How To Get Started Presented By: Doris Ashley

 Develop a Plan  Gather info from family  Look for a published history  Document your sources  Forms & Organizing  Computer program or paper only Overview

 Start by deciding just what type of genealogy you want  Family tree - the male line of your ancestors  Extended Family Tree - all descendants of some earliest known male line ancestors  Ancestry Chart - as many as possible of direct ancestors thru male & female lines Developing a Plan

 Record interviews on videotape or audiotape  Make copies of birth and marriage certificates as well as letters, journals, photos, military papers, pedigrees in family bibles, pictures and other family records  Work backwards Gather Info From Family

Primary – Record created at the time of, or shortly after an event by someone with personal knowledge of facts, or testimony of a person involved in the event Secondary - Material copied or complied from other sources or written at a later date from memory Sources

 Usually published  Genealogies & family histories (Genealogies in the Library of Congress)  Local histories  Periodicals (NY Genealogical & Biographical Record)  Newspapers  Manuscript collections (State libraries) Secondary Sources

 Specific accepted method for Citations (Ex.Paul I Van Valkenburg, The Van Valkenburg Family in America (Baltimore Gateway Press, Inc.1981):245  Copy the title page and write the page on it  Also note the place you found the book (called the repository) Document your Sources

 Pedigree worksheet, family worksheet, abstract of will, cemetery transcription, correspondence logs, census sheets, etc.  Folders, one for a couple and one for a family (like Ashley)  Others as desired (Military, Cemeteries, certain counties) Forms and Organizing

 Census records  Vital records  Probate Court  State & Federal land records  Military records  Immigration records Primary Sources

 Social Security Death Index Social Security Death Index  Rootsweb's World Connect Project Rootsweb's World Connect Project  Family Search Family Search  Ellis Island Database Ellis Island Database  Castle Garden Database Castle Garden Database  Ancestry Ancestry  Google Google The Internet

 Cyndi's List Cyndi's List  USGenweb Project USGenweb Project  Town to County Town to County  Vital Records Vital Records  Military Records Military Records The Internet