Dear Cousins:
It was suggested I put up the basics of the genealogy process. Many people
try to jump back in time too quickly and either end up confused or have
collect information that is not entirely correct. Beginners and crusty old
tired cranky researchers (like myself) can always profit by a review of the
process.
We can best help you with your ancestry if you spend the time researching
from home FIRST--calling relatives, consulting family records, or looking at
documents to find out how much your own family members knows about their
lineage. Who are your grandparents? Who were their parents? Where were they
born? Write it down carefully, documenting who said it, their phone number,
address and date.
THE ONE-STEP-AT-A-TIME RULE: Genealogy Begins With Yourself First
There is only ONE way to begin genealogy. Make sure you understand so your
foundation is a solid one.
GENEALOGY IS ALWAYS DONE BY BEGINNING WITH YOURSELF AND GOING BACKWARDS IN
TIME ONE STEP AT A TIME. For example, do not begin searching in France
because there is family oral history that so-and-so was born in France.
Genealogy begins with yourself and continues step-by-step backwards,
collecting information, clues and records as you go, proving your ancestry at
every turn.
Begin with yourself and write down your name, birth date, place of birth,
marriage if applicable, children, etc.
Next, fill in the blanks concerning your father. If you do not know the
information, then look through family papers. DO send for birth or death
certificates to verify the facts. The booklet, "Where to Write for Vital
Records" by the U.S. Department of Human and Health Services can help you and
there is a website with the same info on the internet.
After you list your father's information, find the same information for your
mother and then find information on both sets of your grandparents collecting
records and birth, death certificates as you go.
CONTACT YOUR OWN FAMILY MEMBERS TO FIND FAMILY RECORDS
Now, see if any of your relatives has information on your great grandparents.
Contact all your relatives and ask who in the family kept the history,
photos, and records. There is always such a person. If your relatives seem
vague, give them a week and then phone again. They may have thought of
something in the interim. Actually, many seasoned researchers continually
interview their relatives since old memories sometimes will surface long
after the first questions. Don't be shy--ask, ask, and then ask again.
WHAT KIND OF FAMILY MEMORABILIA MIGHT HELP ME TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT MY
ANCESTORS?
address books
baby books
birth certificates
birthday and Christmas card lists
books with inscriptions on the flyleaf
citizenship papers
deeds and mortgages
diaries, journals, old ledgers
family bibles
fraternal papers
funeral cards
insurance papers
letters
marriage announcements
marriage certificates
memorial jewelry
military discharge papers
newspaper clippings
notes written on scraps of paper
photographs
samplers sewn by members of the family
social security records
voter registration forms
wills and estate records
There is a time honored important "genealogy etiquette" which you must adhere
to so that people will willingly offer you their research. Be aware of these
rules and go the extra mile. Make sure you always offer to pay for copying
costs, postage and research costs with anyone you swap info with. Some people
have spent alot of time and $$ in the genealogical trenches digging up
information film-by-film and book-by-book. It is up to them to decline your
offer, but being courteous REALLY pays off.
THE TIME to VISIT A LIBRARY or PLACE A QUERY to SOMEONE ELSE is AFTER YOUR
HOME SURVEY is COMPLETE
Now that you have exhausted all your relatives of all information they know,
it's time to visit a family history center, state archive, county courthouse,
library, etc. armed with what you have diligently collected during your "home
survey" process.
Hope this helps,
D'Ann