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I've reached a point in my family history research where I have reams of data on both sides. All of my information has been neatly stored and documented in software (Family Tree) with additional computer files holding documents, scans of photos, and other information that I also have hard copies of. I have also printed out family trees for the family that show key dates and lineage.
But, my daughter recently pointed out that she would have no idea how to access that software or those computer files or how to use them should something happen to me. She is worried that a lot of the stories I've gathered over the years will get lost or not be accessible. So, she and my son have asked me to put together some sort of printed book (or even a notebook) that they could more easily read and reference and pass down to their children and grandchildren at some point.
Has anyone tackled a project like this? It seems very overwhelming. Where did you even begin with putting something together that other family members (i.e., those who are not genealogy nuts!) can appreciate and understand? What form did it take?
Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions on how to get started and tackle this project. (And, yes, this is probably something I should have thought about a long time ago, so for anyone who is new to genealogy, plan ahead!)
I have an old-fashioned approach. After I get all the info I'm looking for, I plan to print out 'trees' from each of my grandparents, and attach them inside one of these: Marble Composition Book - assorted colors - Paper & Notebooks - Dollar General where I can add notes about various individuals, important events, etc.
An alternative- especially if you want family tree books or booklets for a number of people- you can use the self-publishing company Lulu.com for your own personal project. You can order as many copies as you want.
Also, have any of you created lists for your book for certain facts? For instance, a list of all ancestors that were in the revolutionary war or a list of the names of all of the "first arrivals" in the U.S.?
This is where I start getting a headache, but I think that lists will probably make it easier for my kids and grandkids to get an overview of their ancestry. I'm thinking that this might work well with Cd's numbering system.
I have also been toying with the idea of writing some chapters that are more related to historical events. For example, "what your ancestors did in the revolutionary war" that covers the exploits of everyone who I know was in the war.
Oh, brother. I want to keep this simple yet I seem to have a knack for dreaming up ways to complicate it.
One thing I do is add "The Original" as part of an ancestor's first name if he/she was the first immigrant. I can easily run a search in my database for those words and then print out a list. You could try that.
As for military service, I would presume that you've entered that fact for an ancestor who fought in any of the wars. When I enter that information into my database I put the "place" as Civil War, American Revolution, WWI, etc. So again, to generate a list I just do a search for a particular "place" and print the list.
I incorporate history into each chapter. I love writing about the times and events in which ancestors lived because it puts it all in perspective. We have so many worries about the world around us, and sometimes it seems like the hardships our ancestors endured were more simplified. We're amazed at their bravery for moving to unsettled and wild lands, but when you add in the historical political climates, cultural and religious lifestyles and restrictions, and then add, depending on location, Indian threats and constant appearances of wolves and other large predators, and having no one but themselves and a few neighbors to protect them, it's a wonder they survived at all.
The ancestors become a part of the historical story. One example, one of my ancestors lived on the Isles of Shoals off the coast of Maine in the late 1600s/early 1700s. Half the islands were owned by Massachusetts and the other half by New Hampshire. Jeffrey lived on a Massachusetts island, and when Massachusetts politics (mostly with religious tones) started heating up (and I discuss that), Jeffrey built a barge, lifted his house, and floated it across a short distance of water to a New Hampshire island.
Another example, in the early 1800s many Virginians moved to Georgia to participate in the Georgia Land Lottery - land that had been taken from Indians (Creek, Cherokee, etc.) when treaties were signed. This was occurring a bit before and during the Trail of Tears. Some of my father-in-law's ancestors received land while others didn't, and in most cases the land turned out to be difficult to live upon and they eventually left. Some of these ancestors were single young men and others were older with families, and with children of all ages, so it's fascinating to talk about the ancestors' participation in the historical event, and to speculate what life must have been like.
So, my books contain both the historical aspects as well as the who-begat-whoms so that readers down the line have a choice when they learn about where the heck they came from.
I've reached a point in my family history research where I have reams of data on both sides. All of my information has been neatly stored and documented in software (Family Tree) with additional computer files holding documents, scans of photos, and other information that I also have hard copies of. I have also printed out family trees for the family that show key dates and lineage.
But, my daughter recently pointed out that she would have no idea how to access that software or those computer files or how to use them should something happen to me. She is worried that a lot of the stories I've gathered over the years will get lost or not be accessible. So, she and my son have asked me to put together some sort of printed book (or even a notebook) that they could more easily read and reference and pass down to their children and grandchildren at some point.
Has anyone tackled a project like this? It seems very overwhelming. Where did you even begin with putting something together that other family members (i.e., those who are not genealogy nuts!) can appreciate and understand? What form did it take?
Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions on how to get started and tackle this project. (And, yes, this is probably something I should have thought about a long time ago, so for anyone who is new to genealogy, plan ahead!)
In 100 years no one will know you ever existed unless you do a family history. I have written a few of my own and over 40 years have discovered that the Microsoft word processors and their text are now unreadable. The Mormons use GED format.
"GEDCOM (an acronym standing for Genealogical Data Communication) is a proprietary and open de facto[1] specification for exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software. GEDCOM was developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) as an aid to genealogical research.[2]"
But even GEDCOM is changing. You are correct to get something printed and better yet to place it in Historical Libraries that will preserve it. Hint. Print it on archival, non-acid archival paper. If I was to choose a format I would use ASCI text.
I've reached a point in my family history research where I have reams of data on both sides. All of my information has been neatly stored and documented in software (Family Tree) with additional computer files holding documents, scans of photos, and other information that I also have hard copies of. I have also printed out family trees for the family that show key dates and lineage.
