Start a FAMILY TREE Project

Tips When Making a Family Tree
Written By: Mike Selvon

Family histories are entrenched with many secrets, mysteries and intriguing facts. You can trace your family's evolution from the Old World to the New. Where did your close ones work? How many children did they have? Were there any divorces or surname changes over the years? Which countries did your family members come from? Where are your relatives buried? What ailments or accidents did your relatives die from? A family tree makes a great gift for relatives and can help show how extended families are related. There are many things to learn when you look back into the past of your close ones.

To begin your family tree project, you should start with what you know for sure. Write out a rough draft with names, genders, birthdates, birthplaces, death dates, burial plots, medical history, occupation, years married, children, etc. Call your nearest relatives or set a date to meet with them to branch out even further. Ask grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and great-uncles to name as many people as they can.

If you know where your grandparents were married, go to that church and find out where their marriage certificates are kept. From there, you can see the names of the bride and groom's parents, which will then lead you to where they got married and where their parents are from. You can find additional clues at gravestones and at local libraries.

Next, you may want to visit a family tree making website to list the information you've gathered about your close ones. At Rootsweb, you can look up members of the close ones for less than $1 to learn names, addresses, birth/death dates, average incomes and home values. You can also submit your completed legacy family tree to the WorldConnect Project, as well as to Tribalpages, which lets you add photos, publish stories and invite other family members to see the family tree charts and records you've created. The best part is that it's free to register.

Filling in the gaps of a family tree can be frustrating, which is why many people opt to pay a genealogist to dig up this information for them. Before you hire a local professional, be sure you have assembled as much information as possible. Don't be lazy. The more you provide initially, the more accurate information you'll receive. To find genealogists who could help you with your tree, check your local genealogical society or try Genealogypro, which provides lists of qualified professionals in your area.



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