NEW to this? Your FIRST genealogical challenge

**Elisabeth** · 07-07-2012, 02:14 AM

This one is easy and very fun - BUT it's also your MOST important.

If you are new to genealogy, DO THIS FIRST:

Get a spiral notebook or notebooks and get ready to go on interviews. It helps to have separate notebooks for different family lines. You may want a tape recorder.

Obviously, your parents will be your first interviews if living. Then grandparents, aunts and uncles, great-aunts and uncles, whoever you can speak to.

Here is a set of sample information to ask for. Print it out to take with you or copy them into your notes.

Ancestor’s full name

Name of parents

Birth and death dates

Names and birth years/death years of siblings (this is important for finding your ancestor on census records)

Occupation(s) and years. Where? (example – my grandfather was a miner and I visited the old defunct mining town and took photos while hearing the stories my dad remembered from living there)

Place of birth, death, and where each ancestor lived inbetween. Get city, town, village, or county names. Descriptions of the property or area.

Where is the ancestor buried? Can you go get a photo of the gravestone?

Any handed down stories - these are the most fun to scrap!

PHOTOGRAPHS! Don't forget to ask to see photographs that someone may be hoarding. I asked, in the days back before copying was easy, and was willed one of the special ones. I treasure it and the lady who gave it to me. I need to scrap it too!
If you can borrow photographs to copy, do it. Return them promptly. If someone is unwilling to loan them, ask if you can go with one of their trusted family members to a local copy place and come back the same day.

Bible records – are there any family bibles? Your interviewee might not have one but may have seen one and "so n so has it now". These are an invaluable source of family records.

Ask to see any other documents or certificates. Copy if possible. Have a camera with you to take a picture of anything they won't let you carry away to copy.

What schools did the ancestor go to? Are there yearbooks or class photos?

Did the ancestor have a membership in a lodge or club?

What church did they attend? You may be able to find information in the church or parish records.

Are there any old letters from, to, or about the ancestor?

Did the ancestor have any particular favourite family recipes?

What were the ancestor’s physical characteristics? (WWI draft cards have this info for US men)

Did the ancestor have any particular pets or livestock?

What kind of transportation would this ancestor have used? Horse and buggy, train, automobile? Any stories about this?

Come back and tell us what you found! I will be SO excited to hear your tales of finding photos, data, and of bonding with family members you haven't spent much time with before! I really get happy to know when someone has done this so y'all make me ecstatic this month!

Can you collect information on two generations back? Three? Four? Whatever you can find out, it's terrific! NOW is the time to do it - don't wait 'til 'sometime' - cause you might not have that 'sometime' if you keep putting it off!

LauraLou · 07-31-2012, 11:48 AM

Since I am the oldest left living in my line, I will just fill this out myself and leave it for my grandchildren to find.

**webfrau** · 07-31-2012, 05:35 PM

I have an interesting book out of the library at the moment. "Family History Made Easy" by Kathy Chater. She suggests keeping your information in two ring binders - one for what you actually know (have a section for each surname) and have proof of and another for your family myths, legends and other ideas and suspicions you may have.

*Heidi Nicole* · 07-31-2012, 08:15 PM

I am lucky enough to be spending a relaxing week on vacation with my parents... so they will be answering some questions for me!

I can't wait to hear more stories and find out more about where I come from. I have one living grandmother and I know she will help me as much as possible (it will be very interesting... she is adopted and has 4 siblings)

*mariafer* · 07-31-2012, 09:53 PM

Adreana has to call her oldest living relative and find out information about her... this list will be stupendous for us to use! I am so excited!!! We started looking at what we need for her badge and have already sent requests for some things to my mom! So fun!

Will definitely need to do my version of this badge... It will be a book to treasure for sure!

**Elisabeth** · 07-31-2012, 10:19 PM

So glad the list is helpful! I am glad everyone is so into this with us - and fantastic that it coincides with projects!

**Lauren** · 08-01-2012, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webfrau

I have an interesting book out of the library at the moment. "Family History Made Easy" by Kathy Chater. She suggests keeping your information in two ring binders - one for what you actually know (have a section for each surname) and have proof of and another for your family myths, legends and other ideas and suspicions you may have.

Thats a good idea - I think my suspicions folder might be larger than my truth folder !!

PQ · 08-01-2012, 10:45 AM

ALL THE FAMILY HISTORY CHALLENGES ON ONE PAGE

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**JaeDee** · 08-01-2012, 08:07 PM

Excellent list! Wonderful place to start!

ScrappyDew · 08-01-2012, 08:49 PM

I love to do historical pages as you can see in my gallery. Just got more wonderful photos at the last family reunion!

**shazzt** · 08-05-2012, 03:15 PM

I went to a talk yesterday by Brad Argent (Content Director from Ancestry.com.au) about how to get the most from the Ancestry website. Learned some cool things (did you know you can use wildcards in your searches?) which I might try to write up once I have done a few things around the house. One point he made was that the vast majority of genealogy information is NOT online and probably never will be, so don't neglect your local libraries, archives and genealogy/local history societies. He talked a lot about how family history was really more about the stories than the "hatch/match/dispatch" information. He could have almost been a scrapbooker! He is interviewed on Radio NZ here if anyone is interested in listening: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/pr...family-history

**webfrau** · 08-05-2012, 03:28 PM

Thanks for the link Shazz - I would like to have heard him.
I went to an Ancestry talk on Friday, it was really for people who had never used it before but I learnt a few things.

**GailS** · 08-11-2012, 11:23 AM

I started my research right after my mother in law passed away in 1996. It started with a scrap of paper from her, that had birthdates on it. My first stop after I decided to do this, was my then husband's 80 some year old grandmother - who told me lots of stories of her youth, her family, her history - that I ended up writing out on a stack of napkins as she talked. She LOVED to talk and reminisce. I couldn't write fast enough! I might have taped it, but she wouldn't have been quite as talkative as she hated being recorded. So I'd suggest a big pad of paper and find an older relative who loves to talk!

**Elisabeth** · 08-12-2012, 01:51 AM

I found a 'new' older relative in Alabama that I need to go and meet!

sanra · 08-14-2012, 03:43 PM

Well, I have a plan.

1. I am going to do this for the great grandkids. So will begin with them and work back. I can go back to fifth generation grandparents for them. Just have some holes to fill.
2. Figure out what forms would be best to use and setting them up.
3. Over the years I have completed quite a few heritage pages. However, much of the journaling needs to be finished. In a few years who will know who I meant when I say mother, dad, brother and me.

4. Granddaughters want a history of my life. I think this will be the hardest.

That's my plan and I am sticking with it. It will sure keep me busy for awhile.