hightower, are here to help. If you need further assistance or resources to begin your exploration, please don't hesitate to reach out through our Genealogy Help Form.
Best of luck with your research!