Download to read offline
Why Do I Geek Genealogy presentation 7.31.2012
- 1. Why Do I Geek Genealogy? CharityRouse July 31, 2012
- 2. Why research yourfamily tree?
- 3. What do youneed to start? • Names of parents & grandparents • Birth dates/places • Marriage date/place • Death date/place (if applicable) • Names of siblings & their relative ages • Places these people may have lived
- 4. Where do Ifind this information? • Ask family members what they know • Look at the family Bible or other documents • Listen to family stories • Look at family photographs
- 5. Have info, nowwhat? • What do you do with the information you get? • Decide how to record it – Paper forms – Computer software • Legacy (Free) • Family Tree Maker (pay) – Websites • Ancestry.com • RootsWeb.com
- 6. Starting Your Research PrintResources Digital Resources • Family Bible • Ancestry.com • Historical Society – Some features are free, others require subscriptions • Public Library (TSCPL has a LibraryEdition) • Newspapers • FamilySearch.org • HeritageQuest – Online census records. Can be accessed for free from the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library with your library card.
- 7. How do Isearch? Start with one family member for whom you know a name, a date (birth, marriage or death) and one location they lived
- 8. How do Ievaluate search results?
- 9. Look at theindex …
- 10. … and theimage
- 11. Types of Recordsto look for • Census • Vital Records • Obituaries & newspaper articles • Cemetery stones • City directories & phone books • Photos
- 12. More records … •Immigration • Court records • Land records
- 13. … and evenmore records • Military • School • Church • Business
- 14. I have lotsof information. Now what? • Organize your information – on paper or on-line • Find ways to pass it on – blog, write a book, make a scrapbook, send out a family newsletter, tell stories, etc.
- 15. I found theeasy stuff, what’s next? • Family History Library in Salt Lake City • Courthouses & micro-local resources • Classes & Conferences (Topeka Genealogical Society, Mid-West Genealogy Center, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research) • Hire an expert. Association of Professional Genealogists
- 16. Now Have Fun •This is only the tip of the iceberg. • Genealogy can be lots of fun and lots of work. • You might find evidence to support some family stories, or learn that others were just ‘tall tales’.
Editor's Notes
- #3 Why research your family tree? 1) to know where you come from 2) medical history/tree 3) family stories, are they true? 4) find the skeletons in the closet
- #6 There are many different kinds of paper forms, software programs, and genealogy-recording websites. You can find them by doing an internet search using those search words. You may need to try some of them out before finding the one that’s best for you.
- #7 Problem with print resources: You may not live where your family used to. Fees can be charged for having research done at a distance.Advantage to print resources: Not everything is digitized. You might find some hidden gems.Problem with digital resources: Some might be user-posted, and might not be reliable.Advantage to digital resources: Can be accessed remotely. Can be easier to locate that print items.
- #8 The more you know about a person (full name, life dates/places, relatives, etc.) the better chance you have of finding them. If they had multiple surnames (especially women) search each name. If they lived in multiple locations, search each location.Census Records are organized by head-of-household (males)
- #9 The first 2 entries are my great-grandmother, the third & fourth are not.