How to Build a Family Tree

[Marlon Christian]

Building a family tree may sound like a daunting process, but it can
be a really fun family project. Many times, you have resources as
close as a phone call or e-mail. Let the kids interview grandparents
and aunts and uncles. Have everyone tell them about as many family
members as they can remember. Older family members love to share
stories and time with the younger ones.
Did anyone in your family keep a diary or a journal? They can be a
wonderful source of first hand accounts and give an insight that you
wouldn't have even talking to relatives. If the family member is still
living, be sure to get permission to read the journal first. Old
letters are also a wonderful source of information.
Once you've gathered first hand information, you can quite often find
more information either in the library or the Internet. There are many
genealogy sites that can assist in family research; however, some
charge fees. Courthouse records and cemeteries can also be a good
source of names and dates of relatives. You can search old newspaper
records as well.
There are a few programs that can help you organize the data you've
collected. They will also help layout a printable version of the
family tree. There are freeware and shareware programs, as well as
more expensive programs, which have more features.
A more creative approach to a family tree is to make a photo family
tree. By painting a simple tree on the wall, and hanging photos, it
makes a great way to display your research. If you don't want to have
a wall-sized mural, a smaller scale in one frame, with small portraits
is also nice. There are also cross-stitch patterns for very simple
family trees as well, that have room for names and dates.
Researching your family tree can also help history come alive. As you
dig further back along the family tree, you may find either that
someone you are related to, knew someone famous, or was famous
themselves. As you learn about each generation, you can do research
about how they lived during that time period.

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