Sometimes it’s a good idea to write things down. Like where your grandmother was born, or when. For generations, people have been taking birth and death notes of family members. Most of them, barring a genuine genealogy hobby, are in the family Bible, on the front, or on sheets of paper taped there and traditionally in the hands of an older family member, like Grandma. She may already be gone, but her bible can be found in that box in the attic. There is a treasure trove of family information available without looking too far.
Most people beginning to trace their family tree find a good starting point in the family Bible. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about looking up your family tree, or perhaps a child asked a question about family that you didn’t easily answer. You can do a simple project of looking up the basics without committing to a whole new hobby, learning a ton of terms, spending a lot of money online, or paying a professional to do it for you. It can be fun and rewarding and free.
Many, if not most, people know very little about their family history. Putting together your own historical tree can be an easy task. You don’t need expensive software or subscription services. All you need to get started is basic family history, and you can get it from two places: the Family Bible and a free Internet website.
To get started, put a blank page in your word processor.
Start your research with you. Your information is the First Generation. Your parents are the grandparents of the second generation, the third and so on.
Enter your full name, when and where you were born, your spouse’s full name (use the maiden name for the female spouse), and the children’s names and date of birth.
This page will be YOUR Family. The researchers call that page the Family Group Sheet. It’s about YOUR family.
Now make a Family Group Sheet for your parents. All about his family. Your full and maiden names and your parents, and you and your siblings. Put the heading PARENTS in the upper right corner.
Now, a new Family Group Card for your grandparents. You will need two family group sheets for the grandparents, so do only one side of your family at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Label the new page GRANDPARENTS and get to work. Before long he should have been able to find his fourth great grandfather, or fifth great grandfather or more.
If Great Gramma had 12 children, just look up information about the child who is in your direct line. No aunts or uncles or cousins to begin with. You can always go back and get everyone you can find.
Learning about your family’s heritage can be eye-opening and a lot of fun.
You may have said, “I wish grandpa was still alive, there are so many things I’d like to ask him.” Fix it so your grandkids don’t have to say that.
The only free website you need is www.FamilySearch.org Take a look.
