Beginning Research ORGANIZING FAMILY HISTORY By Barry Tripp
FAMILY HISTORY Overview GETTING STARTED Where to get help Create a familysearch.org account GATHERING INFORMATION FROM HOME Sources RECORD WHAT YOU KNOW Forms Guidelines for record keeping GATHERING INFORMATION FROM FAMILY GATHERING INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC RECORDS ORGANIZE WHAT YOU FIND THE RESEARCH PROCESS
LET S GET STARTED
GETTING STARTED Where to get help Family History Centers L.A. Family History Library Family History Volunteers/Consultants Register on familysearch.org Visit Get Help menu in familysearch.org Phone a Missionary Videos Wiki
Local Family History Centers
Los Angeles Family History Library Power point presentations are on line at lafhl.org
Family History Volunteers
Books My Family familysearch.org Member s Guide - lds.org
Set Up a FamilySearch Account Create an Account
membership Create an Account
To Finalize Your Account Open the e-mail from familysearch.org Follow the instructions to click on the link to complete your registration A second e-mail will verify that your registration has been completed
Your Settings Your Email Address 321-555-4859 1234 Main Street Anywhere, USA
FamilySearch Help (Top Right-Hand Corner on Every Page)
Visit Get Help - familysearch.org 1-866-406-1830
5-Minute Beginning Genealogy Courses
Five Minute Lessons to Start Your Family History
Printed instructions Videos Length of video Date updated
Getting Started
Search by Place or Topic Wiki LDS Churches encyclopedia for Family History work 80,719 Articles Search by place Search by topics Research procedures Geographic regions Libraries & websites Research aids Organizations & ethnic groups Find forms & Maps How to information Much more
Place Search
GATHERING INFORMATION FROM HOME
What Should I Gather? Include any item that may contain: Names, dates, and places of events Such As: Journals, certificates, family histories Newspaper articles, obituaries Legal papers, documents Photos, awards, jewelry Funeral programs, wedding announcements, etc. Anything that will give you information about your family Your initial collection, does not need to be analyzed at this time. They will be sorted and analyzed later.
Gather Documents
Include Photos Important part of your family s history Add them to FamilySearch Label and date pictures Describe them if you can
Include the Memorabilia
Include the Stories
You can add stories to FamilySearch
Sources
What Are Sources? Why Do We Need them? Documents provide evidence a person lived Sources verify, names, dates of events, and family relationships They protect correct information They lead you to find additional family members and extend your family tree
Two Kinds of Sources Primary Source Secondary Source
Evaluate Sources A PRIMARY SOURCE Document containing a name, date and place of a vital event recorded at or near the time of the event by someone who knows Look for documents like birth, marriage, and death certificates; family bibles, church and hospital records, birth and wedding announcements, funeral programs, family registers and journals Analyze the information
Evaluate Sources A SECONDARY SOURCE Document generated other than time of event Contains valuable information to guide your research Look for letters, newspaper articles, journals, family histories Census, military, probate, land records Naturalization records, passports Photographs, membership papers, jewelry, needlework, etc.
