Getting Started: First Things First

By Beverly Truesdale

Welcome, to all you new beginners. You are embarking on a journey that will last a lifetime. As a volunteer and the teacher of the Beginner's Class here at SCGS, I get asked "How do I get started tracing my family tree?" In this new series, I hope to get you started on tracing your family history.

The first thing you need to do is write down all the information that you have on your family, starting with yourself. Then contact all living relatives and find out what they may have on the family. Ask about a Bible, obituaries, funeral cards, old letters, and any old pictures. Also, check to see if there are any birth or death certificates on the family.

All this information you will transfer onto a pedigree chart or ancestor chart and family group sheets. On a pedigree chart there will be room for recording either three or four generations.

On line 1, you put your own name, birthdate, place of birth, marriage date, and place of marriage.

On line 2, you will put your father's name and birth, marriage and death dates (if deceased).

On line 3, you will put your mother's name, birth date, etc.

On lines 4 and 5 you will put your father's parents and on lines 6 and 7, you will put your mother's parents.

On a pedigree chart, the men will always be the even numbers and the women will be the odd numbers. You should always use the woman's maiden name on the chart.

On a family group sheet, you will list a set of parents and all their children and their information. On a family group sheet, you have room to list occupations, church affiliation, military records, and other spouses. You will need a family group sheet for each family unit -- your parents, your grandparents, and so on. You will also need a family group sheet for any married siblings.

It is always best to start with yourself and work backward toward earlier generations. Try not to jump around in your search. Work on one family at a time.

The SCGS Library has packets of pedigree and family group sheet forms available for a minimum cost.

The gold rule of genealogy is: Work from what you know to what you don't know.

© Beverly Truesdale. Used with permission.