Interested in learning more about your family tree? The library has some great genealogy tools, but your database searches will be even more successful if you do a little homework first.
That’s especially true if you have a common last name. If you search for a grandfather named “John Smith” on Ancestry Library Edition, you’ll get millions of results. That’s way too many to sift through!
But if you can add information like John Smith’s estimated birth year, a place he may have lived, or a spouse’s name, you’ll have a much better chance of finding him in the search results.
If you’re getting together with family for the holidays, take some time to gather the basic information that will help build a strong foundation for your research.
Start with Yourself
With genealogy, you should always start with what you know and work backwards through time. That means the first person on your family tree should be yourself.
Write down everything you know about yourself, such as:
- Your birthday
- Where you were born
- Any marriage date(s) and spouse name(s)
- Details about any military service
- Anything else you’d like future generations to know about you
Ancestry has some free charts and forms that can help you keep track as you start to add family members to your tree.
Look for Family Records
Documents such as birth certificates, wedding announcements, military service records, and even family Bibles can help you research your genealogy. These records often list the dates, names, and places you need to fill in your family tree.
For example, a marriage certificate sometimes lists the names of the bride and groom’s parents. In addition to death dates, obituaries often include the names of surviving family members, birth dates, and even details about jobs and hobbies.
If you’re visiting family members for the holidays, ask if they have any records stored away somewhere. Be sure to make a copy or take a photo of any of the documents you find.
If you’re staying home, a long weekend might be a good time to rummage through your own drawers and filing cabinets.
Interview Your Family Members
Your relatives—especially those older than you—are one of the most important resources you have in your research. Not only can they help fill in information gaps, they can also help you learn more about your family members’ lives.
Your interview doesn’t have to be formal, but it is a good idea to plan out your questions in advance. For some ideas, check out ThoughtCo.’s article, “50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History.”
And Family Tree Magazine offers some tips in their article, “How to Plan and Host a Successful Family History Interview.”
If you have a lot of questions, break up your interview into a few different sessions. You don’t want to tire anyone out.
It’s also a good idea to record your interview. You don’t need any special equipment to do so. The voice memo app on your phone will work just fine. You could even take a video if the person you’re interviewing feels comfortable with that.
What’s Next?
Once you’ve gathered some good background information, you’ll have more luck searching our genealogy databases. Look for more information about our family history resources in the weeks to come.