Many people like to learn about their ancestors from stories. Others like to do family history research themselves, with the pursuit of the history a type of hobby. There are also those who cannot explain why they pursue their family history yet feel somehow compelled to know about their past.

Whatever your reason–stories, hobby or compulsion–finding out about your ancestors requires skills and know-how. You have to be taught, or self-taught, how to find records, what records to look for, and how to piece together a true story even if one essential record is missing. This is learning to do family history research.

If you prefer just the stories, you need to know enough about history and about family history to recognize a plausible story when you see one. Someone said great-grandpa was a World War II hero. Someone else said he was born in 1930. They cannot both be right. Thus begins a search for documents to prove one claim or the other. If searching for documents is not your thing, hire me to do it for you. I love fact finding for families.

If you like to do family history research, or if you feel compelled to do it, then learn how to do it right. No one would sit down to knit a sweater or piece together a quilt without learning how to knit or sew, or without getting advice from people who have made sweaters or quilts. Once upon a time you had to visit with someone to ask advice or watch someone do a tricky bit. Today you can do that, or watch a youtube video, or attend a class.

The same is true about family history research, or genealogy research (whichever term you prefer). If you aren’t sure how to find a census record, or what you can and can’t learn from a death certificate, ask someone who has been doing it longer than you have. If you don’t know whom to ask, contact me. No matter where you are in your journey, I would love to help you learn how to do family history better–more accurately, more efficiently, more easily.

There are also a lot of self-study options for learning how to do family history. A few I have listed below.

For beginners, here are a few suggestions:

• Read FamilySearch Research Wiki articles, especially New to Genealogy
• Read FamilyTree magazine articles, especially 10 Steps for Beginners
• Watch Legacy Family Tree Webinars for beginners, such as this one
• Take online, self-paced courses, such as the Foundations in Family History, offered by the National Genealogical Society
• Buy a book to work through at your own pace, such as
  • Research Like a Pro, by Diane Elder

Tune in next time for more suggestions! And as always, contact me for more help!