Newbie Tuesday: Learn from My Mistakes

When I was just starting out doing family history research, I flitted. I was a flitter. I duplicated a lot of effort. I didn't keep track of any of my sources. I made unfounded assumptions. I bounced from name to name and from search to search. You know that crazy blonde chick in the "Safety Dance" video? That's what I looked like doing genealogy.

Then, like a lot of folks who've had a conversion experience, I went gung-ho the opposite direction. I deleted everything off my hard drive and started over. I didn't even record my own name without making sure I had personally examined my birth certificate first.

To all beginners out there, allow me to quote my mother: "Do as I say, not as I do."

Prime Directive-- LIGHTEN UP!!! There are no Genealogy Police. If you're not having fun, what's the point?

I'm going to assume you know absolutely nothing and you are starting absolutely from scratch. I'm going to help you get started right and proceed in a reasonably orderly fashion. To my friends who are much, much more experienced and adept at Family History than I, please feel free to add any corrections or rebuttals in the comments below.

Before you begin your family history quest, you're going to need some tools.

1. Paper and pen--25 cents.
2. Some sort of dedicated Family History receptacle-like a 3-ring binder, banker's box, milk crate, section of filing cabinet.
3. Pedigree Chart--download one free here: http://familytreemagazine.com/upload/images/PDF/ancestor.pdf
4. Family Group Sheet download one free here: http://familytreemagazine.com/upload/images/PDF/familygroup.pdf
5. It is also extremely helpful to have some sort of genealogy software. There are lots of free and trial options available. Just Google "genealogy software" and you'll get loads of reviews and links to downloadables. My advice is to hold off on spending money. Try some freeware options first. http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/ or http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/ are great for PC. Mac users...good luck...I coughed up $99 for Reunions 9. There are some cheaper options. See item 1 above. Do not get stalled at this step. Remember the Prime Directive???
6. Your Christmas Card Address list.

OK? Good.

Now, starting with yourself as person 1 on the pedigree chart, fill in what you know and work backwards.

Parting thoughts on conventions: Females always get listed by their maiden names. To avoid confusion between dates like May 11th and November 5th, dates are listed like this: 11 May 1920 (four digit years please--centuries fly by).

Do you have your full name, birthdate, birthplace, and if applicable, marriage date and place down? Hooray! That's one generation done! Now go call your mother, she misses you.