I will admit that I had never been to a cemetery until I was almost 26 years old. There really is no way to describe what you may find there. You need to open your mind to realize that it is more than a place to go and honor your loved ones that have died. It is a place to learn about many details that can lead you to other areas in your search of family history.
I have flown back to Kansas to meet a distant relative of my husband's...and spent a week with a total stranger while we gallivanted across Kansas and into Missouri in search of family information. I have met family members that I never knew existed; had a relaxing meal with them while sharing information and then stayed in contact with them throughout the years.
I have flown to Tennessee; shared a hotel room with a second cousin and his wife - which I had not met previously. We went traipsing through a muddy field in order to find a group of family headstones that were partly covered by fallen trees.
You can usually look around old headstones and find other family members...some you may not have known even existed! Don't assume you know everyone in the family - it has happened to me! You may be able to confirm information that you did not know was correct - or correct information you did have but was not correct!
Some places to search online while looking for family information or connections are Rootsweb.com (You will find all sorts of links from this page). There is also a grave site listing along with a listing for Ellis Island immigrants and also. You can find all sorts if information if you do a normal google search! under a family name.
Along the way - I may have found information about our ancestors and their past - but I also found family that will be there in the future!
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