A Simple “How To” of Genealogy The Bouquet of Family A Simple “How To” of Genealogy

Roots of the Past It helps Us to know Where our Families came From and the Hopes and dreams They possessed. We Can discover much From studying our Anscestry.

Creating a Family Bouquet Starting off you Might begin by Choosing the type of Family Tree Charts you would like to use. Look at the following Slides to see which one interests you.

Cute and Artistic: Great for Framing

Simple or Detailed

Clever or Exhaustive Use charts for research and then the artistist Trees for display, perhaps. It’s Your Own Choice.

Other Styles of Trees & Charts

Family Crest Pedigree Style Charts

Old Fashion Country

Stitched or Stenciled

Roots of the Past: Clever when Quilted

Cartoon Style

Very, very busy style or…

…or simple clean lines

Used as a Piece of Art

Genealogies have Significance Used throughout history To keep track of land ownership To show lineage to royalty…to show….

Who is actually next in line????

Very Important Information at Just one glance.

The Bible contains various geneologies To trace the nations To show the lineage of Jesus To give us insight to the perfect plan of the Lord St. Denis Cathedral, St. Denis, France. The stained glass depicts the Tree of Jesse (ancestors of Christ from Jesse onwards) in the Art Nouveau style.

How to Get Started Ask family members to see if they already have a Family Tree. If not you begin by writing your name and date of birth, then your parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Start asking family members questions. Find out how far back they recall different members of the family. Go through old photos together, identifying who is in them.

Where possible, add dates Birth dates Marriages Deaths

Talking to older family members. Ask about missing dates Ask about interesting family stories Take careful notes Use a tape recorder or video camera when possible.

Collect any Documents or Records Keep originals if possible Copy those that you have to share with other family members The point is to confirm each family connection Census Records Marriage & death certificates Wills Property records Religious papers School records Medical records

Location, location, location Find out where your family members lived Most documents are recorded by location

More Record Keeping Ship Passenger Records Naturalization Records Cemetaries School Annuals Newspaper Articles Military Records

Ask further questions like an interview. These more personal questions can help for a more interesting family album. Ancestry.com trees allow for stories and facts to be added to members of the family.

What is your full name. Why did your parents select this name for you What is your full name? Why did your parents select this name for you? Did you have a nickname? When and where were you born? How did your family come to live there? Were there other family members in the area? Who? What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones? Were there any special items in the house that you remember? What is your earliest childhood memory? Describe the personalities of your family members. What kind of games did you play growing up? What was your favorite toy and why? What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.)? Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite? Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it? What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High school? College? What school activities and sports did you participate in? Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes? Who were your childhood heroes? What were your favorite songs and music? Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names? What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend? Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper? Who were your friends when you were growing up? What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them personally affect your family?

More questions… Describe a typical family dinner. Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods? How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions? How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child? Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them? What do you know about your family surname? Is there a naming tradition in your family, such as always giving the firstborn son the name of his paternal grandfather? What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors? Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family? Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?

Other great questions Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family? Are there any special heirlooms, photos, bibles or other memorabilia that have been passed down in your family? What was the full name of your spouse? Siblings? Parents? When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates? What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen? How did you feel? Where and when did you get married? What memory stands out the most from your wedding day? How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them? What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage? How did you find out your were going to be a parent for the first time? Why did you choose your children's names? What was your proudest moment as a parent? What did your family enjoy doing together? What was your profession and how did you choose it? If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice? Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable? What accomplishments were you the most proud of? What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you

Sources for locations National Achieves and Records Administration Libraries Historical societies Religious institutions Internet websites http://cross-green-smith.org/family_tree_graphic.jpg Familyhistory.com Ancestry.com Familysearch.org

Let’s Get started….