| How to locate your ancestors for a family tree. | | | | Many times old, photo albums will have dates and |
| Starting your genealogy search requires a few | | | | names next to family pictures. Baby books with |
| basic steps: charts such as a pedigree chart is | | | | christening information. |
| helpful, also what you know of your family history | | | | Put all this information in your pedigree chart and |
| and how deep do you want to dig into your | | | | family tree template. |
| ancestry. | | | | When you find a source that can verify what |
| Knowing about your family history is such an | | | | documents you have already like birth and |
| intriguing and fascinating endeavor. | | | | marriage records, make sure you write that |
| To find out if we have relatives who came | | | | source down in your records. |
| through Ellis Island, what wars they may have | | | | Just because some of your charts or templates |
| fought in, were they in the forefront for workers | | | | do not have a place for certain information your |
| rights and women's rights. | | | | have gathered like a persons military service or |
| Now with the internet the information available is | | | | occupations and schools they attended, be sure |
| enormous. There are so much and so many | | | | you keep track of all of it on a separate page. |
| places to find out about our family tree that it | | | | Because any information you learn will become |
| can be quite overwhelming. | | | | quite useful in the results of making a family tree. |
| That is why it is good to have a strategy on | | | | Step 4: Find out what genealogy information you |
| how to get started. | | | | still need to find. You are just a beginner and you |
| Below are five basic steps to help you with the | | | | already have a very good handle on your basic |
| process of making a family tree. | | | | family history. |
| Step 1: Knowledge of your family. The number | | | | Check it over thoroughly and look for what |
| one rule for genealogy research is begin with | | | | may be missing. Are gaps between years you |
| what you already know about your family and go | | | | have not been able to fill in yet? Many times |
| back from the their. | | | | these gaps are easily to fill in. |
| Start with birth dates and place of birth for | | | | Do you have a birth date for a relative, but not |
| yourself, your siblings, and your parents. Marriage | | | | parents? Alternatively, is a sibling's place of birth |
| dates and place, also if it applies any dates of | | | | missing? You know what day family members |
| death. | | | | may celebrate an anniversary but do you know |
| Then the fun part begins. Start talking to your | | | | the year. |
| parents and relatives about their childhood and | | | | A new genealogy researcher should try a narrow |
| where they lived and went to school. | | | | down a list of specific data they are interested in. |
| You will find the first step requires the most basic | | | | Have you found the name of all your ancestors' |
| of data. Birth, marriage and Death are the most | | | | parents? Also important do you have locations of |
| important records. | | | | the cemeteries they were buried in. |
| Step 2: Family tree charts and templates. These | | | | Try to make for yourself a goal of how much |
| are available online and cost very little. They are a | | | | information you can find and document. |
| great help to keep all the information you are | | | | Step 5: Finally, at the end you will want to find |
| starting to get organized. | | | | answers to the goals you have set for yourself. |
| A pedigree chart will start with one person. Put | | | | When looking for birth, death and marriage data |
| your name down and then the next line your | | | | from the late 1700's to mid 1900's, government |
| parent's names, then your grandparents and so | | | | resources are the best. From old census records |
| on. | | | | to town halls, you will be able to get much of |
| There is space to put your basic information like | | | | your information. |
| birth and places. | | | | The resources are endless for genealogy |
| Family tree templates will show couples, with their | | | | research. From old newspapers to tax records, |
| birth, marriage dates. Also below, you will put each | | | | property purchases and cemeteries to name a |
| child for that couple. These chart and templates | | | | few. |
| are a great way to fill in what you already know | | | | What makes this research so fascinating as you |
| about your family. | | | | uncover one answer it will usually then come with |
| Step 3: Go through the family home and try to | | | | another question to follow up. |
| find what documents there might be. You could | | | | Making a family tree is always fun and very |
| find old school yearbooks, funeral cards and | | | | educational for you and your whole family. |
| scrapbooks with family memorabilia. | | | | |