XP's Ancestors: the FamilyTwigs story

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 0 people | Log in to rate

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Why is XP a bit off?

Are you thinking by now that just maybe my family tree doesn't branch? I have proof.

My genealogy hobbyist mom has found my line all the way back to 1785, in fact.

This is my great-grandma Dora. Doesn't she look happy?

Genealogy 

It's a family thing.

Back in the 1990's when I had a little more time on my hands, I was way into researching my family tree. My mother had gotten into it after going back a few generations looking to see if there had been other twins in our family history, after my oldest sister had twins in 1991.

Regrettably, I haven't devoted much time to following through on dead ends we discovered, and one of the dangers of putting off your ancestry research, is that some of your best sources of information get older and older and might die before you have the chance to sit down and talk with them about the GREAT stories they have to share about the past, their childhood and memories that were never recorded.

Family Tree Maker v. 16 

(Don't get FTM 2008, trust me.)

The best software program available for genealogy. Period.
Family Tree Maker Version 16 Collector's Edition

Family Tree Maker Version 16 Collector's Edition

Amazon Price: (as of 12/03/2009)Buy Now

Don't go for the newer version, FTM 2008. The program interface was redesigned by people who don't know genealogy, and lost important features that many users are familiar with and used the most. Version 16 will do you good until FTM listens to the outrage over the latest version and comes out with a new one that fixes the flaws. If you don't believe me, read the reviews on Amazon. :)

"Grandparents, those kids ARE listening. Tell them about your youth; what your family was like."

Getting started. 

Interview family.

Your parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and their long-time friends are really good sources of starting information. As you dig deeper, you'll want to find accurate sources to document the dates and places that are recalled, as some of them are recounted inaccurately. You'll also find errors in the documentation, which is another good reason to use both living witnesses testimony as well as the printed memorabilia.

Collect resources.

Find and keep copies of as many old newspaper clippings, family photos, birth announcements, wedding invitations, obituaries, and anything else that gives names and dates. You'd be surprised how many hidden gems are included in older regional newspapers, when the news of the day was often little more than gossip about the residents of the area, who was coming and going, visiting and celebrating.

Visit my Family Twigs pages 

So because I have to have things organized or I go quite mad, I've created another Squidoo account for myself.

Dad, you should be ON the bike

Think outside the census.

My dad was an avid bike rider, completing many long tours. The local area cyclist's newsletter may include details of trips he's completed, miles he rode per year, and maybe even photos. I should research the archives of the years he was active in the bicycle club.

My Family Tree is missing branches 

featured lens FamilyTwigs: Where Ancestry and SquidWho come together!

This is a page about my grandparents, and other ancestors discovered through genealogy research. If you are interested in tracing your ancestry and using family tree maker software or online services, please check out the rest of this lens! (Also s...

Hug a librarian. 

In our area, the Library of Michigan is the place to go for serious genealogy research. Plan to spend hours at a time there, because once you start finding information, you won't want to leave.

Using the internets. 

There are many resources available on the Web.

I love the Ancestry.com online family tree service. It is free, but I think that the annual U.S. membership is totally worth it. There is so much information on my ancestors already out there, and I can add it to my tree with just a couple of clicks!

You'll find screenshots from my online tree on this lens.

http://www.onegreatfamily.com

Is it for you? 

Spending hours and hours in the library, trying to shush your excited yelps of delight when you find new information, driving to the middle of nowhere to take photos of ancient stones in cemetaries, planning a visit to the local research sites into your family vacations -- sound like fun, or something for someone else to wast... er, um, enjoy their time doing?

Genealogy:

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Sounds exciting!

Sounds *yawn* boring.

 

by FamilyTwigs

I packed my virtual bags and moved.
Visit my lenses at the Squid Princess group:
http://www.squidoo.com/groups/squidprincess (more)

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