Whether you are a "newbie" or an experienced genealogy veteran you will want to check in on some of the most valuable resources on the Internet to assist you in your search for ancestors. There are mountains of information available for the person who is willing to take the time to search it out. What you will find could change your life.

One of my most recent finds came as a results of posting on AOL's genealogical bulletin boards service. I have spent countless hours trying to find surnames such as BASCOM, SENIOR, SEGUINE, HATCHER, CARROLL, LOFTIS(S), GRIFFIN and more.

Since most of those names aren't common surnames you would think I would have little trouble locating family information, but that's not so. I started searching the Internet bulletin boards to see if I could find people with those surnames and didn't have much luck. The next step, I decided, would be to go back and start posting some of these surnames on the boards for myself. And, my, what a surprise I found!

I had given very little consideration to finding anyone with the name SEGUINE but I received a message from a lady living in Knoxville, Tennessee who said, "I just may be able to help you. I know a lady who has SEGUINE family members."

I simply couldn't believe it! All the information I had on SEGUINE was that my gggrandfather went to New Jersey looking for a bride to settle down with him. A friend told him about this lady, they met, courted, married and moved out west. The couple is remembered as "unknown" Seguine and Mary Ann Senior. You heard me: I have no idea what his first name was but I'm told it may have been Abraham.

My new found family member in Knoxville spoke to this lady and she said, "Yes, we have a SENIOR in the family; her name was Mary Ann." BINGO!! My Knoxville connection sent me the address of my SEGUINE connection and I am waiting to hear from her.

All of this is possible through this practically new form of search the Internet. We have before us a new world of discovery and a research tool that knows no limits. We have yet to realize how valuable the tools are that we have in hand and it is time for us to start using them.

I have posted under listings of surnames, regions of the U.S., family associations, newsletters, and more. I feel as though the more I put my information out there, the better off I will be. It's just a matter of time until I hit the mother lode and find those resources I need to further my family search.

In fact, I already have found a great deal of information about the BASCOM family through the Internet search. I simply did a keyword search on Bascom and watched the hits come up. One of those hits lead me to the surprise of a lifetime. Not only did I find the BASCOM family, I also found my grandmother, Florence Mae Bascom and my grandfather, Victor Darius Loftiss listed in their family files.

And, do you know what? That was all the information they had on the Loftiss family and I've got another gap filled in about my grandmother's family. In fact the BASCOM family lineage goes back to the late 1300's. Hey, I am impressed! Most of all, I have it in my family data base and a whole part of my family history has been put into place in the family history puzzle.

If you, like me, are looking to fill in the branches on your family tree, I recommend doing more searches on the bulletin boards located on the Internet. We may not find the answers we need about our families today, but who knows -- someone may post something new tomorrow!