I got hooked on my family tree after Mr. C gave me a DNA kit from Ancestry on Christmas of 2020. After I sent my DNA off and waited for the results, I began to work on my tree. Which quickly became an obsession. While I am not near being an expert, here’s a few tips I learned in the last year, for anyone starting on their journey.
Get a DNA kit. Honestly, this has been a huge asset. It’s helped me connect with cousins I never knew existed, and helped me fill in parts of my history. Several cousins have become friends and we even help each other out and update each other with new finds. Whatever company you get your kit from, once you get your results, download your raw DNA. This can be uploaded to several other sites for FREE. Which means you get more DNA info PLUS more matches. I had given hubs a kit as well that Christmas. It wasn’t until he uploaded his DNA to My Heritage that he connected with one of his half sisters. (Mr. C is adopted, and in 2021 he found his birth father’s family, which has been amazing. Bio dad has passed away, but Mr. C has been getting to know his awesome aunts, uncles and cousins). Also our DNA is uploaded to GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA. Oh, and wait for sales. Certain times of the year these DNA companies put their kits on sale.
Talk to family. I wish I had started this years ago. The more time that passes, more of the stories and info you lose when loved ones pass away. Start talking to parents, grandparents, aunts, etc… My mom had dementia when I started this, but on her good days she could tell me stories and she helped identify people in old photos. Her mind was in the past so she was able to help me for a little while. And she loved it. At every visit, soon as I’d walk into her room, she would ask “Did you bring any pictures today?” My aunt was practically a family historian, and I’d give my eye teeth to have one hour with her to pick her brain. So, reach out. Talk to your loved ones. Any little piece of info or photo is a piece of the bigger picture.
Obits are gold. The best obituaries to find are the ones that list as much info as possible. Children’s names, where they lived, if they served in the war. All of these tidbits huge! When my mom passed last year, I wrote her obit. I made sure to mention all her kids and step kids, that she was a grandmother, great-grandmother and more recently a great-great grandmother. I also made it personal, of coarse. I didn’t want her to have a generic obit. I wanted people who didn’t know her to read it and felt that they knew her. This might also help future generations know their great great nan.
Start Small. Start with your parents. Your mom’s maiden name, their details on where they were born, when etc….Then start your grandparents. If they have passed, look for those obits. (And save them! I reached out to a library service program here in Nova Scotia. They located my nan’s obit, sent it to me. It’s been since printed off and added to my records) Look for marriage certificates, birth records, etc…
Join Groups. There are only two reasons I haven’t left Facebook. And one of those reasons is for research purposes. I joined genealogy groups for various provinces my family came from, groups in England and Scotland. There I have learned of websites to read into, and even found distant cousins. One woman in a group based in England pointed me to a distant cousin and a book he had published, which happened to be my 4th great grandfather. I contacted him right away and purchased the book as well. (Book review coming of that in the not to distant future).
My last tip: be prepared for what you find. There might be old skeletons lurking about. I went into this prepared for the good, the bad and the ugly.
What else do you think should go on this list? Are you thinking about digging into your family tree?
The Geeky Book Lady 