After some consideration about this Blog, I have taken the liberty to update it. My desire is to share personal experiences from the research conducted in personal genealogical research, and the methods used to find positive and nil results.
I desire for this Blog to be educational to those who are interested in family history and genealogy.
I'm also considering the idea of posting book reviews on here. But if such is the case, it is only to review books that would be helpful provide methods in conducting research. If I post book reviews, they will likely be history book. At the same time, however, I suppose it would be beneficial to incorporate historical context the time periods in which the individuals and the families being researched can be understood during the time when they were alive.
There is another Blog which I'd like to incorporate with this account: MyJewishHeritage. I created this Blog account for a course I took on learning how to use digital and online tools such as this for the purpose of sharing/publishing genealogy or history blogs such as this one.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Family involvement in Family History
Working on your genealogy should not be a task that rests on one individual in the family. It needs to involve the whole family.
Make plans to set time aside to do your family history and genealogy with your spouse, your children, your parents and grandparents, and even your grandchildren.
I only have small children at this point and time, but I know that by working on family history and talking about it and sharing it with my wife and kids, they might also be motivated to participate on their own pedigree charts. Think of it as spending quality time with your family.
This means that you might have to turn off your television and put down the remote, the game pads, your cellular telephones (gasp!), the video game controllers, and use that precious time to spend it working on your family history. It's more important that you accomplish your own work because no one else is going to do it for you. It is your family, and so it is therefore your responsibility.
Make plans to set time aside to do your family history and genealogy with your spouse, your children, your parents and grandparents, and even your grandchildren.
I only have small children at this point and time, but I know that by working on family history and talking about it and sharing it with my wife and kids, they might also be motivated to participate on their own pedigree charts. Think of it as spending quality time with your family.
This means that you might have to turn off your television and put down the remote, the game pads, your cellular telephones (gasp!), the video game controllers, and use that precious time to spend it working on your family history. It's more important that you accomplish your own work because no one else is going to do it for you. It is your family, and so it is therefore your responsibility.
Preliminary Search
The first step in researching your genealogy, it's best to begin by doing a preliminary search. This means looking for information that you already know, what might be family tradition, and even going through your personal belongings to find vital information. You will want to search for family Bibles, birth certificates, death certificates, obituaries, photographs, marriage and divorce records. Search for things that you may already have and begin from there.
In additoin to beginning preliminary searches, it's a great idea to contact your relatives and talk to them about what records they have available. Talk to your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.
In additoin to beginning preliminary searches, it's a great idea to contact your relatives and talk to them about what records they have available. Talk to your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Pedigree Charts
The best way to begin your genealogy is with a pedigree chart, and make copies of your charts before you start filling them in. From my experience it's very good to keep multiple hard copies of pedigree charts. Perhaps it's best if I make a list of basic steps. I'm also posting this for those who desire to start their family history work, but don't quite know where to begin.
I have provided a hyperlink to a pedigree chart below. As a note to it, you don't have to be Mormon to start your work. Just start! This can be used by both Mormons and non-Mormons.
I have provided a hyperlink to a pedigree chart below. As a note to it, you don't have to be Mormon to start your work. Just start! This can be used by both Mormons and non-Mormons.
- Find a pedigree chart. You can even find one on-line, if you prefer.
- Make sure to have many blank hard copies.
- Use a pencil when you start filling in spaces. You never know when you might make a mistake, or if there is a possible error. You might have to correct a date-of-birth, name misspellings, and so forth.
- If you need help with verifying information such as a date-of-birth, name spelling, etc., I recommend to contact any relatives that knew your family member.
If you happen to run into a roadblock in your research, do not panic! Remember, there are many more people you can continue to work. As you continue to pray and work on your family history, answers will come.
When you are doing genealogical work and family history, you must remember to have faith.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask. I will do the best I can to answer your questions.
Introduction: Where do I begin?
When I became interested in starting my work in genealogy, it was during my youth when I was told by my step-grandfather that you have to start with yourself and your siblings, and then you have to go from there.
When I was given such instruction, I understood right away that I would need to work on not just my siblings alone, but I would have to work on my parents siblings as well. That is quite the overwhelming (and daunting) task when you think about it, but once the work begins you come to find that it gets better. Working on genealogy is not easy, but that should not discourage us from getting it done.
There is much more to genealogy, however. It isn't so much as tracing your direct ancestry, as it is with the stories behind the names of the people you find. Hence, it's called family history. Family history is about discovering your family, and where you come from. In addition to doing family history and genealogy, we come to grow fond of our heritage.
For me personally, something that I love about family history work is finding out who I'm related to. You might be a 5th cousin 8 times removed from a celebrity or a politician. You could be related to someone who is infamous or honorable.
When I was given such instruction, I understood right away that I would need to work on not just my siblings alone, but I would have to work on my parents siblings as well. That is quite the overwhelming (and daunting) task when you think about it, but once the work begins you come to find that it gets better. Working on genealogy is not easy, but that should not discourage us from getting it done.
There is much more to genealogy, however. It isn't so much as tracing your direct ancestry, as it is with the stories behind the names of the people you find. Hence, it's called family history. Family history is about discovering your family, and where you come from. In addition to doing family history and genealogy, we come to grow fond of our heritage.
For me personally, something that I love about family history work is finding out who I'm related to. You might be a 5th cousin 8 times removed from a celebrity or a politician. You could be related to someone who is infamous or honorable.
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