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Papers: I
suggest that you get a 3-ring binder with tabbed dividers to hold documents that
you find. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but you can add binders when one is no
longer adequate. If you are like me, you may have to graduate to file cabinets
later.
Software: You really must have some sort of electronic filing system as well.
There are a number of good software packages out there at very competitive
prices and some for free. There are good choices for both Macintosh and PC type
computers. Just be sure that the software you pick includes these features . . .
Ability to import gedcom files. Gedcom is a standard format used by all
genealogy programs and you can tell one of these files by the .ged extension
associated with the file. If you get lucky and find a relative who has already
done the work, you will want to import their data into your computer. For that
reason, your software must be able to handle it.
Footnoting: Even if you are only moderately successful, there will be a
few hundred people in your family. Each of them will have multiple events that
happened during their lifetime – birth, marriage, graduation, death, burial,
etc. As a result, you will gather thousands of bits of information and it is
impossible to remember where you got the information without the ability to add
footnotes. These will tell you where you got the information, when you got it,
and how reliable it is.
Media features: While names, dates and places can be plenty satisfying,
there is nothing like a photograph, recording, or movie to make your relatives
come alive. Your software should allow you to save that type of information
right along with the other information. This seems like an optional feature, but
you will be glad that you have it later.
Internet Publishing: Not everyone wants to put their information on the
Internet, but this is a really good way to share your family with the world and
find relatives that you never would have found otherwise. Nearly all software
programs include the ability to filter out living people so that you can publish
with no worries of identity theft or other security issues.
Write down everything you know about your family or enter that
information into your new software. Start with yourself; then your parents,
siblings, spouse, and children. Initially, you want to record names, places, and
dates of births, marriages, deaths and other events that you know about each
person.
Talk to your family members to confirm and correct your information. Find
out if they have documentation of the events that you have recorded like birth
certificates, marriage licenses, church records, photographs or an old family
Bible. Ask if they know someone in your family who keeps the historical
documents or who has done a family history. Find out the basic information about
their family – names, dates, and locations of events. If there are photos
without names, dates and locations written on them – take some time to do this
now. Buy an acid-free pen from just about any local store for this task. This is
also a great time to record interesting stories about your family – either with
a tape recorder or movie recorder. Notes are fine too if that is all you have
available. Update the information in your software and footnote everything you
enter – even if the source is ‘Interview with aunt Agnes Boudreau 25 Aug 2005’ –
you must know later who told you that so that you can evaluate the value of the
information you have.
Search the Internet: Initially you will want to try to find someone who
has already done the work. One of the best places to get started is a site owned
by the Mormon Church. Don’t be put off if you are not a member of that church.
Family history is an important part of their belief system and the data that
they collect is available to anyone. Point your browser to
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp and enter the
information that you know about your family; click search to see if they have
any information about your family. Some of this information is public record
information which is usually true and some of it is provided by members of the
church which may or may not be true. Use this information as a guide so that you
will know the names, places, and dates to do more research...
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About the author:
By Gene
Hall
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