Okay, so I just bought an old Alpha Phi pin, and I decided that it would be interesting to research the woman to whom it belonged, you know, find out what I can about her and all. So I really don't know anything about her, but I found what could be some pertinent information on
www.ancestry.com. The problem is that they won't give me the information I want unless I sign up, which costs $75. Of course, while I'm on the site, I start researching my own family members, and find the typical birth/death information.
Here are my questions:
Has anyone signed up for ancestry.com, and is it worth the $$?
Is there any place else to find information about someone that is cheaper or free? What about when you don't really know anything about the person other than her name and a rough idea of where she lived and when she was born?
What about researching ancestors when they didn't come from this country? For example, my dad's parents came from Lithuania and Latvia, so traditional methods of researching American stuff won't work for me. Is there a way for me to get more information about them, especially considering that I don't speak Lithuanian or Latvian?
I don't know -- this seemed at least a little interesting to me, and I wonder if anyone else has any experience in the area.
Threaded Mode