Filling in Your Blank Family Tree: Part 2
Filling in Your Blank Family Tree (Part II)
We all want to know where we come from and who are ancestors
were. But many of us have yet to get past staring at a blank
family tree. How can we fill in the blanks? How can we
become connected to our ancestors? As you begin your fami
ly tree search, the answers to these pressing questions will
become clearer. Whether you're working with a four generation
pedigree chart or a more artistic family tree drawing,
information is key to your search. In the first article in this
series, we started at the beginning and worked backwards, and
learned a little about organization. In the second article,
we'll push even further backward in time and learn more about
our ancestors.
Going Further Back on Your Blank Family Tree
If you have a trustworthy memory or reliable information on
ancestors further back than you have room on your chart, you may
need another blank family tree or pedigree chart. Underneath
each great-grandparent's name, note which chart their
information continues on.
For example, you might know the names of the parents of your
great-grandfather. On a standard four-generation pedigree chart,
there is no space for them. With another blank family tree, you
can fill in this information. On your original chart, under that
great-grandfather, indicate that his line continues on chart
number 2. Label the second chart "Chart No. 2" in the upper
right hand corner. At the upper left, indicate that the first
person on this chart is the same as the great-grandfather on
chart number 1. Put your great-grandfather's name as person #1
on the new chart to continue filling in his ancestry.
Tips:
Keep your charts in an easy-to-follow order as much as possible.
You can decide whether you'd prefer to keep all fourth through
seventh generation charts together or arrange your charts by
ancestor or line.
To record non-lineal ancestors (i.e. siblings of your direct
ancestors), use a Family Group Record. With this record, arrange
children in birth order. On the back of the chart, there is a
space for recording your sources. This is extremely important
for future reference. Even if the source is your own memory,
indicate it on this record. This is especially important when
you find information that contradicts previous sources.
Above and Beyond Your Blank Family Tree: Family
History
Recording names and dates is only the beginning of your family
history search. Simply having collected names, whether you have
30 or 30,000, will not give you a sense of your family history.
Once you have names and dates, deeper genealogical detective
work can begin.
Imagine if your great-great-grandchildren collected your birth
certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate and decided
they knew you. They had the dates and documents of the big
events of your life and determined that was all there was to
know about you. Would you agree? Or would you want your children
to look harder, to find everything they could?
Your ancestors would probably answer the last question with a
resounding, "Yes!" Our lives are more than the few legal
documents that record select events. There are innumerable
resources available to reveal aspects of our ancestors' lives to
us. In addition to other government records, like immigration,
military and probate
records, you can find out more about your ancestors through
photographs, letters and correspondence, and newspaper articles,
to name only a few good sources.
Tips:
Genealogical research, whether in the initial stages of finding
names and dates or in the later stages of filling in their
lives, is very time-consuming. In our busy society, you might
consider using a professional genealogical research service to
assist or complete your search.
In addition to relieving your time crunch, the advantages of
using a professional service include in-depth expertise and
expert-level access. Some records in genealogical research are
difficult to acquire, read or interpret. To ensure that you get
all the useful information out of a resource requires
specialized training, which professional genealogists already
possess. Access to these and many other resources may be limited
by time or geographical constraints. Some research facilities
have stringent rules about access, requiring specialized
training or accreditation as a researcher. A professional
genealogy service can easily overcome all of these obstacles,
allowing you to become acquainted with your ancestors more
quickly and easily.
Researching your family history takes time and money no matter
how you choose to do it. However, the rewards of knowing where
you come from and what your ancestors have given you are
priceless. Begin filling in your blank family tree today!