Begin Your Genealogy Quest

Research Flow Chart


First step: What do you know?

 * 1) Gather family information from around the house and put into a box


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



Pick your own brain

 * 1) While gathering material download a Pedigree Chart
 * 2) Fill in Pedigree Chart with what you personally know


 * Get it here


 * 1) Made a "To Do List" of items that are missing on the Pedigree Chart
 * 2) Download a Family Group Sheet for each couple on Pedigree Chart
 * 3) Fill in each Family Group Sheet from personal knowledge
 * 4) Add to your "To Do List" of items missing from the Family Group Sheets
 * 5) 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

Second Step: Find out what family and friends know

 * 1) Take you "To Do List" to your family members and friends and ask if they can help you fill in the blank spaces.
 * 2) Make copies of various material that they might have such as the ones you gather in you box at home.


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



Third Step: The real research begins

 * 1) See Research Checklist for possible places to start looking in