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Gather
Information
Patience and determination are
keywords here. Undertaking a family history is compared to putting
together a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes hours or days may go by without
finding a piece that fits, but gradually bits of information from here
and there are pieced together to produce an overall picture of a family.
It is at this point that you'll really begin gathering together those
bits and pieces of your own family's puzzle.
Begin with papers at home. Search
for family records such as family Bibles, newspaper clippings,
obituaries, old letters, school and military certificates, scrap books,
diaries, baby books, wedding books, photo albums, birth, death, and
marriage certificates. In other words, look for names, dates, and places
on every item you can think of.
While you're doing all this
digging out and making a mess of your home doing it, please realize that
this paper hunt is going to provide you solid basis for future searching
and the details you uncover now will give clues on the dates and
localities in the lives of earlier generations.
Below is a list of household
places where you may find genealogical information. When you're looking
for information at home, you may find items that are dated, but don't
have years. For example, Thursday, March 8. This is especially true with
diaries, letters, and clippings found in scrapbooks. You can figure out
what the year is by using a perpetual calendar.
Autograph books
Bibles
Books (check for inscriptions in them)
Certificates (from schools or jobs)
Closet doors (look for writing on the inside)
Clothing and hats
Cookbooks
Diaries and day books
Family trees
Furniture (sometimes you'll find names and dates on the bottoms or backs
of furniture)
Photo albums
Important papers (wills, titles, and deeds)
Jewelry (such as pins, ID bracelets, charm bracelets, lockets, or
anything else that may have an inscription or indicate membership in an
organization)
Letters
Newspaper clippings
Pictures (don't forget to look at the backs)
Resumés
School papers (report cards can have parents' signatures)
Scrapbooks
Sewing samplers, quilts, and other handmade items
Trunks and chests
Yearbooks
"Home sources" are the things
that can be found right in your home or the homes of your parents,
aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. If you do a thorough job on this step, the
next steps will be much easier! The idea here is to contact every single
living relative you can find to see what they already know and what
documents they already have.
Below is a list of just what to
look for while scouring through those boxes, trunks, closets and
drawers:
A CHECKLIST OF
HOME SOURCES
PERSONAL
RECORDS
Journals/diaries
Letters
Photo albums
Personal experiences
Baby books
Wedding books
Scrap books
Funeral books
Guest books
School records |
LEGAL
PAPERS
Wills
Probate records
Other court records
Deeds
Other land records
Contracts
Bonds |
CITIZENSHIP RECORDS
Naturalization papers
Passports
Visas |
NEWSPAPER
CLIPPINGS
Announcements
Obituaries
Special Events
Vital statistics
Professional/trade |
CERTIFICATES
Birth
Marriage
Death
Divorce
Adoption
Baptism
Confirmation
Graduation
Achievement |
MILITARY
RECORDS
Service
Pension
Discharge
Selective Service
National Guard
Citations
Ribbons |
FAMILY
RECORDS
Bible
Genealogies
Family Traditions |
EMPLOYMENT RECORDS
Apprenticeship
Social Security
Pension
Union
Awards |
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wedding
Birth
Funeral
Graduation
Anniversary
Birthday
Engagement |
MISCELLANEOUS
Memberships
Financial records
Health records
Licenses
Coats of Arms |
FAMILY
PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER BELONGINGS
If Aunt Mable has your
great-grandmother's journal and a box of old cardboard photographs she's
willing to let you see, please don't presume that means she will GIVE
you those items. It simply means you can LOOK at them. To make sure you
don't come away empty-handed and risk those items being submerged in the
family where you'll never see them again, take a camera with you when
you visit. Take pictures of those photographs and items that others
won't let you have. Even if you just want to run down the street to have
a copy made most people will NOT let you leave with their original
pictures, diaries, letters, etc. Don't be upset about this. Just think
if it was some stranger coming to your door wanting to "borrow" your
treasured pictures for a few minutes. Would you? At least you'll have a
photograph of the item[s] and perhaps, one day, Aunt Mable will even
part with those memories and give them to you.
Utmost, be considerate of others
and their privacy, records and views. You are asking your relatives for
help. They don't owe you a thing - not even information. Treat your
relations with all the respect that you would also want. You will find
some have information, but are unwilling to share it with you. [The
usual reason is there is a skeleton hiding in the closet.] Try to find
out why they feel this way and do your best to set their minds at rest.
Especially in this phase of your
research, keep in mind the old adage, "You catch more flies with sugar
than with vinegar." That truism will carry you a long way toward
familial assistance.
Next:
Interviewing Relatives
Return to
For the Beginner
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