Genealogy, Family History & Temple Work

In Part I of this series I discussed how to start your genealogy from the very beginning.

Now, there are some of you who may not need to start from the very beginning because you may have relatives who have already begun to work on your Family History. Please don't let that stop you. There is still plenty for you to do. Collaborating on Family History can be fun. And it often takes different points of view to solve a genealogical dead end. So call that family member and ask them for a GEDCOM saved to Floppy disk or CD-ROM which you will then be able to upload into your Family History Program. Or you might request paper copies of all documents. This will ensure you do not waste time searching for that which has already been found. You can then begin gathering information on any family line within the GEDCOM on which you find work has halted.

Let's talk about the next step in gathering information from living family members, treasure hunting. I refer to it as such because the things you discover may often prove themselves the only record of information of that kind, making them truly priceless. If you can, plan a visit to the homes of any relations you think may harbor any of the following. Make sure you ask their permission first and if there are any places they do not want you rummaging through.

Items to look for:
* Journals/Diaries
* Old letters
* Photographs
* Autograph Albums
* Baby Books
* Wedding Books
* Other scrap books or photo albums
* Family Bibles
* Books of Remembrance
* Printed Histories, family or locality
* Certificates - Birth, Marriage, Death, Divorce, Blessing, Baptism, Award
* Report Cards
* Year Books
* Newspaper clippings
* Military Records
* Records of membership to Genealogical, Historical or other societies
* Drivers or other licenses
* Records of Employment
* Cards - birthday, wedding or other.

You may find things your relative didn't remember or even know they had. Such was the case when I searched my Grandmother's home. There were many names and dates she couldn't recollect, but when I searched her home I found scores of sheets with these names and dates on them. She didn't even remember that she had written them down.

The things you find may provide vital information for your ancestor as well as information about who they were, what mattered to them, who their friends were and so forth. As I said before, every little detail may prove significant to your search, if not immediately, then certainly down the road.

The best way to begin your genealogy is to start by writing down everything that you and your family members know about your family history.

Items you may find useful:

*A pencil
*A notebook
*A phone
*Envelopes
*Stamps

1) When possible, make personal visits to relatives to ask for information. Bring a notebook, a pencil and a list of questions. Write down all known vital information (births, deaths, marriages, place names, maiden names, surnames) as well as memories and family stories. Family memories may not seem relevant in the beginning but may be crucial to your search later on. Don't discount any detail.

2) Relatives you are not able to visit in person should be contacted by phone or letter. I've had many conversations with my grandmother over the phone, pencil in hand scribbling notes as we spoke. It was through one of our many phone conversations that she remembered a detail which allowed me to find a death certificate for her father. Don't assume you've received all you need to know in one call or visit. Especially when you are speaking to your older relatives, whom you should make your first priority to speak with, as when they die their memories go with them. My grandmother remembered new details and new memories every time we spoke.

3) Another idea you might consider is mailing a tape with a return envelope and a list of questions to various relatives, asking them to record their answers or relate any special memories onto the tape.

After you have begun to gather information, you will then want to begin recording it in a standard way. There are two forms you can use to do this:

A Pedigree Chart is a record of your Direct ancestral line (you, your parents, your grandparents, etc.)

A Family Group Record, unlike a Pedigree Chart will let you list all the members of one family and their information. So you, your spouse and children, your parents and siblings, your grandparents and all of their children, etc.

By visiting the links above you can download each type of form to your computer which will allow you to print it out and record the information by hand. Or you can record the information into a Family History Program such as Personal Ancestral File (PAF). PAF is a free program offered by the LDS Church. Version 5.2 is the most current version available.

No matter how you ultimately decide to record your Family History, the most important thing is to begin gathering information as soon as possible. Don't let precious, time saving information and memories die with those you love.