What's best for looking up a family tree?

I have a complicated family history. I come from an extremely blended family. My great grandmothers were twins, and each had over 10 kids, And their kids were worse than rabbits. Half the town is somehow related to me. It wasn't until I got to college that I didn't have a cousin in my class. I'm French Canadian, with an extremely common surname. I was wondering about doing a family tree. Given all the above, any hints, recommendations?
 

I started by asking my parents. My mother has a very good memory with names, and I've sketched a family tree just from her alone. We also had family members that had many children. Then I've approached cousins and other relatives to fill in the blanks. I can't use Ancestry.com because many ancestors were in Europe and they didn't keep documents, so have to rely on family and oral tradition. Also, looked up the Ellis Island log of passengers in the 1900s to verify a few names of relatives who came over here. I also did a DNA test and from there, I am getting relatives with similar DNA who are reaching out to me. That's quite exciting.
 
I was lucky about finding out about my ancestry. My husband's brother did the research on his Mom and Dad's family. One of my cousins did my father's family. So far no one has done my mom's family and I hope someone does it soon.
 
Mormon site has many original records. Ancestry has same and also allows you to look at public trees that other amateur genealogists have posted of their own work.

With luck you will find some of your ancestors in someone else's tree which will give you the benefit of that other person's research as well as any private family knowledge. IOW, a cousin with whom you share a grandparent and has done their own work and is willing to share it with others..

They used to allow a one time trial period.
 
Family Search being free, is one of the best. I started from only knowing my grandparents on one side. I now have 13.000 family members, mainly from the UK, the biggest majority being blood relations. On my Scottish side I can go back to 1600. The advent of the internet has been a huge bonus. What a journey it has been finding out just where I came from, who they were and what they did in life.
 
Started with Family Search, came up paternal grandfather I didn't know.
Thanks.
And what the hey, I tried to check out the online 1920 census. If you think I was over my head in not knowing Family Search= Mormons., the National Archives- AAAHHHHH!
BTW, on Family S., as to my mother's kids, my name is spelled wrong.
 

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