It's not unusual for friends and even relatives to grow up and grow apart. Unlike the past when the nuclear family--parents and children living together--was the rule, today divorce and separation is dividing not only siblings but especially cousins and in-laws. Before starting an intensive search for family members you haven't seen in years, type their names into a popular search engine or social networking program. If they don't turn up in a rudimentary search, there are some very effective methods for finding long, lost relatives.
Step 1
Search for your relatives on Rootsweb's Social Security Death Index. You only need a first and last name. If the results are overwhelming, type in a middle name or Social Security number if you know it. You can also choose to search listings exactly the way you type it in the search field instead of variations on the spelling.
Step 2
Sign up to be on the International Soundex Reunion Registry. This ISRR helps family members looking for each other to reunite. Download an application at the reunion registry page and mail it to ISRR, P.O. BOX 371179, Las Vegas, NV 89137. Your case remains open until the family is reunited.
Step 3
Search for your relatives on any kind of people search engine you can find online. If your family member has ever gotten a ticket or was arrested for any kind of crime, he may show up on the CriminalSearches database. If a relative shows up here, the records will indicate where the arrest or ticket was issued, which is likely close to his place of residence. Military Connections and GISearch are social networking websites for people who served in the armed forces. More than half a million active and retired military men and women have profiles on these sites.
Step 4
Search City Directories. These books are published by region and catalog every community member for mail and taxation purposes. It's similar to the white pages, but you can't unlist yourself. City Directories are kept at public and university libraries.
Step 5
Type your relative's name into popular people search engines, including Pipl and Zabaserch. Unlike ordinary search engines, which crawl the web looking for matches to words you typed into the search field, people search sites crawl parts of the Internet that have data on people. These sites will provide last known addresses and phone numbers. It will provide links to social networking profiles, if your relative is mentioned in a blog or newspaper article. For an additional fee, you can gain access to information in the public domain, including marriage and divorce documents.
Step 6
Send a letter to your relative's last known address. You can get this information from City Directories and a people search site. If your family no longer lives there, it's possible the post office may have a forwarding address.
Tips and Warnings
- If you can remember the names of people who were friends with your family members, see if you can find them on a popular social networking site. If you haven't been out of touch for more than a few years, there's a chance that your relative still has the same cell phone number.
