Begin Your Genealogy Quest

How to start my genealogy

Gather family information from around the house and put into a box such as

 * Certificates - Birth, Marriage, and Death
 * Bibles
 * Letters
 * Photos
 * Diaries, Journals
 * Obituaries, Newspaper articles
 * Anything else that might contain family information

In addition you might consider what documents or information that other family members have that you can add to your box. If they do not want to part with them, make copies. You can use your smart phone or pads to take pictures of documents or photographs of ancestors in their possession.

*While gathering information begin filling out a Pedigree Chart

 * Get it here


 * Fill in Pedigree Chart with what you personally know


 * Made a "To Do List" of items that are missing on the Pedigree Chart. Be very detailed in stating your question: For example: Birth date of Grandpa Jones. Death date of Aunt Mabel, etc. Specific questions get specific answers and often bring up other details that have not been thought of in years. Be sure to have a note book or audio recorder to caught these remembrances.


 * Get a copy of a "To Do List here.
 * If you have computer know how consider putting your list in the "cloud" so that others can see where you are in your research and give you places to look if they do not know the answers themselves.


 * Download a Family Group Sheet for each couple on Pedigree Chart


 * Get it here


 * Fill in each Family Group Sheet from personal knowledge


 * Get it here


 * Add to your "To Do List" of items missing from the Family Group Sheets

What's in the box?

 * Go to box that you have been gather material from around the house and see if there is any thing might help you fill in the blank spaces on the Pedigree Chart and Family Group Sheet

Pick the brains of your family and friends

 * Take you "To Do List" to your family members and friends and ask if they can help you fill in the blank spaces.
 * Make copies of various material that they might have such as the ones you gather in you box at home if you have not already done so.


 * Gather photographs or copies of ancestors for your own use
 * Copy letters, Diaries, etc

The real research begins

 * See Research Checklist for possible places to start looking in



Additional Resources

 * Beginners_Grin_and_Dare_It
 * Tips_for_Beginners
 * Family_History_for_Beginners
 * Classes_-_Family_History_in_the_21st_Century
 * Family_Group_Record_Analysis:_How_to_Guess_Where_to_Start
 * Barn_Raising_on_FamilySearch_Wiki
 * How_to_Begin_a_Search_for_Your_Ancestor
 * Rookie_Mistakes
 * Introduction_to_Family_History
 * Overview_of_Family_History_Research_Procedures
 * Getting_Started/Intro
 * Begining_family_history_research
 * A_Guide_to_Research
 * Flummoxed_-_Early_Period
 * How_to_Guess_Where_to_Start
 * Family_History_for_the_Flummoxed