| Researching your family tree can be a great way | | | | was going on in the times that your ancestor was |
| to get to know your family that came before | | | | alive. What was their city like back then? What |
| you. Who else in your family had black hair, or | | | | was going on? What was the population? There is |
| brown eyes? Where did your knobby knees | | | | no end to the bits of information you can have |
| come from? | | | | access to online. |
| Genealogy research can be important for people | | | | When researching your family tree, start with |
| who feel a need to get to know their ancestors | | | | yourself and work backwards. Talk with and |
| better, or for researching family medical history. It | | | | interview your oldest living relatives and ask them |
| can be a fun project to complete with older | | | | to share their knowledge with you. They will most |
| family members, or older siblings. | | | | likely remember important dates and events. |
| It can also be a challenge to find all the | | | | They will also be able to show you photos and |
| information you are looking for. Dates, places of | | | | explain who everyone is and how they are |
| birth, dates of death, etc. must be accurate to | | | | related to you. |
| make sure you are researching the right person. | | | | You can also concentrate on one family member |
| This is where your older living relatives can help | | | | in particular to focus on and learn more about. |
| you. They most likely have at least some of that | | | | Maybe you want to find out more about your |
| information, as well as many stories, photos, | | | | great-aunt who ran off with the village blacksmith |
| memories and even journals that will help you get | | | | and was shunned by her family for the rest of |
| to know your ancestors better. | | | | her life. Whatever happened to her? Did she have |
| The internet can be a very helpful source for | | | | any children? Where did she live? |
| finding out what you need to know. There are | | | | It is important to note that researching your |
| many sites dedicated to genealogy and they have | | | | family tree takes a tremendous amount of time |
| extensive, up to date information. Some sites are | | | | and effort; some people spend years researching |
| free, while others you will have to pay a | | | | their ancestors, and it may never be completed. |
| membership fee. The fee is usually well worth it, | | | | It is a work in progress, to be handed down from |
| as the information will be as accurate as possible. | | | | one generation to the next; a family heirloom to |
| These websites allow you to search through | | | | be treasured and cherished for years to come. |
| church records, passenger lists, birth, marriage and | | | | Keep a journal or a notebook to write down your |
| death certificates, and much more. You can | | | | innermost thoughts and feelings, your goals and |
| search for the origin of your surname, or the | | | | dreams; this will help your future family members |
| surname of your ancestor if it is different. You | | | | who are researching you as their ancestor. |
| can search newspaper archives to find out what | | | | |