Have you ever heard someone say, “My grandmother was with Ringling Brothers Circus when she was young”? Or perhaps a friend tells you that his great-great-great-grandfather was an outlaw who rode with Jesse James. You realize that you don’t know if your family has ever done anything interesting, so you start digging into the past. Researching your family tree is fun and can be addictive. Once you start finding out about your ancestors or other relatives, you can’t stop. Your grandmother says that her grandfather lived in San Francisco during the big earthquake in 1906. How did he end up in San Francisco, and after that, how did you end up in Missouri? Family tree research may give you the answers to these kinds of questions and much more.