March 12 is Genealogy Day

Tips for Conducting Searches

Gathering and finding information can be a daunting task. When you start going back on your family tree, there are families with eight, nine, ten children, and sometimes more. Sons may marry someone with the same name as a sister. Brothers may marry sisters from another family. After a while, you begin wondering who your family members really are. Here are some search tips to help you keep your facts straight:

• Talk with as many family members as possible to get any hints or facts than you can.


• Compare what you learned from family members with what you find on the internet.


• Look at old family photographs and identify the people and their relationship to you.


• Consider your source on the internet--is it an historically reliable site?


• Even Ancestry.com contains errors--it's all in how the handwriting is determined.


• Connect with others who are researching the same family members.


• Print out and compare any historical documents that you can.


• Use additional sources such as cemetery, church and school records.


• Document sources for your information in case you have to check facts at a later date.


• Use the library for access to archives


• Research your family's coat of arms to identify its origin


• Find whatever free sites you can for conducting your search, as it can be extensive!

Finally--have fun! Who knows what or who you may find at the top of your family tree. We're still looking for that princess my husband's uncle told stories about. Is he royalty?

March 12 is Genealogy Day

March 12 is Genealogy Day

Organizing Your Family Photos--part 2

As stated last week, you will amass a large amount of photos while conducting your research. Here are some more helpful tips for storing them safely.

Archival products--There are products made specifically for storing photos. They are acid-free to prevent fading and wear. This includes plastic pages, boxes and even markers and stickers for scrapbook use. They are available at retailers such as The Container Store and online companies like Creative Memories. Before using anything for photos, verify that it is archival and acid-free.

Plastic pocket pages--These come in a variety of sizes to fit all your photo needs. Older photos are different sizes, depending on their age, so you may need a variety of pocket pages. Place only one photo (or two back-to-back) in each pocket. These pages can be kept in binders.
Keep negatives separate--Never store your negatives with your photos. This will not only keep your photos safe, it will give you a back-up should something happen to the photos. Negatives should be stored in a cool, dark place with low humidity.

Identify people/place-- When storing your photos, mark the names of any people in the photos, along with the place and date. Never write on the backs of the photos. Instead, purchase pocket pages that have a white strip specifically for documenting this information. Future generations will appreciate this.

Storage products--There are several ways to permanently store your photos. First, there are photo albums and plastic pocket pages. As mentioned above, they come in a variety of sizes so you can keep different sized photos in one album. Second--photo boxes. These are easier to use, as photos can be dropped into the box and separated with dividers. You can identify photos by writing on the dividers. However, they only accommodate photos up to 4"x6". Third, there are traditional scrapbooks. While these are beautiful works of art in themselves, they are also the most time-consuming. It can take hours to do just a few pages. Fourth, there are digitized scrapbooks which take digital photos of any size and arrange them to create bound books. No matter what you use, make sure all your products are acid-free.

Categorize your photos--Just like you categorize and separate your documents, do the same with your photos. Separate by event, family member, year, etc. Whatever works best for you.

Taking the time now to organize your photos and files will save you and your family hours of stress later.

March 12 is Genealogy Day

March 12 is Genealogy Day--Part 3

Organizing Family Photos--part 1

Along with documents you collect while conducting your research, you will amass a large amount of photos. These may come from online research, your own family, or relatives who are assisting in the search. Therefore, you must have a system in place to store your family photos. Here are some helpful tips.

Archival products--There are products made specifically for storing photos. They are acid-free to prevent fading and wear. This includes plastic pages, boxes and even markers and stickers for scrapbook use. They are available at retailers such as The Container Store and online companies like Creative Memories. Before using anything for photos, verify that it is archival and acid-free.
Plastic pocket pages--These come in a variety of sizes to fit all your photo needs. Older photos are different sizes, depending on their age, so you may need a variety of pocket pages. Place only one photo (or two back-to-back) in each pocket. These pages can be kept in binders.
Keep negatives separate--Never store your negatives with your photos. This will not only keep your photos safe, it will give you a back-up should something happen to the photos. Negatives should be stored in a cool, dark place with low humidity.

Part 2 next week--Organizing family photos, continued

March 12 is Genealogy Day

Part Two

How to Store Your Research

File Cabinets and File Folders--Place all papers in folders, then into a file box or filing cabinet. Use different colors for different categories. For example, if you sorted by surname, then each surname would have a different color folder or label.

Binders--Create a binder for each major category, then use dividers within the binders to separate further. For example, the surname "Jones" would have its own binder. Inside, create a tab for "England", "California" and "Pennsylvania." Or tabs for "David", "Martha", "Thomas" etc. If you don't want to damage any documents, place them in page protectors before filing. If you use page protectors, use extra deep tabs so they stick out past the page protectors.

Computer Discs, CDs, DVDs--You can create the same file structure on a computer as you can with folders. Scan your documents and save them in the appropriate folder. Label them as you would your folders. If you have both hard copies and electronic copies, use the exact same headings on the files so they match up.

Genealogy Software--Invest in a program such as Family Tree Maker, or use a free online service like Ancestry.com. It will take time to enter all the information, but you will be able to view and print family trees or pedigree information and share it with others.

You will probably find that a combination of these will be best. Some documents will scan well, some will not. And it's always good to keep backup copies of your files.

March 12 is Genealogy Day
Part One--Organizing Your Research

There has been a growing interest in researching ancestors to discover who we are and where we come from. Perhaps we are hoping for a link to someone famous, or a member of royalty. Perhaps we want to know our family health history. Or maybe you are adopted and want to research your biological family.

Whatever the reason, the internet provides a wonderful opportunity for performing this research. Years ago, any requests for birth certificates, death certificates or marriage records had to be done in writing. You also had to be very specific with your request, providing more than just a surname and approximate date.
 
Online databases make today's searches quick and easy. Sometimes with as little information as a surname and state, you can find a list of possible family members. Of course, the more common the name, the more results you'll have to weed through. If you are searching for "John Smith" who was born in Chicago sometime in the early 1900s, your results will be much lengthier than if you were searching the surname "Pulaski."
 
With this wealth of information also comes a wealth of papers. Once you find census records or a birth certificate online, you'll want to print it. Depending on the size of your family, you can end up with hundreds of pieces of paper. You will need to keep them organized in order to be able to reference them again. There is no one "right" way to organize your papers. It all depends on what you are comfortable with. Below are some suggestions for storing all your documenation.
 
Organizing Your Research

By Surname--Create a file for every surname that appears in your family tree.

By Couple or Family--Group papers together by family unit.  Every mother/father/offspring will have their own folder. If the offspring have families of their own, a new folder is created.

By Family Line--Group members by following a family line.  This may be a grandparent, or whatever level you decide. 

By Event--This method groups like documents together.  All birth records, death records, marriage certificates, wills, etc., would have their own folder. 

Once your papers are sorted into these large categories, you can further sort them into more detailed categories.
 
By Location--For each surname, further divide into city or state, or country of residence. 

By Record Type--Separate all birth certificates, for example, or military records.

By Individual--Perhaps you began with surname.  You can then create another interior file for each person with that surname.