How To Get StartedHow To Get Started

Presented By: Doris Ashley

Develop a PlanGather info from familyLook for a published historyDocument your sourcesForms & OrganizingComputer program or paper only

Overview

Start by deciding just what type of genealogy you want

Family tree - the male line of your ancestors Extended Family Tree - all descendants of

some earliest known male line ancestors Ancestry Chart - as many as possible of

direct ancestors thru male & female lines

Developing a Plan

Record interviews on videotape or audiotape

Make copies of birth and marriage certificates as well as letters, journals, photos, military papers, pedigrees in family bibles, pictures and other family records

Work backwards

Gather Info From Family

Primary – Record created at the time of, or shortly after an event by someone with personal knowledge of facts, or testimony of a person involved in the event

Secondary - Material copied or complied from other sources or written at a later date from memory

Sources

Usually published Genealogies & family histories (Genealogies

in the Library of Congress) Local histories Periodicals (NY Genealogical & Biographical

Record) Newspapers Manuscript collections (State libraries)

Secondary Sources

Specific accepted method for Citations (Ex.Paul I Van Valkenburg, The Van Valkenburg Family in America (Baltimore Gateway Press, Inc.1981):245

Copy the title page and write the page on it Also note the place you found the book

(called the repository)

Document your Sources

Pedigree worksheet, family worksheet, abstract of will, cemetery transcription, correspondence logs, census sheets, etc.

Folders, one for a couple and one for a family (like Ashley)

Others as desired (Military, Cemeteries, certain counties)

Forms and Organizing

Census records Vital records Probate Court State & Federal land records Military records Immigration records

Primary Sources

Social Security Death Index

Rootsweb's World Connect Project

Family Search

Ellis Island Database

Castle Garden Database

Ancestry

Google

The Internet

Cyndi's ListUSGenweb ProjectTown to CountyVital RecordsMilitary Records

The Internet