Record What You Know Forms to Help You
THREE FORMS TO RECORD GATHERED INFORMATION Pedigree Chart Family Group Sheet Research Logs Other forms on Wiki Begin with yourself and move back in time
Joseph Delos Mecham Tony Carl Mecham Samuel Craig Mecham Vella Stella Hansen PEDIGREE CHART Begin with yourself Then record what you remember about your parents, your grandparents etc. Ron Oswald LuRose Oswald Dawn Loveland
Joseph Delos Mechm Chesterfield, Caribou, Idaho, United States 14 March 1905 FAMILY GROUP 14 June 1934 Logan, Cache, Utah, United States William SHEET Record what you Sarah Elizabeth remember about Vella Stella each set of parents Murray, Salt Lake, Utah, United States and their children 2 March 1914 Antone Vernstine Stela Hansen Butler Mechm Vernon Delos 14 October 1935 Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, United States 17 October 1935 Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, United States
Research Log Research Log Should Record: Searches you make Date of search WHERE and HOW you found information Results of search (especially when nothing is found)
Two Great Places to Get Forms www.ancestry.com/download/charts FamilySearch Wiki In familysearch.org go to Search top of page Drop-down menu to Wiki Search for research forms Scroll down the page to print: Pedigree Charts Family Group sheets Research Logs Other Forms
www.ancestry.com/download/chart
Guidelines for Record Keeping Names Record a name as complete as possible (maiden names for women) Gender Male or Female Relationships Record as much as possible about family members Include spouse, parents, children, siblings Dates Dates are recorded Day, month, year (9 September 1873) Approximate Date You may enter before, after, or about You may estimate from other information (2 years old in census record in 1920 = about 1918)
Guidelines Continued Unknown dates Do not make up dates You may leave fields blank Places Record as much of the name as possible Start with smallest unit first ie: city, county, state, country Examples: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States Maugerad, Floesber, Buskerud, Norway Include name of country whenever possible Put a comma and space between levels of the name Do not abbreviate, FamilySearch will help if you don t know the spelling
CONTACT REL GATHERING INFORMATION FROM FAMILY
CONTACT RELATIVES Relatives can share family stories and help you find valuable information
Contact Family - You May Learn: Relatives may remember and have information you aren t aware of. Their stories will also jog your own memory. Names of Relatives Dates of Important Events: Births, Marriages, Deaths Places of Worship, Religion Family Stories Names of Others working on Family History Location of a Family Bible or other collection of Family History
Interviewing Family Members Contact Family Members Explain who you are, what you hope to accomplish Gathering stories, documents, photos etc. Give relatives time to find documents, photos etc. Prepare for interview Write down open-ended questions Gather your information family group sheets, pedigree chart (They may be able to fill in some of the blanks ) Bring tools to record interview Conducting the interview Bring photos you want identified Ask if you might copy their records, certificates, photographs etc. Ask for new information to add to your family group sheets or pedigree chart Use their information to update what you have
Remember Take careful notes Ask for copies of documents If appropriate, ask for a recorded interview Be kind; follow up with a thank you letter or gift Offer them a copy of your interview
Gathering Information From Public Records
Gathering Information From Public Sources Vital Records Dates and places of births, deaths, marriages Found in Government offices and churches Census Records Names, ages, relationships, birthplaces, & occupations On internet Immigration Records Names, birthplaces, dates of arrival On Internet Newspapers Articles Obituaries birthplace, birth date, family members, religion, burial Church Records Births, marriages and death records before governments kept them Cemetery & Sexton Records Birth & death dates, age at death, spouse, children, maiden names, insignia on tombstone
Where Can I Search? Appendix C In Members Guide to Family History and Temple Work At lds.org
Organize What You Find
Organizing Your Family History Successful genealogy research depends upon your data being organized and readily available Method of Organization should be: Simple to set up Simple to maintain Flexible Inexpensive Secure and able to be understood by future generations
Organizing Information Electronically FamilySearch.org (free) World wide program Anyone can view deceased individuals Living are not viewed Data can be added and edited by anyone GOAL: A Perfect World-Wide Tree through collaboration Sources can be attached and viewed by others Ancestry.com (paid membership) LDS Church members have a partnership Free use of Ancestry at Family History Library & F.H. Centers Tree information private or you can elect to share Sources can be attached and viewed by others Many commercial programs (Class taught at 3-day Intensive, FHL)
