Step 1

Begin by reading an introduction to genealogical research. Some suggestions are:

Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo, A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Immigrant and Ethnic Ancestors.  Cincinnati, Betterway, 2000. Also in the Reference Collection.

929.1 C948
Croom, Emily, Unpuzzling Your Past; a Basic Guide to Genealogy. Cincinnati, OH:Betterway, 2001. Also in the Reference Collection.

929.1 C948
Greenwood, Val, The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Baltimore, MD: GPC, 2000. Also in the Reference Collection.

Step 2

Fill out a pedigree chart and family group sheets with the known information. Samples are available in many introductory books on genealogy.

929.1 C948 1996
Croom, Emily, The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook. Cincinnati, Betterway, 1996. Also in the Reference Collection.

Step 3

Check any additional sources such as family bibles, old photographs and letters, certificates, etc. to add to your charts.

929.1 S935
Sturdevant, Katherine Scott, Organizing and Preserving your Heirloom Documents. Cincinnati: Betterway, 2002.

929.1 T244
Taylor, Maureen, Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs. Cincinnati, Betterway, 2000.

Step 4

Contact as many connections as possible to obtain further information. 

929.1072 C899
Crawford-Oppenheimer, Christine, Long-Distance Genealogy. Cincinnati, Beterway, 2000. Also in the reference collection.

929.1 R813
Rosenbluth, Vera, Keeping Family Stories Alive. Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks, 1997.

Step 5

Organize all information, oral and written.

929.1 C287
Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo, Organizing Your Family History Search. Cincinnati, Betterway, 1999. Also in the reference collection.

929.1028 C976
Curran, Joan, Numbering your Genealogy. Arlington, VA: National Genealogical Society, 2000.

929.1 L141
Lackey, Richard, Cite Your Sources, a Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records. Jackson, MS: Univ.Press of Mississippi, 1980. Also in the Reference Collection.


929.1072 S631
Slawson, Mary, Getting it Right: the Definitive Guide to Recording Family History Accurately, Salt Lake City, Deseret, 2002.

Step 6

Confirm findings via

Vital Records Information (birth, marriage and death certificates)

California Death Records for 1940-97 via the Internet . Newspapers are another source for vital record information.

Social Security Death

California Marriage Index 1960-81, and California Death Index 1940-83 are available on microfiche at the Library Periodicals Desk.

R929.1 E93
The Handy Book for Genealogists. Logan, UT: Everton, 2002. Also in the Reference Collection Older editions in circulation. This title provides information about what vital records are available state by state.

Step 7

Locate information in the United States censuses. Censuses are on microfilm and may be borrowed through Inter-Library Loan for a fee. Many are indexed. The Soundex Code Generator will code your surname for available indexes. A full set of the U.S. Census is available at the National Archives Branch in Laguna Niguel . For a street index to some large cities in 1930 go to Obtaining ED's for the 1930 Census in One Step .

929.1072 D665
The Census Book, Bountiful, UT, Heritage Quest, 2000. Also in the Reference Collection.

929.1072 H659
Hinkley, Kathleen, Your Guide to the Federal Census, Cincinatti: Betterway, 2002. Also in the Reference Collection.

R929.1 S724
The Soundex Reference Guide, Bountiful, UT: Precision Indexing, 1994. 2 vols.

R929.1072 S998
Szucs, Loretto, Finding Answers in U.S. Census Records, Orem, UT: Ancestry, 2001.

Step 8

Find additional information using local resources, such as local libraries where relatives lived. Many libraries have local, regional and state genealogical collections which may include information for their own areas as well as other areas. Some suggestions include: The Family History Center Catalog , and the U.S. Genweb Project web site.

Online Obituary Request
Obituary Requests for individuals who passed away within the City of Torrance are handled by the South Bay Cities Genealogical Society. Genealogy volunteers will search up to three names for obituaries in the columns of the Daily Breeze (1966 - present) or the Torrance Herald (1914-1970). Requests must include the decedent's full name and date of death.

South Bay Cities Genealogical Society 4733 Torrance Blvd #814, Torrance, California 90503 E-Mail Address:  sbcgs.research@gmail.com

Step 9

The South Bay Cities Genealogical Society meets in the Civic Center Library meeting room on the third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 P.M. The meetings are free and open to the public. Volunteers from the Society are in a Civic Center Library study room on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. to help beginners get started on their research. Their address is South Bay Cities Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 11069, Torrance, CA 90510-9998. Their website is South Bay Cities Genealogical Society .

There are magazine published specifically for genealogists which include helpful articles, queries, and advertisements for books and services. The library subscribes to : Everton's Family History Magazine and Heritage Quest which are shelved in R929.3