Beginning Your Search

You have recently decided to try and locate that long lost friend or relative. Where do you go from here?

First, you need to get a notebook that you can dedicate solely to your search. This notebook is where you will keep track of all of your research. I like to use composition notebooks like we used in our High School English classes. You can later transfer the information to your computer, but you need to continue to update the notebook so that you may take it with you should your search require travel.

Secondly, you will need to gather any and all information you can find and write it in your notebook. Be sure that you stay organized so that your research does not get confusing. On the first page, or inside the cover, you will need to write the subjects name, date of birth (D.O.B.), Social Security Number (SSN), place of birth, any known relatives and any towns known to live in. Don't worry if you do not know all of this information. Just write down any and all information you can think of. The SSN can often assist you in maintaining various government records.

You next step will be to contact any known family members to see if they may know where to find the subject. This sounds to easy, but you would be surprised at how many people fail to try this first only to find out that they could have saved a lot of time and money by doing so in the first place. Another easy search, that most people do not think of, is to simply Google the subjects name or the names of any known relatives. If the subject has ever made the news, local newspapers, listed in an obituary or had a social networking page such as Facebook or MySpace, changes are that they will show up on Google or similar search engines. With Google you can narrow your search by using the "search within results" link at the bottom of the page. This will give you another search box and limit the search to searching within the previously returned results. You can also use Google to search for phone numbers. In the search box, type "Phonebook: Subjects Name" and any listed phone number will come up. There are also numerous online phonebook and addresss search sites that I will cover in future posts.

By beginning your search, you will opening a new page in your life. One must always remember that not everyone wants to be found. Prior to searching, you need to make sure you can handle the possibility of your subject rejecting you once found. Often there is built up animosity toward someone who has caused them pain. This person may not be you, but someone close to you. In the case of a lost relative, consider the possibility that another relative was the reason for them not wanting to be found. I am not telling you not to search for a lost love. But, everyone needs to be aware of the possible outcome of their search. To the right of this blog you will find some very helpful links that may help you find information on your subject.