Tuesday, February 03, 2015

More notes from Class

Sometimes, I jot down random things to bring up in class and then, I forget whether I employed them, printed them out as a handout, or the notes were for my own preparation.  Here is an example of something I think I sent to class members via my Gmail. 

Ta-Dum:
Option # 1 (preferred): Acquire a genealogy software program (see links below); the program will generate reports/forms, if desired, either blank, or after you have entered the data.

Option #2: Print forms off from the Internet or from a book. Look at the links below for links to free, printable forms.

I utilize paper forms to send info to folks who don't utilize the computer and also, I use them as worksheets.

Organization of Paper Records:
1. Use folders
2. Use notebooks

Arrange your materials by family group OR arrange alphabetically OR by type of record. For example, you might want to keep all census records together in the person's folder, all death certificates together, etc. Or, arrangement of documents could be in “time” order. Birth certificate first, marriage, second and so forth. The web links below, probably say it better than I do.

Original documentation such as your mother's birth certificate (handed down or certified) should be kept in a protective plastic sheet holder or in a box for archival purposes; scan all original documents.

Use CD's, Flash Drives (aka “memory sticks”, etc.), the “Cloud”, external hard drives, etc. for back-up. You can also “back-up” your genealogy by sending copies to





I would begin, if this is the direction you want to go, by using folders for each family group, then when you have collected several items, you can either create a notebook for each family group or just keep using folders, whichever, you choose. Another option, one used by a professional genealogist with whom I converse, is to arrange your names in alphabetical order. There's a little more to it than that, but I will send you some web links on that topic. For example, you can order the items in a folder or notebook by the type of record (census in one place, death certificates in a separate location, etc) OR, you can order the docs in order of the person and then the date

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