| SaddleBrooke Genealogy Club Copyright 2007 |
| General Information |
Genealogy: 1) an account of the decent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms: 2)
regular decent of a person, family or group of organisms form a progenitor or older for: PEDIGREE 3) the study of
family pedigrees.
At least that is the definition in the Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. For most of our members genealogy is finding
out who our families are, where they came from and how they got from there to here. Members of the
SaddleBrooke Genealogy Club meet once a month to listen to members of the genealogy community who will share
their knowledge with us. Sometimes we have professional genealogists who will talk about general places to search
for our ancestors. Other times they will talk about a specific library and how to use it to its fullest advantage. Other
times they will talk about specific countries and how and where to find specific information.
If you are interested in finding your family roots you should start with yourself. Write down when and where you
were born, where you went to school, when and where you were married, if you are, who your spouse is. Than do
the same for your spouse, children, grand-children, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents. OK – it
sounds overwhelming but it is not. You just start with one person and when you complete that person move on to
the next.
In a very short time you have written down all that you personally know about your family. A good “next step” is to
talk to your parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents if they are still alive. Ask all of the personal questions: when
and where were you born, married, lived, and served in the Armed Forces etc. Try to go back as many generations
as you can. Now be careful. Some of the information that has been handed down from one generation to another
may not be correct. Most people don’t want to admit to a parent or grand-parent who was jailed for operating a
still. And of course some information is just incorrect because it was written down many years after the fact. For
example, the family “history” tells that a great-grandfather and great-grandmother were married in Ireland and moved
to the US. Not correct, I found their marriage license and they were married in Philadelphia.
Some useful tools to look for family members is to search the US Census, US Immigration records, or Ellis Island
records. And there are many more records available. Another useful tool is to look at message boards on some of
the free website. Just remember that you need to verify each piece of information you collect.
If you are interested in researching your family tree – come to one of our meetings and meet the club. Who knows –
you may get hooked.
out who our families are, where they came from and how they got from there to here. Members of the
SaddleBrooke Genealogy Club meet once a month to listen to members of the genealogy community who will share
their knowledge with us. Sometimes we have professional genealogists who will talk about general places to search
for our ancestors. Other times they will talk about a specific library and how to use it to its fullest advantage. Other
times they will talk about specific countries and how and where to find specific information.
If you are interested in finding your family roots you should start with yourself. Write down when and where you
were born, where you went to school, when and where you were married, if you are, who your spouse is. Than do
the same for your spouse, children, grand-children, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents. OK – it
sounds overwhelming but it is not. You just start with one person and when you complete that person move on to
the next.
In a very short time you have written down all that you personally know about your family. A good “next step” is to
talk to your parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents if they are still alive. Ask all of the personal questions: when
and where were you born, married, lived, and served in the Armed Forces etc. Try to go back as many generations
as you can. Now be careful. Some of the information that has been handed down from one generation to another
may not be correct. Most people don’t want to admit to a parent or grand-parent who was jailed for operating a
still. And of course some information is just incorrect because it was written down many years after the fact. For
example, the family “history” tells that a great-grandfather and great-grandmother were married in Ireland and moved
to the US. Not correct, I found their marriage license and they were married in Philadelphia.
Some useful tools to look for family members is to search the US Census, US Immigration records, or Ellis Island
records. And there are many more records available. Another useful tool is to look at message boards on some of
the free website. Just remember that you need to verify each piece of information you collect.
If you are interested in researching your family tree – come to one of our meetings and meet the club. Who knows –
you may get hooked.
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