I have worked on mine tree for ten years
I talked to every old man and old lady in my family and my wife's and had them write down any imformation they could think of. to my surprise I got marriage licences, birth certificates, pictures, wills, and many writings . a book of Sermons from a great great grandfather who was a pastor. One aunt gave me a notebook mr grandmother had during the depression describing how she managed to feed and cloth 8 children.
I found the first three or four generations to be the hardest you have to go to the town halls where the lived and the county clerk for their records. then check out the church they went to. it surprised me how much the church records contained. I have to many names now but I want people not just names so I have been finding out what they did during their lives.
And if you think you have trouble try Ericson. the name changes often.
anders Flod, Erick anderson, John Erickson, August Johnson, Eric Augustson, and then finaly they moved to the USA where Anders Ericson established the Ericson name. this I found only because a friend was Going to Sweden to look up his relatives and said he would try mine too. I got lucky the first church he checked in Vegersburg Sweden had my family record.
I found my German records at fourteen Holy helpers in W.S. and St Boniventure in Olean. the internet will fill in some Imformation but leg work still is needed. It makes for interesting weekend trips to reunite with my wife or a two week trip to the Boston area for my Pilgrim ancesters.