Roots

What are your roots? Where are they? When, etc etc etc....

I'm talking about genealogy, or your family history. How much do you know? How much would you like to know, or to pass on to your children and their children?

The best way to start is with what you know already. Write down the information for your own family: yourself, spouse, children. The most basic information includes: name at birth, date and place of birth, marriage date and location (if applicable) and date and location of passing (again, if applicable). This information is the framework for your genealogical information, that can be fleshed out later with stories, scrapbooks, journals, pictures.

Most of this information is grouped together in two ways:

a) Family Group Sheet - which usually lists a husband, wife and any children from that union. If there is a divorce or death, and one spouse remarries, that would be a separate sheet.

b) Generational Chart - starts with one person, usually you or a child. Then you add their parents, and their parents, and so on and so on. I'd say an average number of generations on a sheet is 4 ... you, your parents, your grandparents and your great-grandparents. I saw one chart once that had 11 generations. It was a huge, fold-out piece of paper that covered most of a wall. That's my genealogy dream. :)

Interested? Here are a couple of websites you might find handy:

FamilySearch.org is a site run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Whatever your feelings about the organization, they do have probably the most extensive set of genealogical records and resources available in the world. You can even download a free "Personal Ancestral File" software to keep track on your computer.

About Genealogy I love the whole About.com site and their genealogy information is certainly included. Lots of information, resources, product reviews and articles to be had there.

So, if you haven't started collecting your family history/genealogy, I would certainly suggest starting. But whether or not you have started, I hope to share some information about geanalogy monthly on the 21st of each month.

Y'all take care!