Tracing my family tree was of no concern to me until just a few years ago. Only after being asked to supply some family history at a family reunion, did I get excited with the search.   In spite of hearing we were related to Teddy Pendergrass, the late R&B singer, I did not see the connection and thought it probably was not true.  Teddy moved from Kingstree as an infant and most biographies list him as being born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It was only this year that I decided to research my mother’s paternal roots.  Eureka!  There is a blood relationship between Teddy and me! 

I talked to my mother and discovered she had an obituary of his aunt.  My mother did not know her grandfather due to his early death and did not know his brothers so the real connection was lost until I went back to the 1880 census to find that Teddy’s granddaddy and my great grandfather were brothers.  She was able to recognize the names of the next generation in the 1900 and 1910 censuses, and the connection was obvious.

Begin your search with you and go back to parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, then spread your search out to uncles and cousins.  Sometimes you are unable to find death records on everyone, but getting a parent’s name through an uncle or aunt’s records are possible.  Interview older family members about where they grew up and other family members they knew. 

Come to RCPL’s Local History Room and we will help guide you to the best resources for your search.  We cannot do the research, but will help you navigate the resources available at the library.