Are there presidential links in your family tree?

Is there a president or perhaps even a vice president nestled among the branches of your family tree? According to Allison Stacy, editor of "Family Tree" magazine -- it's quite possible.

"It may be a tough sell but there is likely a grain of truth to the adage that politicians are 'just plain folk,' " Stacy said. "We believe that close to 100 million everyday Americans share ancestors with presidents."

If you're curious as to who populates the branches of your family's tree, local genealogist Sharon Burch said the simplest and best way to begin a search is to ask your living relatives. "Work from yourself then go backwards," she advises. "Don't go back chasing something that happened 100 years ago unless you get some clues to take you back there first."

Burch said after talking to relatives, gathering copies of birth certificates, photographs, old diaries, letters and family bibles then comes the time to spread the search outside of the family household. "Town halls, local historians and historical societies, genealogical societies and courts are good places to go to expand your search," she said.

Traditional methods of genealogy deal with the gathering of actual hard copy material that leads to proof of ancestry. More modern methods involve internet searches. "If you find something on the internet, you should still attempt to back it up with documents," Burch said.

In addition to finding out who one's ancestors are, Burch said, most researchers find out about themselves and sometimes learn where their belief systems were born.

"People of all ages do family research," Burch said. "I think at one time, people started researching when they retired, had time on their hands and wanted something to hand down to their children and grandchildren.

Research starts now because individuals want to know their backgrounds for medical history reasons and school age children are also being introduced to the basics of genealogy as part of their history classes.

Some people stop searching because they think they have hit a dead end but sometimes all it takes is a question or two and you can find yourself back on track. "For those of us who love genealogy, the research will never be finished," Burch said. "I've been researching for 30 years, I've found ancestors back to 1632 from Massachusetts and I'm still not done."

Along those lines, Stacy said that almost anyone with New England ancestry is probably related to multiple presidents and the chances are also good for those with Quaker or Southern roots. "Relationships are likely to be distant -- an eighth or ninth cousin -- meaning that your shared ancestor lived in the 1700s or earlier," she said.

According to Stacy, the current presidential candidates are both descendants of New England families and have at least eight common ancestors. The December 2004 issue of "Family Tree" magazine explores these connections and details ways individuals can see if they might be related to a past, present or future president.

Burch and Kaye Gill have been teaching genealogy classes at the Sweden Senior Center.

Note: Look for an article about local genealogists' finds in an upcoming issue of Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald. To share your search results call 352-3411 ext. 129 and leave a message.