Research: Getting to the Root of Your Family Tree

The Root of Your Family Tree: You!

It's not too hard to begin your search for the roots of your family tree. Just look in the mirror! The first step toward building your tree is to start with yourself and move backwards. You can use a regular notebook to document your information or use a software program that will help you keep everything sorted out.

Next, you will want to find as much information as possible about each of the members of your family. The basic pieces of information you need are the date and place of birth, wedding date, spouse name and date and place of death. These bits of information will allow you to work further towards getting the information you need. If you don't have all the information, you will be able to do research to find it later. 

Begin to write down your family tree. Start with who you know and work backwards in time. Don't worry if you have blank spaces – that's what researching your family tree is all about. Later you can conduct research for your family tree to fill in the missing information. 

There are many places to research your family tree. Start with your current family members. Interview your family members to gather as much information as possible. Sometimes family stores that have been passed down may hold clues to important information about your family tree. Document the information so that you can go back to it later. Another family resource is the family bible. The bible is the place where past generations recorded life events such as births, deaths and marriages. Someone in your family may also have records like birth or death certificates and marriage certificates. 

Besides the family there are other places you can go to research your family tree. With access to the Internet, you won't even need to leave home. Some resources on the Internet have free access. Other websites that specialize in genealogy require a subscription. You can access many public records for free. However, the further you go back, the fewer records you are likely to find. You can use birth records, death records, marriage records and even the census records to find information that is useful. 

As you find information, be sure to properly document it. You don't want to have to go back to find information again. Some web sites allow you to post the information online. Other software is available for your computer that will help you record and format the information as you find it. Always keep a backup of information outside your computer in case your computer malfunctions. Keep all your printed information in a binder so that you can easily add to it when you need to. Researching your family tree can be a hobby that you can continue to work on when you have time. It's also a fun project to get the kids interested in so they will learn about their heritage.