Creating a Family Tree -by Esther Ferry
What do we leave our family?
As we age, we may mull this question over. Besides property, we are concerned with family heirlooms. These may have great sentimental value, and we hope that younger family members will treasure them as well. For something lasting, consider creating a family tree. Even for young family members who don’t yet appreciate it, it has future value.
A family tree, or genealogy, provides much information: family names and cultures, health and genetic information and simply, a story of who we are.
Your family tree can be a frameable work of art, an online record or even DNA information, or all of these and more. Certainly, creating your family tree is an unending task and hobby.
The simplest way to begin is to record what you know. Start with yourself and work backwards, adding as much information as you know. Then work forward in the same way. Questions will naturally arise. Do we know our grandparents’ birth dates and locations? Do we even remember our grandchildren’s birthdays? If you like internet research, there are many sources and much guidance. Consider a software program or website to build your tree. You can certainly do it manually though.
Perhaps you have a lot of manually recorded information. Look for family genealogies in book form, Bibles and other handwritten records such as those written in longhand by ancestors. The research methods that served our ancestors are useful too. Consider interviewing relatives, researching in courthouses and cemeteries. It is good practice to verify all information with official records: birth, marriage and death certificates. Although good practice, it can be very challenging. You can be the judge of how much verification is practical.
As you research, you may realize that you have family members who are in such organizations as Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Colonial Dames or other groups that require documented ancestral lineage. You may even set a goal to establish your lineage and join in. Ancestry research can really lead to other interests.
Another approach is to get a kit and submit a DNA sample. Typically, these services can help you connect to other relatives and to establish your cultural lineage: African, Irish, Japanese and many others. This can be used in conjunction with other research or as your primary research
While your project may never be completed in that you never feel like you can frame your family tree, you can certainly create something for future generations--a sense of self, of heritage, of great family stories behind the tree branches, a sense of your family’s place in history, perhaps even awareness of famous ancestors. You can leave a compilation of your accumulated resources to pass along to future generations.
If you find awkward family history, I suggest you embrace it! Any real family tree is going to have some amazing people in it, notable and notorious. One of my ancestors was a pirate!
As you create your tree of facts, note family stories to record and save for another project!
Esther Ferry is a retired Technical Writer who honed her craft delivering complex information in a clear, straight-forward style. In addition to writing, she enjoys sewing, gardening, and genealogy. She and her husband Jim have lived in the Fort Collins area for over 40 years. They love history and traveling – and combining the two!
Esther transitioned from writing to speaking through her 10-year membership in Toastmasters International. Besides crafting speeches and engaging audiences, she mentors and supports shy, reluctant speakers in discovering self-expression.
