New "Friend" to Site

[jimfriend]

I am a Friend from Nebraska. I am interested in the origins of the name. My father believes it is German. I lived in Germany for several years and encountered my Freunds and Von Freunds, but no Friends. I believe the name is of English origin. Wondered also how and when the Friends came to Nebraska. Many live in Omaha.

It is a great name. People love it and it gives a good first impression.

I am developing a strong interest in my family origins. Never searched for this info before. Any tips would be welcome.

[Friends came from where]

Hi Jim, your post is interesting and I suppose the answer is long and varying. There seems to be German, English and a Swedish line of Friends. While I can't speak with any authority on any of the lines (I simply do not have those qualifications) I will say this in answer to where you start to discover your roots. You get your parents names, their parents names and go back as far as you can. You add what dates you know and the locations where they lived and then you start asking other researchers to help you make YOUR connection.

Helping people find their family connections or even filling in that missing link is what this site is all about.

Try posting your earliest Nebraska Friend names. We can probably help you find them in the census records and from there you have to move backward in order to move forward (in your search). By that I mean, your search will no doubt take you back to the east coast (depending on the time frame of your earliest immigrant).

Give it a try, you might be surprised at just how easy it is to find your roots.

[sdrent]

Jim, can you post your parents and grandparents names with date of birth and/or date of death and any info you have. We have much info but also so many people out there willing to help that they may hold the key to your family. We have a NC family that ended up in IL, IN and NE. Let us know any thing you know. Shirley Drent/Librarian FFAA