Genealogy 101

by R. David Christman

Prior to starting your research please read the following:

Mythology vs. Genealogy , What is a GEDCOM, How to Create A GEDCOM and GEDCOM Tags

What is Genealogy?

• The word "Genealogy" is derived from the Greek, meaning the tracing of the descent of family and individuals. Genealogies are often referred to as pedigrees which is derived from the French word meaning, "crane's foot."
• Genealogy:
  • Seeks to discover and chart vital information about each direct-line family member.
  • Is one way to find, preserve, and share family heritage.
  • Helps us answer the age old question, "who am I?"

Researching our roots has become a top national pastime, and with the creation of the Internet, it’s also become much faster and easier than before. The only problem is where and how do I start?

Part I: Getting It All Together.

1. First start with the groundwork..

Find everything you have such as: papers, photos, documents and family heirlooms. Go through your attic or basement, the filing cabinet, the back of the closet and of course the garage. Then check with all your relatives to see if they have any family documents they are willing to contribute. Look for your family history on the back of old photographs, in the family bible, or even on a postcard. If your relative is cautious with lending an original, offer to have copies or a scanned image made. Copies and scans can be done at your local Staples, Office Smart, etc.

2. Interviewing Relatives:

Prepare a list of questions before calling and share them with your relative, this will give them an idea of what you want to cover. Try to schedule a time in advance so everyone has a chance to prepare. To conduct the interview make sure you have pen and paper or if you want to do some recording, make sure you have batteries and extra tapes. In your notes or recordings make sure you have for your record, your name, the date, the place the interview is being conducted and the interviewee.

The best relative to start with is the, "story teller". Everybody has someone in their relation that loves to tell stories of the past. Ask them a question that you know has a story. Never ask questions that can be answered with a Yes or No. Show sincere interest and try to engage in the story but remember, your job is to listen and record. Old photographs, favorite old songs and treasured items may bring back memories so, use props when you can. Never interrupt or attempt to correct your relative; this can end an interview very quickly. When you are done, make sure you thank them for their time..

Part II: Organizing What You Have. Being able to find what you need when you need it is the key.

1. Storage Containers (File Cabinets)

• Label them "Cabinet 1" and "Cabinet 2." You get the idea. It is critical that EVERY storage container (file cabinet drawer, file folders, notebooks, boxes, etc.) gets numbered. Stick a label on each drawer and call them "Drawer 1" and "Drawer 2".
• Numbering your hanging file folders 1 through 25 or 1 through 50 per drawer. This means that both the drawer itself and the hanging folders inside the drawer are numbered. Start sticking numbered labels on them.
• Get yourself a binder and list everything that you put into Drawer 1. Label the binder, Cabinet 1, Drawer 1. Then place the binder inside the drawer in the front so it is always available. Then with a new binder, do the same with Drawer 2 (Cabinet 1, Drawer 2).

2. Computer Software:

I highly recommend Ancestral Quest. It is a fantastic tool and at a great price for less than $30.00 (simple download and install procedures). You will be up and running in minutes.

Ancestral Quest (AQ) family tree software is the easiest to use and most versatile genealogy program for Windows. It's perfect for the beginner and yet powerful enough for the most advanced genealogist. Easy data entry, keyboard shortcuts, scrap booking, and excellent sourcing capabilities. With AQ you can create professional looking Pedigree Charts, Family Group Sheets, Ancestry charts, Descendant charts, genealogy book reports and fan charts.

AQ also has special links to on-line genealogy databases, including Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, which will help in your research of your family history. You can also Compare and Merge databases and even record DNA Test data for each individual. Did I mention it has an excellent Tutorial?

For more information about AQ and/or purchase the product please follow this link: Ancestral Quest

3. Computer Hardware: This can not be emphasized enough.

Besides your computer the only extra peripheral or addition that I recommend is an External Hard Disk Drive (HDD). This can normally be purchased for about $100.00 or less at Walmart, Staples, Best Buy, etc. Look in your newspaper for weekly specials. The size of the External HDD should be at least a 100 gigabyte or more. When you plug the External HDD into your computer you now have an additional drive (usually D) but that depends on your computer's configuration. The reason for the External HDD is to store all of your data that you collect from your research by saving everything to your new drive. In the event that you have a major system's crash, your data will still be there. You can also, save all of your other personal pictures and files on the new drive. Create folders/directories on the new drive such as: Personal (to keep your personal stuff in), Genealogy (to place all of your research items in). You can then create folders within folders just like a filing cabinet (in this case the HHD is the file cabinet) where you have folders inside of drawers, etc.

After you have both the software installed and the additional HDD you then need to set up your program so that whenever you save anything it is automatically saved on your External HDD. Please refer to the software/program Help Pages.

Now open your program and start entering the information that you have collected so far. Always, start with yourself as being in the number one position and work back through your generations.

Part III: Where To Find Information. Don't expect to find your entire family tree or information about your ancestors in one place.

1. Pedigree Data Bases are good places to start. With the Ones Listed Below, you can search for your surname and make family tree connections. These links ofen include names,dates, places, and submitter contact details which makes it easy to collaborate with other researchers to exchange surnames and family trees. Some of these are free or allow some type of free access.

• Ancestry World Tree / RootsWeb World Connect The Internet's largest pedigree database.
• MyTrees.com - Ancestry Archive Collection of pedigree-linked surnames contains over 200 million names provided from family group sheets and contributed family trees.
• GenCircles - Global Tree Surnames from over 90 million ancestors can be searched for free.
• GeneaNet A world-wide index of online and offline genealogy resources.
• FamilySearch - Ancestral File A database of compiled pedigrees submitted by users via FamilySearch.com or gathered from printed family histories.
• GenServ The first site on the Internet to database GEDCOM files for easy searching.
• Yates Publishing - Computerized Ancestor Computerized Ancestor contains the surnames of over 1 million individuals, primarily from the eastern half of the United States.
• Genealogy.com - World Family Tree One of the largest pedigree databases, containing over 130 million names in 180,000 actual family trees.
• Everton Publishers - Bureau of Missing Ancestors Bureau of Missing Ancestors offers one-stop search of over 10 million names.

2. Genealogy Records & Databases. Type of records that will help in your research.

3.Historical Societies:

• United States Historical Societies Directory has a listing by states and counties of Historical Societies.

4. Government Resouces:

• The National Archives
• State Archives

5. On line Book Stores. ClossonPress