3 Things That Need to Be Included in a Complete Family Tree
To build a complete family tree, and what would be the point of building an incomplete family tree?, these three things need to be included.
1.
Start with yourself, and remember that some day some of your descendants will be researching you, so record all the facts such as birth, baptism, marriage, schools attended, college graduations, the color of your skin, hair and eyes, height and other physical characteristics.
Also add any medical conditions you suffer from or you inherited from your family.
In order to put some flesh on those bones, include your happiest and saddest memories, the names of your best friends and why they were your best friends.
Add your hobbies, jobs held, hopes and dreams and any thing else you find interesting about yourself.
If you were a member of the armed forces, add that and record some of the experiences associated with that time of your life.
Record unusual experiences you have had and tell about your children.
Kids love to hear about how they looked, the things they did when they were little or the things their parents did when they were young.
2.
The next important thing to build a complete family tree is the names and facts pertaining to your ancestors.
It is especially important to research the right surnames of your ancestors.
If you live in the same town of your parents and grandparents, the records may be easily found.
However, if you have a common surname from another area, you could easily start tracing the wrong people.
There are thousands of family trees online.
Slowly research back one person at a time, but also record any facts you might find about a possible family member.
Some people write known facts in ink and doubtful results in pencil.
Keep track of the sources of these facts or you will get lost in paperwork.
If your ancestors immigrated to this country, find all the pertinent facts here before you start overseas.
Some countries have wonderful records available, but you will have to research how to find them.
Sometimes, you will have to travel to the country that your ancestors emigrated from, but do not do that until you have exhausted all the possible methods of finding them in this country.
Have all your facts about your family and the ones still to be found in a notebook or file cards.
All kinds of family sheets are available free on the internet.
3.
The third most important thing to remember to add to your family tree is documentation.
That is a pain and easily forgotten in the thrill of the chase after those pesky ancestors.
Document every source of facts or even hearsay.
Family tree software helps you to document this information when you have it downloaded to your computer.
Fellow genealogists are most helpful when you ask them questions.
There are several places on the web where you can post your family and ask for feedback.
Always remember to be courteous and doubt those unproven facts.
1.
Start with yourself, and remember that some day some of your descendants will be researching you, so record all the facts such as birth, baptism, marriage, schools attended, college graduations, the color of your skin, hair and eyes, height and other physical characteristics.
Also add any medical conditions you suffer from or you inherited from your family.
In order to put some flesh on those bones, include your happiest and saddest memories, the names of your best friends and why they were your best friends.
Add your hobbies, jobs held, hopes and dreams and any thing else you find interesting about yourself.
If you were a member of the armed forces, add that and record some of the experiences associated with that time of your life.
Record unusual experiences you have had and tell about your children.
Kids love to hear about how they looked, the things they did when they were little or the things their parents did when they were young.
2.
The next important thing to build a complete family tree is the names and facts pertaining to your ancestors.
It is especially important to research the right surnames of your ancestors.
If you live in the same town of your parents and grandparents, the records may be easily found.
However, if you have a common surname from another area, you could easily start tracing the wrong people.
There are thousands of family trees online.
Slowly research back one person at a time, but also record any facts you might find about a possible family member.
Some people write known facts in ink and doubtful results in pencil.
Keep track of the sources of these facts or you will get lost in paperwork.
If your ancestors immigrated to this country, find all the pertinent facts here before you start overseas.
Some countries have wonderful records available, but you will have to research how to find them.
Sometimes, you will have to travel to the country that your ancestors emigrated from, but do not do that until you have exhausted all the possible methods of finding them in this country.
Have all your facts about your family and the ones still to be found in a notebook or file cards.
All kinds of family sheets are available free on the internet.
3.
The third most important thing to remember to add to your family tree is documentation.
That is a pain and easily forgotten in the thrill of the chase after those pesky ancestors.
Document every source of facts or even hearsay.
Family tree software helps you to document this information when you have it downloaded to your computer.
Fellow genealogists are most helpful when you ask them questions.
There are several places on the web where you can post your family and ask for feedback.
Always remember to be courteous and doubt those unproven facts.
