How to Begin in Genealogy

** Speech given at Toastmasters.**

Many years ago one of my maternal uncles began tracing his genealogy.  At one point, his endeavors involved travelling to places where various people in the family lived seeking how they invested in their particular community.  This prompted a desire to know who my family was.  Growing up, I would hear my father tell stories of different family members, what they accomplished in life, and certain family members’ notoriety, the proverbial skeletons in the closet.  So when I discovered Saturday, March 12, 2016 was National Genealogy Day, I resolved to finally get down to brass tacks in researching my family tree.  My efforts up to this point were rather lackluster and downright pathetic.  I often would tell people I was a genealogical artisan, but honestly I hadn’t done much in regard to piecing together my family tree.  The purpose of the next few minutes is to provide a How to… on getting started in one’s genealogical pursuit.

                First, start with yourself.  There isn’t any better way to begin than with the one living witness you have…you!  From the very beginning I learned one important truth, take nothing for granted or assume anything.  So begin by asking, “Who are my parents and siblings?”  Also, ask other living relatives what they remember in regard to family.  Set up this time with family members as an interview process.  With their permission, digitally record the conversation.  This will make an easier job of transcribing the question and answer time.  Focus not only on the perceived fact of what is related, but also note the bias that colors the story.  This may provide an innate sense there is more to the story than what is getting shared in the moment.  The wealth of information someone has is to be gleaned for the mere asking.  This leads to a delicate point.  Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions.  Certainly don’t be nosey or act insensitively to those who are offering their time for your project.  Once the interview is over, you can research the dialogue to confirm, deny, or elaborate on the information; however, don’t wait too long as you will want what you have remaining fresh in your mind.

                Second, scour documents and pictures for any nugget of information they offer and document immediately.  This stage of the process involves lots of detail.  Segment any and all information according to subject matter.  For example, my computer contains folders of Word Documents on each subject, such as: my father, his employment with Kimberly Clark, the time my grandparents lived in Chicago, and etc.  As with anything, conflicting information will always arise.  Notate accordingly for later research and move on.  Cemeteries are also rich with information.  One word of caution, not everyone with the same last name is kin, but it doesn’t hurt to jot down the headstone information, especially if more than one last name appears in a family plot.  The more information found, the more research is called for at a future time.  Yes, the fun never ends as a genealogical practitioner will feel overwhelmed by information.  As the old proverb states, “How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.”  Keep chipping away at what you find.  Eventually everything will get sorted and processed.  Slowly but surely the dots will get connected, all the information will fall in to place, and the overall picture will come in to focus.

                Finally, utilize resources such as the Federal and county archives, the genealogical section in libraries, and websites such as Ancestry (www.ancestry.com).  Begin with birth and death certificates, marriage and adoption notices, and census records.  All these will confirm, refute, or give clarity to the information gleaned from others.  These resources may also add much to your research with information you may not have known to ask or look for.  Some of the discoveries may surprise you.  As you sort through documents at these facilities, make a comparison with what you have on hand.  If there is conflicting information, as sometimes will be the case, make an intelligent decision as to which you think is more accurate.  If nothing else, write down the conflicting information until further clarity is available.  Obtaining more than one source will also help in assessing which information is more likely to be true.

In conclusion, I do offer advice on mistakes to avoid.  Don’t get caught off-guard in not knowing where you placed that one particular document, picture, or whatever it may be you are looking for.  Organization and detail are the essentials in making your time on this project a success.  Also, don’t rely on printed histories handed down from other people researching the same subject matter as you.  Always head to primary sources such as land, probate, church, and county records.  In addition, don’t miss out by not paying attention to clues your ancestors may have left.  Knowing the history of the area in which you are conducting research will help tremendously.  Common sense also prevails in this project.  Make photocopies and always back up the information on a flash drive or external hard drive.  Lastly, don’t ever give up.