The
next step in researching your family tree is to find out what you already
know. Start with you and your siblings. Next, list your parents and
their siblings. And so on. Go back as far as you
can, and fill in any information that comes to mind; it doesn’t matter right
now whether all you can remember is a relative’s first name or even a
nickname. You’ll be filling in gaps later. And don’t worry about organizing it just yet;
we’ll be doing that after the brainstorming session.
After
you have finished writing the list, look it over. You may be surprised at
how much you already knew! It will also become clear pretty quickly which
branches you know the most about, and which ones need some investigation.
Step
Three: Get Organized
After
compiling the list of known ancestors, you should organize it so that additions
can be easily and quickly made. There
are many ways to do this, from notebook binders to computer software, but the
important thing is that you find a method that works for you. Many people purchase ancestry software, which
is readily available both online and in major computer retail stores. The benefit of these programs is that it
organizes the generations for you, and calculates relationships between
people. You won’t have to try to figure
out how many times removed one cousin is from another. The software also allows you to add
additional information about the people, such as occupations, places of
residence, religious affiliations, and other notes. The downside of using computer software
impacts people who do not have laptop computers; the file isn’t portable
without one, and you’ll have to print out any information you want to take with
you. Once you have entered a few hundred
relatives (which won’t take as long as you think!) you’ll have a lot to print
out.
A
more low-tech solution is to purchase a few notebooks and split your information
into logical divisions, such as by surname or by maternal or paternal lines. This will keep your information organized,
and allows for portability. The method
works equally well with manila folders, stored in a file cabinet.
Many
people use a combination of software and folders or notebooks for holding their
precious family data. For example, they
might store the ancestral information on a computer, but keep notebooks for
storing documents – such as birth, death, or marriage certificates – and
pictures.