The case for climbing your family tree
Sometimes it’s a good idea to write things down. Like where your grandmother was born, or when. For generations, people have been taking birth and death notes of family members. Most of them, barring a genuine genealogy hobby, are in the family Bible, out front, or on sheets of paper taped there and traditionally held by an older member of the family, like Grandma. She may be gone by now, but her bible can be found in that box in the attic. There is a treasure trove of family information available without looking too far.
Most people beginning to trace their family tree find a good starting point in the family Bible. Maybe you’ve been thinking about looking up your family tree, or maybe a child asked a question about family that you didn’t easily answer. You can do a simple project of looking up the basics without committing to a whole new hobby, learning a bunch of terms, spending a lot of money online, or paying a professional to do it for you. It can be fun and rewarding and free.
Many, if not most, people know very little about their family history. Putting together your own historical tree can be an easy task. You don’t need expensive software or subscription services. Basic family history is all you need to get started, and you can get it in two places: the family Bible and a free Internet website.
To get started, put a blank page in your word processor.
Start your research with you. Your information is the First Generation. Your parents are the grandparents of the second generation the third and so on.
Write your full name, when and where you were born, your spouse’s full name (use maiden name for female spouse), and children’s names and dates of birth.
This page will be YOUR Family. Researchers call that page a Family Group Sheet. It’s about YOUR family.
Now make a Family Group Sheet for your parents. All about his family. Your full names and maiden names and your parents, and you and your siblings. Put the title PARENTS in the upper right corner.
Now, a new Family Group Card for your grandparents. You will need two family group sheets for the grandparents, so only do one side of your family at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Tag the new page GRANDMOMS and get to work. Before long he should have been able to find his fourth great-grandfather, or fifth great-grandfather or more.
If Great Gramma had 12 children, just look up information on the child who is on your direct line. No aunts or uncles or cousins to begin with. You can always go back and get everyone you can find.
Learning about your family’s heritage can be eye-opening and a lot of fun.
You may have said “I wish Grandpa was still alive, there are so many things I’d like to ask him.” Fix it so your grandkids don’t have to say that.
The only free website you need is www.FamilySearch.org Take a look.