Not free, but low-cost. Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, Missouri offers an out-of-district library card for $20 (annual fee) to access many genealogy databases from your home computer. It's a great resource for the cost as single subscriptions would be well over $100. Check it out at http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us.
A great place to visit, usually on most "top ten" lists for genealogy research.
Their new building is quite deserving of the large resource collection.
We spent 4 days there, at the end of June, and could have spent more (but I didn't want to
spend our whole vacation on it). If you are close by (we live about 3 1/2 hours away) it is
definitely worth your time and effort. They have digitizing equipment, so you can scan into
a jump drive, etc, They have copying machines, microform, etc.
I too like to use Find A Grave, and challenge anyone I correspond with to work on a cemetery in their area. I have actually been able to visit some interesting lost cemeteries in the middle of woods with no true access. Take goodness the people I went with knew how to get there and have permission to enter.
I have to agree that findagrave.com is one of the best (and it's free!) websites for genealogical research. I can't tell you the number of gravesites I have been able to have photographed due to the generosity of the other members of the site. It's just a wonderful resource.
Thanks for the tip regarding Tennessee vital records. I only have three people who died in Tennessee during the relevant time frame, but I already found a month and date for one, and further confirmation on another.
Thanks Melissa!! Also I see you are an expert for Tenneesse You may be get an inquirie by the end of the month from me to hire your expertise I just need to get my facts together first!!!!
My absolute favorites and necessary for anyone researching 19th and 20th century upstate New York ancestors:
Northern New York Historical Newspapers (http://news.nnyln.net/) - free digitized newspapers for Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and St. Lawrence Counties