Are you a Hatfield or a McCoy? Have you ever wondered if your family tree branched into one of the country’s most famous feuds?

Genealogy is one of the nation’s most popular hobbies, and new online sources of information have made records even easier to research from home computers.

West Virginia University has developed an online class for the first-time genealogist or the family historian who needs guidance.

Beginning West Virginia Genealogy Onlinefocuses on family history in West Virginia, but many of the lessons are applicable to research in other states. The course is self-paced, and students can participate in weekly chats to share experiences and offer advice. Weekly topics include beginning genealogical research, resources in public records, libraries and archives and Internet sources.

The instructor, Christy Venham, is the reference coordinator in the West Virginia and Regional History Collection of the WVU Libraries. She has many years of experience helping family historians.

I was amazed at how much information I could find about my ancestors through the Internet,said Lynn Price Reinke, a first-time researcher who piloted the online course.Just a few weeks into the class, I found one branch of my family came from Germany in the early 1700s.

Participants must have access to a personal computer with Internet Explorer and Adobe Acrobat Reader. While the class is self-paced, weekly assignments guide the research. The course can be completed in as little as three to 10 weeks.

The cost is $50, and Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Students can register by calling Extended Learning at 1-800-2Learn2. Visit www.e-learn.wvu.edu for more information.