User:Kimballgeorgecarter/Sandbox

A Guideline With Examples
You probably know that your ancestor came from someplace in Germany, but knowing the specific hometown is critical to finding records about them in Germany. Records were kept primarily in the town your ancestor lived in before they immigrated to the United States. These records are often from the local church parish, which was often small in geography. Trying to find your ancestor in Germany without knowing their hometown is generally futile.

This page has been created to help you discover your ancestor's hometown—read it carefully and by following the guidelines listed here you will probably find your German ancestor's hometown.

1. Find every record about your ancestor and their family in the U.S. FIRST!
Your ancestor probably appears in many U.S. records; censuses, vital records, military records, newspapers, church records, and more. Often the