| Many of us have attics and basements filled with | | | | It will be up to you how to keep certain records |
| keepsakes of our family. We look at old photo | | | | and which of them will be useful to your |
| albums and yearbooks and think we should try to | | | | genealogy search. |
| organize all our family pictures and documents and | | | | Then you will have to put them in files according |
| put them in one place. | | | | to family and dates. |
| The older we become the more important our | | | | When you start uncovering, more and more |
| past and our family history becomes. We want to | | | | information about your family history, then you |
| remember and treasure the knowledge we have | | | | must decide if you want to go further and invest |
| and to learn more about our family. | | | | in a genealogy website or software program. |
| As you sit amongst the rubble of your family | | | | If you want to do that then you must select one |
| memorabilia you start to ask yourself, "how can I | | | | that is right for you. |
| possible put all this in some kind of order"? | | | | What kinds of family tree are you interested in |
| What you need to do is begin a family tree | | | | doing. Many people want a very detailed record |
| You will need charts and templates to help you | | | | with dates and facts and names. |
| know how to begin. They are easy to obtain | | | | Others enjoy the stories that go along with each |
| from various websites. | | | | generation. Some may have been exaggerated |
| You may not realize it yet, but you have chosen | | | | over the years but are still fun to hear about. |
| to take on the task of being your family's | | | | Families tend to gossip, that is nothing new. Your |
| historian. In doing so you will have to decide on | | | | job as family historian is to try to separate fact |
| what information that you already know. | | | | from fiction but still keep it interesting. |
| Beginning with birth records for you and your | | | | You will have to acquire quite a few skills in your |
| immediate family. Followed by marriage and death | | | | new position. Just the complying of all the paper |
| records if applicable. | | | | work and filing it, then filling out your charts and |
| When you have an idea of how you are going to | | | | templates to keep all your information organized. |
| begin and what knowledge you have already, you | | | | That is where sometimes is worth investing in a |
| are going to start your research. | | | | genealogy software program that can help you |
| Starting with grandparents and great | | | | with all your research. |
| grandparents is always best. With one side of the | | | | What ever kind you end up with is entirely up to |
| family at a time. Getting what information about | | | | you. You should decide from the beginning of how |
| them first in your research is best. The date and | | | | deep you want to dig and how far back you |
| place of birth. Marriages if more then one. Date | | | | intend to go. |
| and place of death. | | | | When it is completed, what form you want it to |
| Remember those old photo albums that may | | | | be in is another question. You can have it on book |
| have given you the idea of in the first place. | | | | form, which is nice because you can leave it out |
| Gather all of them and start checking them for | | | | for everyone to see. |
| old pictures of relatives. Many times people put | | | | Of course, in the electronic age we live in, you |
| dates and the place the picture was taken. | | | | can make it on a DVD and send out to your |
| If your grandparents are from the WWII era, | | | | relatives. You can add voice and music and make |
| most likely you will find letters. During the war, | | | | a mini movie. |
| everyone corresponded with a solider. These | | | | Which ever you decide the fact that you |
| wonderful pieces of the past are full of | | | | completed your project for everyone to have for |
| information about where people were and what | | | | generations to come is a wonderful |
| they were doing in that time. | | | | accomplishment. |
| When finding old papers, photographs and letters | | | | The next family get together will be full of |
| take into consideration on how to preserve these | | | | questions, stories and hopefully much laughter |
| valuable documents for future generations. | | | | about your family. The best part for the younger |
| The number one rule for any kind of genealogy | | | | members of the family is to learn what their |
| research is how to organize all the bits of papers, | | | | grandparents and great grandparents had to |
| notes, and letters you are going to discover in | | | | overcome to make a life for themselves. |
| your search. It can be quite overwhelming at first | | | | A genealogy search is a great way to teach |
| when you are confronted with the mass amount | | | | young people to respect their elders and to thank |
| of paper and document either you finds or people | | | | them for everything they have done to give |
| start giving to you as the family historian. | | | | them a better life. |