Have you ever considered doing family history research but don’t know where to begin or how to start a family tree? 

Well I am happy to help guide you in the right direction! 

So in this blog article I break down the process of starting a family tree in to three sections.

The first is about setting up a tree chart. This way you can see all of your ancestors, the descendants, and everything in between in a simplistic form.

For the second section, I outline the starting details you should gather together for genealogy research.

The third section is for diving deeper into your ancestor’s background and life story.

|Related Article: What is Genealogy?

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Tree Template

As you start a family tree the first person you should list is yourself. (If you are doing research for someone else’s family, start with the person you are assisting.)

Keep it simple write just Name and Birth/Death dates.  

From there work your way backwards in time through your ancestors, while adding in any other relatives.

Be sure to leave space to include spouses and children. 

For a visual way to think of the steps, picture Up and Out. ↑→

Line by Line

First write your information on the tree (Name, Birth Date) 

Then move one line Up. ↑

Write your parent’s information above yours. 

Then move Out. →

Add in your siblings at the same line as yourself.

If anyone is married and has children be sure to include those individuals as well. 

Every family structure is different so it is difficult to have the same exact template but this document is a helpful starting point.

Start Your Family Tree

Okay now that your family tree chart is complete lets move on to the next section.

Try to think of this all in three parts 1) a simple, visual family tree outlining each person and how they are connected 2) gathering the starting info 3) details of their full life story 

These two elements will be your foundation and starting points for beginning research.

What You Know

When starting your family tree write out all the information you already know to the best of your knowledge.

This is the part where you bring each person to life with a better understanding of who they were. 

As you fill out this form include key details for every person. Be specific as possible.

What Others Know

Make notations of where information came from. If Uncle Bob told you Aunt Mary was born in Italy, write him down as the Source. 

If possible, indicate how your source knew these things. It can be as basic as “first hand account/experience” or more complicated like “Heard the story from my great-aunt” 

(This book Genealogy Standards helps outline genealogy record sourcing)

This way when you look back at your notes you will know where that information came from, and who to ask for more details.

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Record Keeping

While your research will mostly be online, I still recommend having a notebook, binder, or scrapbook of papers. 

|Related Article: Tips for Organizing Paperwork

It can help you stay organized with files and papers.

It is easier to just grab a folder or notebook and look at records, than bouncing between several tabs open on a computer screen to figure out which ancestor you are working on.

You can always carry a journal and pen with you.

If you are going somewhere to research or talk with a relative, you can quickly jot down information. No need to wait for a laptop to boot up or internet wifi. 

In the chance that a computer system or online program goes down or discontinues. You will still have a paper trail record of everything.

Now you can also print out files from your digital family tree, which I highly recommend!

But it is always a good idea to have back up copies. Maybe even give some to another family member. 

Ancestors’ Life Story Details

For the final phase, write out all of the key details about each ancestor’s life.

Identify important dates and milestones while also expanding with more information.

To read more about why genealogy is important, click here:

| Related Article: What is Genealogy?

Here is a list of some starting points:

• Name – include maiden names, married names, and nicknames
• Residency – address locations through out life (census records and city directories help with this)
• Birth- date, location (both geographical and hospital) parents names, and any other information on the birth certificate. Newspapers.com is a great resource for finding birth announcements. If you would like to reach out to a hospital for any available paperwork, the Health Information Management Department can assist.
• Childhood milestones- activities, sports, ceremonies, and graduations.
• Education – locations, names of schools attended

• Marriage -engagement announcements, marriage announcements, wedding date, spouse’s name, geographical location, witnesses on marriage certificate, wedding location/venue
• Births of Children – same birth details as above ^
• Career information – work place name, occupation, location
• Milestones / Celebrations / Achievements / Miscellaneous
• Death Records- date, location, hospital, cause of death, any other details on death certificate
• Burial Information- cemetery name, location, burial plot. If the person was cremated, note where ashes/urns are located / with which family members.

| Related Article- Cemeteries Help Family Research

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