How Can I Find More Information About My Deceased Father?

For basic, genealogical research, the best place to start is to track down your father's birth and/or baptismal certificates. These documents are preserved and it is possible, in many countries, for direct family members to access this information, even if your relatives no longer have a copy of such certificates. This will give you basic information on your father's place and date of birth, his parents and possibly his religious affiliation. In many ways, such documents serve as stepping stones along the path of more research, as you can then look up the birth and baptismal certificates of your grandparents and great-grandparents, and find out more about the family's background.

If you are interested in information on how your father lived his life, the best way to do this is to conduct oral interviews with friends and family who knew him. This can be a time- consuming process, but I think that you will find it very rewarding in the end. Be sure to bring a digital recorder with you and ask the people you speak with if you can record what they say. When they mention the names of others who may have known your father well, make a written note of this and try to see if you can find them.

National archives in your home country may also be able to help you with your search, as they are usually very skilled in genealogical research.