Copyright 1997 Jean R. Legried. Use only with permission. Beginning Genealogy Lesson 1 Where to Start? Many of you have a program on your computer for doing genealogy, and those of you who don't will soon be buying one. These programs do many things automatically, but there are a few that I want to mention anyway: BEFORE YOU START be aware that to do a complete genealogy it takes a commitment of time. Too many times I have witnessed people who start a project with great enthusiasm, but after a couple of months and a few dead-ends, they give it up as an impossible task. Know that it's going to take time and dedication (and money!). DATES should always be written as: day-month-year -- using the three-letter abbreviation for the month, i.e. 10 Dec 1996. NEVER write a date as all numbers. If I wrote a date as thus: 10/12/96, you wouldn't know if I meant 10th of December or 12th of October or 1996 or 1896 or 1796, etc. EVERY ENTRY about a person needs a complete name, a date, and a place, or the entry is considered incomplete. Too many times people compile a list of names and dates without any places (or additional information about the person). That ends up being a "list", not a genealogy. You will need to set up a FILING SYSTEM for correspondence and documents that you receive. This is something that the computer can't do for you! I have a personal favorite that is detailed in the book "File . . . Don't Pile, a Personal Filing System" by Pat Dorff (Minneapolis: Willowtree Press,1983). Other ideas can be obtained from genealogy how- to-do-it books at your public library. STARTING YOUR RESEARCH There are two kinds of information to search for -- PRIMARY SOURCES and SECONDARY SOURCES. Primary Source is one which had its origin with someone directly involved with the event being reported near the time of the event. Examples are: a birth certificate, the death information on a death certificate, a marriage certificate, and some of the information on a census return. The birth information on a death certificate isn't primary because it is being recorded many years after the birth, quite probably by someone who wasn't present at the birth. The residence of a person is about the only primary source on a census return because the ages, birth places and other dates are all being recorded long after they happened (and could have been given to the census taker by the neighbor if the family didn't happen to be at home!). Secondary source is everything else and should be used as clues. An obituary is a secondary source. Except for the death date and funeral information, all the information is given by someone who was not present when the event happened. A tombstone presents a different type of source! It's obvious that the birth date is a secondary source, but if it's a new stone with an old death date (meaning the stone wasn't erected at the time of the death), it is definitely a secondary source. If you come up with two or three dates for a person's birth consider when each was recorded and choose the one that was recorded closest to the time of the birth. This isn't a 100% guarantee that it's right, but the odds are better that it is. In law another name for primary evidence is "best evidence". The best evidence available must be considered before judgment is made. A book on this subject is "Genealogical Evidence" by Noel C. Stevenson (Laguna Hills: Aegean Press, 1989). The author is a lawyer and a genealogist. WHERE TO START? Start with yourself and work backwards generation by generation. Too often a new researcher will want to start with great-grandfather because he did something outstanding in his lifetime, but that's not the way to go. Recording information about yourself and each generation allows you to gather information as you progress, and in the long run you will find out even more about great-grandfather. Don't start your research at the county courthouse. So many new researchers think that they will find everything they need in birth, death, and marriage records at the county courthouse or town clerk's office. Not so! In many states those records don't start until the last half of the 1800s and may not be complete until after 1900. Even the colonial states where we think of our country starting don't have these records before 1860s. (Each state needs to be checked individually, though.) Talk to the senior citizens in your family and learn what they know about the family. It's important to talk to them today because tomorrow they may not be here. Using a tape recorder is good for this, if you can put the microphone in an out-of-sight place. Too often oldsters are intimidated by a microphone. These recorded conversations can become some of your most treasured possessions! Then I suggest you go on a "snoop mission" in your parent's house or your grandparent's house. There are many, many things that can give you clues to your family; for example, Bible records, diaries, old letters, photo albums, scrap books, baby books, wills, deeds, diplomas, hospital receipts, business papers and account books, lodge records, memorial cards from a funeral, passports, tax records, newspaper clippings, a sampler or friendship quilt, and monograms on jewelry and silverware. My maternal grandparents had a big square house with a full basement and walk-up attic and grandma collected antiques and "stuff". It was a fascinating place to visit! Most of the antiques and collectibles that she had were family heirlooms so they were doubly important. Not everyone has a house like that to visit but, whatever your grandparents, aunts and uncles have, talk to them about it and get the story that goes with it. As you get into the old records, you will find your names spelled umpteen different ways! These records were entered by people who could read and write but didn't necessarily have a secondary education. An Englishman would pronounce and spell a German name quite differently than our German immigrant. I advise you to say a "misspelled" name out-loud to see if it sounds like your name. "Saying" beats "looking"! TRADITIONS Every family has "traditions" or "family stories". Some of these stories get bigger with each telling! Don't ignore them but don't take them as fact either. Use them as clues and check them out. Often you will find that there is a crumb of truth to the story and that it has just grown bigger with each telling! CORRESPONDENCE This is a subject that can be a lesson in itself. You will have to do some correspondence because not everything you want is on-line nor will you be able to travel to all the places to do research in person. A few points to remember: ** Use business-sized paper, envelopes, and style for writing your letters. Get a book from your public library on correct correspondence forms if you have forgotten what you learned in high school. I have an English handbook from 12th grade that is very helpful. ** Keep your requests short and to the point. There is no need to go into great detail about your family. Ask for the record you want and then quit. ** Include a self-addresses, stamped envelope (SASE) if you expect a reply. Include a check in the correct amount for the record/information you are requesting. Cost of birth, death and marriage records for the various states is available on-line and in several publications. Other record repositories have set charges for their research. It's advisable to write to them first asking about their charges. The National Archives and some other government agencies have forms to use for requesting records. ** When you write to relatives for information, make it a business letter. This is not the time to chit-chat about the family. Non-genealogists (especially older people) are often intimidated by a family group sheet, so it is better to compile a questionnaire form to send to relatives. They will understand the questions better than a group sheet. Don't forget the SASE! This is the end of Lesson 1. If you have any questions, they can be directed to me at my personal e-mail address or to the GEN-NEWBIE list, Attn: Jean. Copyright 1997 Jean R. Legried. Use only with permission. Jean R. Legried, CGRS Norwegian-American research specialist from southern Minnesota jrl@smig.net "Life is the rosebud, Eternity the rose."