Did you guys ever watch�the TV Series “Who Do You Think You Are”? �Each episode a different celebrity would take a journey to trace his or her family tree. �It was really fun for them to discover their roots and who their ancestors were. �Some were shocked to find out where and who they came from.
Did you also know that you can do that exact same thing? �There are a few programs available that cost money to make a family tree, but Relative Finder is absolutely FREE!
Here are the simple steps to get you going:
- Log in or create�a Family Search account:�Click on Free Account if you don’t have one
- Create your family tree: This is where it may take some time. �But it’s super fun. �Enter in your direct family members. �Any information about LIVING family members that you input can only be seen by you (the person putting in the information). �Information about deceased people will be show in the database so others can connect with you. �The goal here is to make it back far enough on your family tree that the system will pick up your deceased family members. �Once the system picks up the names, you can go to Relative Finder and pull up TONS more relatives. There may even be famous ones!
- Relative Finder:�Once your family tree is far enough along to be picked up by the system. �You can scan all of your distant relatives. �Look at the categories like Authors/Poets, Movie Stars, U.S. Presidents and more! Did you find anyone famous??
Create a Group:�Have you ever wondered how you are related to certain people? Like long lost cousins? You can set up a group of your own too.
Once your are in Relative Finder, Use these steps:
- Go to the heading labeled Groups
- Click Create, and form a group named something like �Mary Jones�s Cousins,� using your own name.
- Once you�ve created your group, go to the Groups link.
- Click Manage.
- Choose the cousin group you recently created.
- Find the heading labeled �Add a Deceased Person.�
- Add the descendant�s Personal Identification number (PID) from Family Tree. This will add the person to your group.
- Click View All Relations.
- From the headings, click Relation to Friend.
- If you want to see how the descendant is related to famous Americans, or European royalty, click View Ancestors.This same cousin group could be�shared with family members working on common lines.
This is a fun way to see where you come from and who your ancestors are. �Plus, with the groups option, it would be fun to see if you are somehow related to your neighbor or friends. �You never know! 
**If you have questions about Relative Finder, You can check out the FAQs on their site. �You can also contact them directly.
