6/1/2006
By David A. Fryxell
Breakfast is on us! We found 89 fabulous freebies to fortify your family tree search.
You know what they say: There's no such thing as a free breakfast. OK, that's not exactly what they say. But the adage sure seems to apply to genealogy. Plenty of software companies, publishers and subscription Web sites will gladly take your dough. Forays to far-off lands where ancestors once resided can max out your credit cards. Even those fees for requesting vital records and renting microfilm start to add up.
Well, hold the milk jug — you're about to feel like the kid who just discovered the Dick Tracy Decoder Ring in his box of Raisin Bran. That's right, we're going to hook you up with free stuff — handy tools, software, maps, scrapbook embellishments — as well as services, from foreign-language letter translation to family history Web site hosting. True, to get this boxful of genealogy goodies, you'll need Internet access (which, need we point out, you can get for free at your public library). Once you're online, though, you'll be amazed at how much you can feed your genealogy obsession without shelling out a cent. So grab a spoon — er, a mouse — and feast on these family tree freebies.
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