Store and Share

One of the primary uses for genealogy software is to store information. Of course each software program stores information differently so you’ll want to decide in advance how you want to organize your data. You can also use genealogy software to share information. Some genealogy software enables you to connect with others to share your data. This is useful if you’ve embraced a team approach to uncovering your family tree. For example, you might use this function to send the information you’ve found to others for verification. Although it’s a step up from offline genealogy software, the OneGreatFamily database is great example of the power of data sharing. OneGreatFamily continually looks for additional information and relatives for every one of your ancestors at the same time and your family tree will actually continue to grow automatically as people from over 170 countries submit new names.

Organize and Analyze
You can also use genealogy software to aid in your research. The best genealogy programs provide you with comprehensive reports and charts so you can organize and see the progress of your ancestry research. Some genealogy software takes it to the next level and will help you analyze the information you have. You can look for patterns in your data and also inconsistencies that require attention.

Family Tree Charts
Using genealogy software you will be able to produce ancestry charts showing a person’s direct-line ancestors, so that you know exactly how far back a line goes. Ancestor narrative reports show a specific person and follows that person’s lineage like a story. This is a great way to share your research with family members and friends. You can also draw a family tree chart to show an entire families including husband, wife and children.

Genealogy software programs include lots of easy-to-use tools that will help you organize your research. Organizational tools link people together based on relationships, merge individuals into family trees, help spot conflicting data and locate duplicate entries. This software will also aid in your search for both individuals and entire families.

Having a system to organize, document and even produce published materials can make your genealogy research and project much easier and more satisfying. The best genealogy software programs can help you with the entire process. Of course, before you purchase genealogy software make sure it meets all your needs.

After you have done all the hard work of collecting the names and important dates of your relatives, the next task is to place each person neatly in a family tree so that it is organized and easy to read.  The best thing to do here is to use blank family tree templates to copy.  There are heaps of genealogy websites that give examples of family tree charts, making it easier to arrange the information you have collected.  Using family tree charts will give you an idea of where to put each person’s name and how to descend the line of your ancestors back as far as you want to go.

Of course, you could also pay for a family tree to be drawn professionally using genealogy services. There are many genealogy websites are available where you can give them your photos or the names of the people you would like on your family tree chart and they will do all the work using professional genealogy software – for a fee. This is a nice idea for a gift for other members of your family or if you would like to display your family tree in your home. However, I think that for most people, having someone else draw a family tree takes the fun out of it. When you make your own family tree charts, it’s far more personal and rewarding.

There are dozens of genealogy websites where you can find blank family tree charts that you can fill in. Once you have found all of your ancestors, it is very easy to fill in an ancestry chart with all of your family history information. For some good examples, you can check out the printable family tree charts at The Tree Maker . These are very easy to use, and keep your information well organised.

Make sure you choose a design that you like. Some family history charts available are quite plain, especially the free ones. If you spend a little, you can get something really attractive. Other family tree sites worth checking out include Legacy Family Tree , who offer a huge range of genealogy resources (including the well known Legacy Genealogy software), and Family Tree Magazine, which offers a huge offers a wide variety of charts  and other resources for you to record your family tree and any other important work sheets that you might need to research your family tree.

Here are a few of the easiest ways to find ancestors for free.

Family Bible
An old tradition that many families kept in the past was to record any family events in the big Bible that was passed down from generation to generation. Here, accounts of births, deaths, and marriages were recorded. For people who weren’t included in other recordkeeping activities, like slaves and some immigrants, it was a way to trace the history of their families.

Birth Certificates
Usually parents keep these in their possession until their children grow up. Then they pass them on to their children in the event of death. Someone in your family could have a treasure trove of records just waiting for your eyes. All births are submitted for public recording. You can always contact the local hall of records in your city or the state’s records to find a birth certificate and purchase a copy. Birth records before 1910 didn’t always contain the child’s name but only the name of the parent’s. You can use them to trace the family surname if not a specific individual.

Death certificates
When a person dies, a death certificate is kept on file. A death certificate can be used as proof to stop certain payments and services once the person is deceased. Death records after 1910 contain a lot of pertinent information not the least of which is the deceased person’s name. You can find out their family’s name, where they died, the cause of death, the deceased person’s occupation, and much more. Before 1910 the records weren’t as thorough and usually contained merely the name of the deceased and their cause of death.

Marriage certificates
Everyone who gets married files for a marriage license with their local court system. There is a lot of important information that is noted on these marriage certificates. You can find out the maiden name of the bride, the name of both the groom and bride’s parents, the wedding witnesses, and of course the date of the ceremony. Just like other vital records, before 1910 there was no mandatory recording of certain information, so a lot of what you might be looking for may be missing.

Family Stories
You can learn about your family through the stories each member shares. You probably have a few of your own. Write them down if you have to so that you can pass them on. Ask your immediate family to share their fondest memories of family occasions. These memories do not have to be huge events such as marriages, deaths or vacations to be cherished. Often they are the simple things, like a serendipitous event or one’s childhood impressions. Telling stories is a way to connect with family members that you hardly know. Maybe you can get to the bottom of that feud between cousin John and aunt Alice. Create a new relationship through the memories you’ll discover.

Family stories can lead to important findings too. A story or a firsthand account of an event may have made the history books. Maybe a family member was present in Europe when the Berlin Wall came down. What if a family member marched with Martin Luther King, Jr.? They may even have invented something we use today. You never know what you might find that ties your family to important times gone by.

Through the years, your family may have retained a philosophy passed down by one of your ancestors. If they went to war, maybe what they saw inspired them to raise their kids not to fight or to be a military family. Such sentiments run through a family and shape it to be what you see today. You might not have known why before but as you learn about your family’s past, you will find out.

Legacy and Tradition
Each of us has a legacy to leave to those who follow us. Sharing family facts through stories or a written history opens a window into the life of the people who made it possible for us to be here in the first place. Make it a family tradition. Begin sharing your own stories, along with those you’ve discovered in your search for information, with children, siblings, and other relatives. As you start passing along your stories, you’ll might feel better about where you came from and you’ll help those younger than you to do the same in the future.