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Preserving Heirloom Documents

In addition to photographs, there are also several types of documents that family historians preserve. In the past, we kept documents in photo albums, the family Bible and in other books. However, with the choices in media today, we can now scan documents and make a DVD as well as save the original documents. Let’s look at what documents should be kept, how to preserve them and how to make a DVD of the documents. Copies of DVD’s can be shared with other family members. The original documents can be passed down to future generations. Heirloom Documents *Letters written to … Continue reading →

Webinars, Webinars, and More Webinars!

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The word “webinar” is a combination of the word “seminar” and “web”. It can be used for business meetings and trainings. Webinars are also often used for genealogy. Watching a good genealogy webinar is an effective way for genealogists to learn something new. Here are a few that you might want to check out this week. Ancestry.com has a series of genealogy webinars that are streamed live through Livestream. I am fairly certain that they can be viewed for free. The have an archive of recorded webinars that are available for genealogists to view free of charge. This week, there … Continue reading →

Digitage Heritage Scrapbooks

A few weeks ago I posted about scrapbooking your old family photos and memorabilia. Today I want to also mention the idea of creating a digital heritage scrapbook (also called a digital family tree or digital genealogy scrapbook). A digital scrapbook is made on a computer using an image editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Coral Paint Shop. Items that can be made into a digital scrapbook include vintage family photographs, old letters, vital records, and heirlooms. Before you begin, you will need to convert your photos and memorabilia into a digital format by scanning them into your computer. … Continue reading →

Scrapbooking Your Family Tree

During my genealogical research, I have accumulated quite a few old photos and heirlooms. Some I received from relatives, both near and far, and others I’ve had passed on to me specifically to include in my genealogy records. One elderly lady I met was so happy to give me some photos she had of my ancestors (who were also related to her in some manner) because she was afraid they would be thrown out after she died, since they didn’t have any meaning to her immediate family. I was honored to accept them. She passed away a few months ago. … Continue reading →

Deciphering Old Terminology

Terminology has changed significantly since the days of our ancestors, and you are likely to run into words and phrases you don’t understand while performing your genealogical research. In time, as you read through various documents, you may begin to make some sense out of this antique jargon. Sometimes you can locate old terms in a regular dictionary, such as The Oxford English Dictionary. Genealogical dictionaries, such as Abbreviations & Acronyms: A Guide for Family Historians or What Did They Mean By That? A Dictionary of Historical and Genealogical Terms, can also be a great help for making sense of … Continue reading →

Printing and Framing your Family Tree

A lot of work goes into a finished family tree. There is a lot of time and research that goes into any family tree. Some people spend years completing a family tree. Many people spend months on their project. With a project of this magnitude, it is understandable that many families would want to print and frame their family tree. A beautifully printed family tree that is matted and framed is a great family heirloom. It can be displayed proudly by grandparents in their home and passed down to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. There are many ways to … Continue reading →

A Family Tree is a Work of Art

A lot of work goes into creating a family tree. It is something that you will cherish for years and pass on to your children and grandchildren. You have two options when creating your family tree. You can choose to use a “Descendant Tree” which displays a couple and the family that has been created from their union. Or you could use your great-grandparents and show their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The other option is to choose an “Ancestor Tree” which displays the couple, their children, and then shows the couple’s parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. There are several ways in … Continue reading →

Keeping a Genealogy Box

Many families keep old family photographs, letters and treasures in a box. In many cases, the box is a cedar chest or a trunk. Or the box may be an old shoe box or a cigar box. If it has been created recently, it may be kept in a plastic storage container. For those of us who haven’t inherited such a box, we can make one ourselves and ensure that there is one in our own family to be passed down to our children and grandchildren. Here are a few examples: Cedar Chest: The cedar chest has been used for … Continue reading →

Old Letters and Your Family Tree

By now we have learned the importance of a family tree. We know that a family tree is more than a list of names. Now, I want to share some of the significance of keeping old letters in addition to other papers with your family tree. I have decided to make a box dedicated to all of my paperwork related to my family tree. It is an ongoing project that I work on whenever I have the chance. In this box I have added all of the old letters that I have inherited from family members. I think it is … Continue reading →

Recording Genealogy Research in Books

When I first realized the importance of genealogical research, I wanted a book in which to record my research data and notes. I started with a three-ring binder and page protectors. I put everything that I had pertaining to my family tree in the binder. I had articles on how to build a family tree that I had clipped from magazines. I put those together in sleeves and added a tab divider to keep them organized. Next, I added handwritten notes that were given to me by my grandparents. The notes contained names and dates of some of our ancestors, … Continue reading →