Genealogy Basics What is Genealogy? What are the Basic Tools?
What are the Basic Strategies? How to Get Started Taking Oral
Family History Recommended Books Genealogy Software Family Roots
Good Genealogy Websites
What is Genealogy? A Collection; of the names, dates, places,
and facts of your family A Treasure Hunt; where discovery of buried
facts brings excitement A Jigsaw Puzzle; the compete picture is
visible only when all the pieces fit A Trial; where rules of
evidence and proving facts is necessary
Two Planes of Focus Vertical Your direct lines of descent
Genealogy Forms: Pedigree or Ancestral Chart Horizontal Your
Familys stories Family (Oral) History Forms: Family Group
Sheet
Basic Tools forGenealogyOrganizers: 3-Ring Binders or File
Folders 3-Hole Punched Lined Filler Paper (for notes) Standard
Genealogy Forms Pens, Pencils & Highlighters
Optional Tools Plastic photo sheets (for preservation) Archival
paper (doesnt deteriorate) Computer (laptop for portability)
Internet access (genealogy websites) Genealogy software (keeps
everything in one place) Digital recorder (for interviews)
Basic Strategies Progress From the Known to the Unknown From
the current generation to the past Search Wide and Deep List
everyone from current generation first Most important if you know
little about your past Gather documents to verify all facts Names,
places, dates, relationships List the source of the information
Prove identity before assigning lineage Facts about the person
before making connections to others
Getting Started List Spouses/partners and Children Collect
names and birth information Include marriage information, if any
Include divorce information, if any Include death information, if
any a. Date, location, cemetery, cause6. Record in sequential order
on a Family Group Sheet
Data Conventions Last names in CAPITALS Include full middle
name HALL, William Robert or William Robert HALL Dates as
dd/mm/yyyy 13 APR 2012 Places as city or twp., county, state,
country Omaha, Douglas, NE, USA
NOTICE! Genealogy forms are built on the traditional 2 parent
family model Forms assume marriage Only recently do some forms
include divorce Treat Single partners as a marriage Multiple
partners as multiple marriages Treat the child relationships
carefully Ancestry.com has help with adoptive children
Family Group Sheet
Getting Started - 2 Next gather data for your Parents and
Siblings Collect birth, death, marriage, divorce info Fill in a
Family Group Sheet Third is Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts Fill in
a Family Group Sheet Include as much information as you know Fill
out an Ancestral Chart Start with yourself on the far left
position
Ancestral Chart Grampa My Dad Gramma ME PapaMy Wife My Mom
Nana
Research Forms
Family History Begin recalling and recording things about
yourself Write an autobiography Interview your parents and older
relatives Look at artifacts in photo albums and storage areas
Organize data into genealogy charts and bloodlines, and group
people in family units
Oral Histories Gather stories not just facts Use a digital
recorder to gather interviews Get to the oldest living relative
SOON! Pre-plan your questions Photos help subjects recall memories
Allow your subject to digress
Oral History Books Brown, C. S. Like it was: a complete guide
to writing oral history. 808.0669 B877. (1988) Fletcher, W. P.
Recording your family history: a guide to preserving oral history .
. . 929.1 Fletcher (1989) Green, B. To our childrens children:
preserving family histories for generations to come. 920.002 (1993)
Hart, C. Tell me your story: the oral history workshop. 907.2 Hart.
(2009)
Oral History Websites How to Interview a Relative
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/ht/interview.htm Fifty
questions for Family History Interviews
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm
Genealogy Software Family Tree Maker (Windows & Mac)
Reunion (Mac) iFamily (Mac) Standard genealogy file format: gedcom
.ged Online family tree site: MyHeritage.com
Genealogy Websites Ancestry.com (OPL) Heritage Quest (OPL) OPL
genealogy study guide Greater Omaha Genealogy Society Douglas
County Historical Society Rootsweb/GenWeb Cyndis List
Next Genealogy Class at SaddlebrookExploring Genealogy
OnlineSaturday, June 16 @ Noon
Genealogy Basics - Review Genealogy vs. Family History Basic
Genealogy Tools Basic Research Strategies How to fill out basic
genealogy forms How to conduct an Oral History interview Some good
genealogy websites