Now it's time to let your fingers do the walking for you.

The Internet has a tremendous amount of genealogy sites, from the beginner to the very advanced. Here are some you may want to look into:

Ancestry.com
Heralded as the number one genealogy site online. It has a lot of information available at no charge. You can also join their program and extend your research for a fee.

Genealogy.com
This site acts as a University of sorts, taking you through basic lessons all the way to higher education. You will find a lot of great links at this site. There is no charge for the Genealogy.com site, but as you advance to other links you may find some have fees.

Rootsweb.com
This is the oldest (and they boast the largest) genealogy site on line. You will not find a better collection of links to appropriate sites anywhere.

Be sure to check out the Social Security Death Index (you can link there from just about any genealogy site). Social Security death benefits paid out from 1962 to date are listed. Once you found the person you are looking for, the site will help you generate a letter to the proper authority to get a copy of the death certificate. Again, this is a free site.

As a general rule, don't invest in any of these, or other services, until you've completely exhausted your other sources. There's so much free information out there, you just have to start looking.

If you would like to receive a copy of vital records in Ohio (or if you want information from other states) you can go to VitalRec.com and select the state or territory you are interested in. They will explain, in detail, what you need to do to obtain the records.

Don't forget the cemeteries. There is a lot of information available, not only in the office of the cemetery, but on the headstone itself. Look around the area where you know a family member has been buried. Chances are there will be other family members buried nearby.

As you are gathering this information you will want to purchase a software package that allows you to keep track of the information you receive. Personally, I use (and recommend) Family Origins, but there are certainly many good ones to choose from. Just be sure whatever you choose does not limit the growth of your project. Some programs allow for the inclusion of photographs. Family Origins is one of those programs.

Be sure you can print your information out in more than one style. (By pedigree, by family, in narrative form, in chart form, etc.). These programs vary greatly in price, but this is a good place to spend a little more and get the best. Most of these programs will also allow you to create a web page with the information you get. This is a wonderful tool for meeting other family members who may be looking for you!

Genealogy is a wonderful hobby. It can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be. But whatever you decide to put into it, you will be happy you did.