How did I get started?

In June of 1980 my sister Karen and I decided to start researching our family background.  I don't remember what prompted this need, but we wrote a very lovely letter and sent out numerous copies to people with
the last name Hilb that we had found in various phone books.

Our letter: We have obtained your names from telephone books because we are researching our family background. We believe that you may be related and we are writing to ask for your help in obtaining information. We are Vicki and Karen Hilb, daughters of Donald R. and Grace A. Hilb. Donald's parents
are Clarence and Loretta Hilb. Grace's parents were Rudolph and Edith Schubnell.

We are really just getting started on obtaining information and will be very grateful for anything you can provide. We plan to compile the family tree and will be glad to provide you copies or any information your interested in.

We'd like to know the following:
1.  Your birth name, place and date.
2. Your parents names, place and date.
3. Marriages, divorces (dates), brothers, sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Children, etc.
4. Copies of birth certificates, death certificates, letter, photographs. Copies will be at our expense.
5. Information on where the family originated or where we can obtain further records.
6. Possibly the Hilb name or Schubnell name has been changed. If you know of anything like this please let us know.

Any information you can give us whether it is a fuzzy recollection will be of assistance and give us someplace to start.

Please call us or write us. We will be glad to reimburse postage or accept collect calls.

A stamped self addressed return envelope was included.

Now in 1980 both Karen and I were living on our own. Karen was in Alhambra and I was in Fullerton. While we were both employed, typing these letters and providing postage, offering to pay for copies, calls, etc was a big expense for us.  We were interested to get started.  At that time we knew nothing of genealogy libraries and our public libraries did not have genealogy resources that we knew of.  We were dependent on our letters to help us get started.

Stay tuned for what happens next...