Genealogy 101: Starting your own project
Where do I start?
Start with your full name, and your parents' full names and write down as much as you know- date of birth, place of birth. If your parents are no longer living, write down the date and place of death. Note any cities where you or your parents lived.
If you have that information for any of your grandparents, write it down also.
Now start your tree- it doesn't have to be fancy. You can use an online service, an app, or a simple paper form. Here's a link to a site where you can download free forms.
What's next?
Talk to the senior members of your family FIRST. Tell them what you're working on and ask to interview them. Get as many names, dates and places as you can. Some of the dates may be off, but every piece of information you get is a lead. And here's the best part- the time you spend with them is invaluable, because they'll provide information that isn't available in any record.
Add all the new names to your tree.
The research begins-
At this point, it's important to document sources for every fact in your tree. For example, maybe you've always known your Grandmother's birthdate is April 12, 1922. Making sure that's accurate is critical, because the wrong date will throw off your search for her ancestors.
Check every date and place in your tree, and document the source (Vital Records, and Census Records are the most commonly used).
Are you wondering why your Grandmother could be wrong about her date of birth? We'll get to that later.
Climbing the Family Tree
Now you're ready to start looking for your ancestors! Get started on your own search, or use my services.