But, my daughter recently pointed out that she would have no idea how to access that software or those computer files or how to use them should something happen to me. She is worried that a lot of the stories I've gathered over the years will get lost or not be accessible. So, she and my son have asked me to put together some sort of printed book (or even a notebook) that they could more easily read and reference and pass down to their children and grandchildren at some point.
Has anyone tackled a project like this? It seems very overwhelming. Where did you even begin with putting something together that other family members (i.e., those who are not genealogy nuts!) can appreciate and understand? What form did it take?
Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions on how to get started and tackle this project. (And, yes, this is probably something I should have thought about a long time ago, so for anyone who is new to genealogy, plan ahead!)
One thing I do is add "The Original" as part of an ancestor's first name if he/she was the first immigrant. I can easily run a search in my database for those words and then print out a list. You could try that.
As for military service, I would presume that you've entered that fact for an ancestor who fought in any of the wars. When I enter that information into my database I put the "place" as Civil War, American Revolution, WWI, etc. So again, to generate a list I just do a search for a particular "place" and print the list.
I incorporate history into each chapter. I love writing about the times and events in which ancestors lived because it puts it all in perspective. We have so many worries about the world around us, and sometimes it seems like the hardships our ancestors endured were more simplified. We're amazed at their bravery for moving to unsettled and wild lands, but when you add in the historical political climates, cultural and religious lifestyles and restrictions, and then add, depending on location, Indian threats and constant appearances of wolves and other large predators, and having no one but themselves and a few neighbors to protect them, it's a wonder they survived at all.
The ancestors become a part of the historical story. One example, one of my ancestors lived on the Isles of Shoals off the coast of Maine in the late 1600s/early 1700s. Half the islands were owned by Massachusetts and the other half by New Hampshire. Jeffrey lived on a Massachusetts island, and when Massachusetts politics (mostly with religious tones) started heating up (and I discuss that), Jeffrey built a barge, lifted his house, and floated it across a short distance of water to a New Hampshire island.
Another example, in the early 1800s many Virginians moved to Georgia to participate in the Georgia Land Lottery - land that had been taken from Indians (Creek, Cherokee, etc.) when treaties were signed. This was occurring a bit before and during the Trail of Tears. Some of my father-in-law's ancestors received land while others didn't, and in most cases the land turned out to be difficult to live upon and they eventually left. Some of these ancestors were single young men and others were older with families, and with children of all ages, so it's fascinating to talk about the ancestors' participation in the historical event, and to speculate what life must have been like.
So, my books contain both the historical aspects as well as the who-begat-whoms so that readers down the line have a choice when they learn about where the heck they came from.
Wow, you've made me want to read your family history book! That must be the writer in you shining through. Thats a great idea to enter military/war service as a "place" and include "original" as part of the name. One of my constant frustrations with FTM is its relatively paltry search function.
This is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite City-Data threads -- it is just a gold mine of ideas and tips.
I have my notebooks ready to go and started working on my first branch this morning. I'm starting with the shortest family line, but at least I'm starting. You guys have motivated me!
In 100 years no one will know you ever existed unless you do a family history....
I so agree. I think about this all the time while doing genealogy research. We each lead our lives, have our stories, and treasure our loved ones. Yet, in just a few generations, we are forgotten unless someone finds and preserves our names. That's the main reason I do family history research: in some small way it's like meeting those people from the past who've been forgotten.
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You are correct to get something printed and better yet to place it in Historical Libraries that will preserve it. .
That is a WONDERFUL idea. Here in San Diego, the city library has an amazing genealogy center with many family genealogy books, but I never would have thought about donating a copy of a family history book until reading your suggestion. Yet, that makes perfect sense. Books get lost and tossed by individuals, but libraries (hopefully) will keep them in some form for the future.
RosieSD ... you're one up on me to start ... my software is ancient - it was a precursor to FTM that my father gave me when he bought FTM. It can be a royal pain to search and generate lists which is why I had to invent things, such as a "place" being a particular event - it's in the fact's notes where I write specific locations so that I know if an ancestor was, for example, Union or Confederate.
Since I am putting a lot of time and effort into all this, I sort of over-do it with saving my work. My database is saved as a zip file (a backup) and a GEDCOM on both my computer and on a flash drive. At the end of every session I will save my day's work in all these ways. With my books, I save my work frequently on my computer, and often save it to a flash drive. When I've completed a rough draft of a book section or chapter, I print it out. Although I know it will need revising, should anything happen to my computer files or the flash drives, I know I won't have to restart from scratch.
When I finished my first book, my mother-in-law's, I did give a copy to her city's historical society. If that hadn't been available, I would have given the copy to the local library. I'll do the same with my father's and my father-in-law's. Indeed family members can lose or toss copies, now or down the road, so this is the best way I know how to make sure at least one copy might exist for a very long time.
My only suggestion Mawipafl is that you email yourself your data, so it is offsite. Unless you are diligent about putting flash drives in a safety deposit box, a house fire/disaster could potentially wipe out all the digital copies of your hard work.
My only suggestion Mawipafl is that you email yourself your data, so it is offsite. Unless you are diligent about putting flash drives in a safety deposit box, a house fire/disaster could potentially wipe out all the digital copies of your hard work.
Good point. Uploading the file to DropBox might work as well.
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Exactly
Thats a great idea to enter military/war service as a "place" and include "original" as part of the name. One of my constant frustrations with FTM is its relatively paltry search function.
