Find-Your-Roots
Family History & Genealogy Research
Create a family heirloom!
Preserve your family history
Discover and meet new relatives!
Learn your genealogical makeup!
Have a deeper understanding of yourself!
Enhance your appreciation of history!
Welcome
Tracing one's family history is a national obsession. People have a deep-seated need to know where they come from, what makes them who they are, and whom they take after. Studying family history helps one to go beyond the present to learn about other people and forces that have helped to shape us.
Understanding your social, cultural, familial, and genetic heritage can shed light on your character, appearance, health, family relationships, and your name. Which side of the family do you resemble? Who do you look like at different ages? Knowing how long your ancestors lived and how they died holds clues for what to watch for in terms of medical problems for you and your descendants. Most likely your journey will help you to discover unknown relatives and to build new friendships.
Genealogy is much more than filling in ancestor and descendant charts with names, dates, and places. Placing your ancestor in historical context gives you a deeper appreciation for history. Knowing what their life was like and what critical historical events occurred during your ancestor's lifetime brings your ancestor as well as history to life.
| Dr. Carol Prescott McCoy is currently writing her own family history. She is not taking on new clients now, but she may be able to help you as a genealogy coach, and she may give an occasional talk or workshop on genealogy. She hopes you enjoy the articles and pictures on this website. Thanks for visiting! |
How Family Research Can Benefit You
- Preserve your family history so it can be shared and passed on to others.
- Create a treasured family heirloom that will bring your family closer together.
- Learn more about your genealogical makeup! Discover why you are the way you are.
- Discover and meet new relatives.
- Enhance your appreciation of history and the struggles that your ancestors faced.
- Have a deeper understanding of yourself and your family.
- Learn the skills, talents, business background and mysteries of your family.
- Discover family photos and articles and other family treasures!
Dr. Carol P. McCoy
Carol McCoy with Host Keith Shortall on Maine Calling, April 18, 2018
Dr. Carol P. McCoy, President of Find-Your-Roots and former president of the Maine Genealogical Society, has been tracing her family history for over 30 years. She has been helping others discover their roots for over fifteen years. With each new case, Dr. McCoy learns more about researching families in different eras and areas. She uses a variety of sources - online databases, traditional repositories, historical societies, visits to cemeteries, courthouses, town halls, registries of deeds, maps, and a wide network of personal contacts.
Interview with Dr. Carol McCoy
Re-published here by permission of Gnarls and Knots
So you’ve found your ancestors on census records, and you have obtained copies of their birth, marriage, and death records. But what other records are available? Come to NERGC 2019 in Manchester, NH from April 3rd through April 6th to find out from Carol McCoy! Carol will be offering 3 presentations at this year’s conference:
- Using Deeds to Solve Genealogy Problems (This is a 2 hour workshop being offered on Wednesday from 3:30pm-5:30pm)
- Tax Records in Genealogy Can Be a Good Thing (Saturday 10am-11am)
- Proving Mayflower Ancestry: Margaret York Randall of Maine, New York, and Alabama (Saturday 3:15pm-4:15pm)
I was at one of Carol’s presentations at NERGC 2017. She is knowledgeable and entertaining, and I’m looking forward to her presentations this year. Carol was kind enough to allow me to interview her.
WHY TRACE YOUR ROOTS?
By Carol P. McCoy, Ph.D. (Find-Your-Roots.com) © C.P. McCoy (2003)
Tracing one’s family history is a national obsession. People have a deep-seated need to know where they come from, what makes them who they are, and whom they take after. As a psychologist I enjoy learning about people’s lives and how to help them understand themselves. Studying family history helps one to go beyond the present to learn about other people and forces that have helped to shape us.
Understanding your social, cultural, familial, and genetic heritage can shed light on your character, appearance, health, family relationships, and your name. Which side of the family do you resemble? Who do you look like at different ages? Knowing how long your ancestors lived and how they died holds clues for what to watch for in terms of medical problems for you and your descendants. Most likely your journey will help you to discover unknown relatives and to build new friendships.
Prescott B. WiskeKnowing family naming patterns gives you a deeper sense of your identity. People of the Jewish faith often name children after a cherished relative who had recently died, whereas Christians often name children after a cherished living relative. Who were you named for—a loved family member, a dear friend, a family associate, or a name that appealed to your parents for some reason? My middle name Prescott is for my maternal grandfather, Prescott Barker Wiske.