Your Computer FamilySearch and other software programs organize information into family group sheets and pedigree charts Records can be searched by name, date, place and relationships You can print and share information with others FamilySearch is designed to help us attach sources and memories Some programs allow you to keep your research logs and notes
Using Organizational Strategies Family file folders Research 3 ring binders with tabs for families Computer access Any COMBINATION of the above methods
Where Data Is Filed Make a file for each family Include the wife Include children, not yet married, with the parents When child marries, create a new folder for child and spouse
Create Files or Binders As a Tool Organize Files or Binders By: Husband s surname Husband s birth & death example: William Gibbs 1816-1874 Jane Cardiff 1818-1890 Include children in files Save sources, documents & certificates Save & label pictures How To suggestion in the Wiki Organize files by locations: Maps Research & language guides
Suggested Order of Contents for Files 1. Research Log -Records research done on a family or person 2. Pedigree Chart (optional) 3. Family Group Sheet 4. Map or other research aids 5. Actual copies of documents
Research Process
THE FIVE-STEP RESEARCH PROCESS 1. Select a research goal 2. Identify records needed 3. Search for and locate records 4. Examine documents thoroughly 5. Evaluate the information found
Five Step Research Process Identify Goal Evaluate Info Identify Records Record findings Locate, search
William Thomas 30 June 1861 London, England Identify a Research Goal Knapton Death: We need the death date and Place 24 Aug. 1887 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Meshack Mary Margaret Caroline Hanna 10 Feb 1866 William Mary Ann Dora Maud Bountiful, Davis, Utah, USA 14 Nov 1893 Salt Lake City, Utah Look for missing information or discrepancies: What do you want to learn? Verify Hansen and/or clarify Identify Butler WHAT RECORDS might contain this information Mecham 17 Nov. 1975 Salt Lake City, Utah GOAL: Document William Thomas Knapton s death and burial records
Identify Records and Their Location Decide what records you will need and where you will find them I could order a death certificate from the State vital statistics, but maybe a record is already in FamilySearch
Two great places to search
Locate & Search William T. Knapton
findagrave.com Birth dates Death date Spouses names
Search Records Locate & Search
Results from Search on Person Page
Find & Evaluate Source
What if a record is not found in FamilySearch? Make a plan to find the document PLANNING SHEET GOAL: Document Death of Thomas Knapton Wife: Caroline Hanna Page Date: (Planning Date) POSSIBLE SEARCHES 1. Check Ancestry.com 2. Ask members of family 3. Get a death certificate from S.L. County 4. Obituary 5. Funeral program 6. Doctor/hospital record 7. Mortician MAKING A PLAN Husband and wife s name Date the list Write down searches that might yield the information Do not limit list You may not do all of it, but write it down. Seek inspiration as you make your entries.
Record & Evaluate Findings William Thomas 30 June 1861 London, England On 29 July Research 1949 Salt Log Lake or City, Planning Salt Lake, Utah, Sheet USA Note the information found 24 Aug. 1887 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Meshack Mary Margaret Caroline Hannah 10 Feb. 1866 Bountiful, Davis, Utah, USA Knapton Knapton Fripp Page Record Findings William Mary Ann Page Clark Dora Maud Knapton 14 Nov. 1893 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA 17 Nov. 1975 Bountiful, Davis, Utah, USA
Five Step Research Process Identify Goal Evaluate Info Identify Records Record findings Locate, search
Summary Use a research log as a tool for finding missing information & sources Make a plan to search for new information & sources Record & evaluate what you find Create folders for families & individuals Place findings in folders and in FamilySearch Always Source your findings Repeat these steps to find new information FamilySearch, Ancestry & other commercial programs make organizing information easier than ever before.
President Thomas S. Monson: The Lord never, to my knowledge, indicated that his work was simply the work that was going on here in mortality. His work embraces eternity, and if He indicated, as He did in the 88 th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, that he would hasten his work in His time I am simple enough to believe in my faith that our Heavenly Father is hastening his work in the spirit world and that He is bringing many souls into a period of preparation and readiness, that we might go into the temple of God and perform the sacred ordinances which will bring to those spirit children who have gone beyond, having lived in mortality, the same opportunities that you and I have. I firmly believe that He is hastening His work in the spirit world. (First Presidency Message June 2014, Ensign)