Getting Started with Genealogy in Williamson County by Alan Rabe The key resources are the Round Rock Library and the Williamson County Genealogical Society.  The Round Rock library has the largest genealogical holdings in Williamson County.  With your Round Rock library card (free to all Texas residents), you can access many of their premium databases from home.  The second largest collection is in Georgetown Library.   The Williamson County Genealogical Society meets on the 3rd Thursday at the Round Rock Library.  They have speakers on genealogical topics and also have a separate meeting for a special interest group on DNA.  Their web site is https://williamsontxgenealogy.org/   Get started on paper, the following is the basic approach: Get Pedigree chart https://www.archives.gov/files/research/genealogy/charts-forms/ancestral-chart.pdf Get Family Group Sheet https://www.archives.gov/files/research/genealogy/charts-forms/family-group-sheet.pdf Talk to parents Talk to oldest living relatives Write personal history  Free Internet Sites Williamson County Clerk https://eagle.wilco.org/williamsonweb/user/disclaimer FamilySearch.org Social Security Death Index (after 1940) Census records Learning center videos USGenWeb Find a Grave Google  Commercial Sites Ancestry.com – Strongest in US MyHeritage – Largest number of users world-wide. Find My Past - English Geneanet – French with some German American Ancestors – run by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.  Georgetown Family History Center (in back of church, free) helpful experienced staff free access to several premium genealogy web sites following site lists hours they are open  https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Georgetown_Texas_Family_History_Center Williamson County, Texas Genealogy https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Williamson_County,_Texas_Genealogy   DNA – these are the main testing companies, don’t use any other. Ancestry.com My Heritage FamilyTreeDNA 23andMe Living DNA  International Society of Genetic Genealogy is the key organization.  A comparison chart of the testing services is found at: https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_testing_comparison_chart  Living DNA is new and might be used if you are trying to narrow down a location in the British Isles.  If you are getting started with DNA, test with Ancestry.com which has the largest database.  Then transfer your data to MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA for free.  Use 23andMe if you are interested in a health report or submit your Ancestry raw data to https://promethease.com/  FamilyTreeDNA is the only service that tests y-DNA and mtDNA.  It is fine to start at 37 markers for the y-DNA test and you can increase from there if needed.