Getting Started in Genealogy and Family History

[Pete Leonard]

If you have had limited or no exposure to genealogy and family
history, the most difficult part of getting started is often knowing
how and where to begin. Searching and documenting your family roots
can be one of the most rewarding activities you will ever engage in...
and frankly it can be quite addictive. Like most worthwhile
activities, genealogy and family history require a modest level of
commitment and dedication and a fair amount of patience. Here are a
few ideas to get you started on the fast track.
1. Designate and set aside some specific time to work on your
genealogy each week and then stick to your schedule. Begin modestly so
that you don't get frustrated and quit. Be consistent. Even if you are
able to set aside just an hour per week, do it religiously and you
will begin to see dividends over time. Be careful not to spend more
time than you budget, at least in the beginning. Family History can
become an all consuming black hole if you are not careful.
2. Begin first by collecting all of the items that you personally have
access to. This may not amount to much. But you may be surprised at
what you will find. Specifically you will be looking for photos (of
yourself and others in your family and extended family), journals,
documents, letters and postcards, paperwork, family heirlooms, and any
information that you may be able to get your hands on that will shed
some light on your ancestry.
3. Next, call on relatives and friends of the family who either have
records, photos, documents, etc. or who have firsthand knowledge of
specific ancestors. Explain what you are doing and ask if they would
allow you to make copies of photos, papers, documents, letters, and
other family records. Make sure you are extremely careful about
returning originals in the same condition in which they were received.
In cases where records are not available but personal relationships
existed, ask if you could schedule a brief interview to gather
information about either the ancestor or a deceased relative. Most
people will be gracious and obliging, particularly if you agree in
advance to limit the visit to a reasonable length of time. Be
courteous and stick to your time commitments. It is not unreasonable
to request to either record or video tape the conversation in order to
preserve the information. You may also just come with a notepad and
pen. You will be looking for any and all information that may shed
light on the character, life, accomplishments, family culture, etc. of
your ancestry. But you will also be interested in gathering as much
specific information such as birth dates and places, death dates and
places, burial places, baptismal and other church records, marriage
dates and places, etc. as you possibly can. This is the information
that will be most useful in documenting your family heritage and
history.
4. As you gather information you should begin to organize it and label
it. A filing cabinet with file folders can be useful for keeping
things in some semblance of order.
5. Once you gather information begin to enter it into a pedigree
chart. One of the best free genealogy programs is available through
the Mormon church. Go to familysearch.com for a multitude of great
resource information. Once you download the PAF (personal ancestral
file) program, fill in as much information as you can and then see
where the holes are. As you identify specific pieces of information
that you still lack then you can begin searching the growing number of
genealogical resources to discover the missing pieces of information.
This is where the real fun begins!