| When you research family tree ancestors, | | | | questions that will help you get the detail you're |
| following some proven steps and practices will | | | | looking for in the interview. |
| help you have the greatest amount of success | | | | While you build your family tree, one of the most |
| with the least expenditure of time and money. | | | | important things you can do is to keep your |
| Implement these practices while you build your | | | | information well organized. If you have a |
| family tree and favorable growth will happen in a | | | | computer or have access to the internet, there |
| way that will be amazing. | | | | are several good software programs available. |
| To begin with, go online and do a free family tree | | | | Make sure you get one that can export your files |
| search. You do not want to reinvent the wheel or | | | | in the gedcom format. |
| spend time and money doing that which has | | | | When you are working with paper records, your |
| already been done and may be readily available. | | | | most critical tools are the ancestral (or pedigree) |
| With a search engine inquiry you can find several | | | | chart and the family group work sheet. These |
| places to do this but one of the best collections | | | | blank forms can be downloaded for free from a |
| of family trees in the world is free and you can | | | | number of places online. Learn the ins and outs of |
| use it anywhere you have internet access | | | | these forms - they are simple and will make your |
| compliments of the Church of Jesus Christ of | | | | live monumentality easier as you gather more |
| Latter-Day Saints. | | | | family data. |
| The LDS church (sometimes called Mormons) | | | | The final "must do" step is to learn to locate and |
| have been collecting and processing the genealogy | | | | use the resources that are available to the public. |
| of millions of families for quite a few decades. If | | | | One of the best of these resources would be the |
| you have current membership in the LDS Church, | | | | nearest Family History Center of The Church Of |
| the best place to begin is with the "members | | | | Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These are open |
| only" newly created database found at | | | | to the public and are free to use. They have |
| new.familysearch.org. Sooner or later this new | | | | access to more of the publicly available |
| improved database will probably be made available | | | | genealogical resources than almost any other |
| to everyone but for now it is "member only" | | | | source. In addition, they have volunteers that are |
| access. | | | | willing (and usually) able to help you a great deal. |
| Do not despair! For everyone else, go to | | | | Look them up online or in the phone book and call |
| familysearch.org and find and start using the | | | | or go by for their times of operation. When you |
| world's largest public online database of family | | | | do go, be sure to take your family genealogy |
| trees. Only information for deceased people are in | | | | records with you. Take your jump drive with |
| this database and not all of the information is | | | | your files in gedcom format - if you're using a |
| correct because it is a collection of the | | | | genealogy software program. If you only are |
| contributed genealogy information from millions of | | | | using paper files, take your pedigree charts and |
| different individuals. Keep that in mind and then | | | | family group sheets. If you haven't got to that |
| start searching for (and very possibly finding) a | | | | point yet, take whatever written notes about |
| great amount of detail (or someone's best guess) | | | | names and dates that you do have. You can |
| about your ancestors and dead relatives. | | | | usually get help there in discovering new |
| The next important practice (or perhaps it should | | | | information or finding the best direction for you to |
| have been the first) is to contact your living | | | | go next. |
| kinfolk. They are getting more forgetful every | | | | Note: If the volunteer on duty is not very |
| year and some may pass on without notice. Act | | | | knowledgeable, ask them who the family history |
| ASAP on this step! Contact and interview the | | | | center director is. Find out when the directory is |
| elderly relatives who you can find. Ask who they | | | | scheduled to be there. If you come back or call |
| know that keeps family records and information. | | | | when the director is on duty, they are almost |
| Ask for an interview or visit about the family | | | | certain to be able to help you or tell you who can. |
| history. Interviews are usually best done | | | | The LDS Church has over 3000 Family History |
| personally, one-on-one. If that isn't feasible, then | | | | Centers throughout the world, If you are in North |
| the phone, email or even regular mail can still help | | | | America, there is almost certainly a Family History |
| you uncover large amounts of family history that | | | | Center close to you... go check it out and have |
| just will not be available sometime in the near | | | | some fun! |
| future. Before your visit, develop a list of good | | | | |