The Beginning: A Blank Family Tree

Although staring at a blank family tree might seem disheartening, it's actually an excellent place to begin your genealogical research. Strange as it sounds, genealogical research begins at the end--with you. Put your full name on the first line of your first blank family tree. Use maiden names for all women. Underneath your name, there may be spaces for more information: the date and place of birth, marriage and death. If you are married, fill in the Spouse blank with his or her full (maiden) name.

Tips:

Don't worry too much about information you don't know or don't remember yet--you can fill it in later. Feel free to turn to your birth certificate or marriage license for more information. You don't have to predict when you'll die and where. For uncertain dates, places or names, you may want to use a pencil, but use a pen to finalize any information.

Moving through Time: Working Backwards on Your Blank Family Tree

Once you've filled in your information, start on your parents. Fill in birth place and date if spaces are provided. Notice that marriage date and place may only be recorded under your father's name. If your parents are still living, leave the death date and place blank. Can't remember your parents' birthdays? If your parents are still living, call them. If your parents are deceased, call a sibling, either yours or your parents', that is good with dates. If you can't find anyone who knows, or if you receive conflicting information, you can request official records or copies from the state and county where your parents were born, were married and died. This documentation is extremely valuable in research. When you have your parents' information, fill in your grandparents'. Write as much as you can remember, again, using a pencil for uncertain information. If your grandparents are still living, call them to confirm dates and places. Ask them for information on their parents, or fill in your great-grandparents as best you can from memory.

Tips:

If you're using a numbered chart, a simple mathematical formula may help you find people more quickly. With the possible exception of #1, all other odd numbers on the chart indicate women and even numbers indicate men. Double a person's "number" on this chart to get the number of his or her father. Double a person's number and add one to get the number of his or her mother. This mathematical trick works on all pedigree charts arranged like this, from a four generation chart to a 200 generation chart. Don't forget to use women's maiden names as you fill in your chart. In the top right corner of the page, label this chart as Chart No. 1. In the bottom left hand corner, write your name, current address, current phone number and the date you prepared this chart.

Filling in your blank family tree will take a little time, but with some effort and phone calls, you should be able to get a good start on your family history. In the second article, you can learn more about pushing your research further back, getting to know your ancestors and how professional genealogy research could help you in your quest.