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Genealogy, or documenting your family history, is a popular and rewarding hobby. With expanding popularity of genealogy, there are many historical associations which can offer assistance in your research. Most public libraries also have available resources. Internet sites are an invaluable tool to connect family members and researchers. Your family tree can open up beautiful love stories, war heroes, family traditions, and rich histories from foreign lands. A written family history is a gift you can pass to your children and grandchildren. First, genealogy requires understanding a few key words. A lineage or a pedigree is a line of descendants of a particular person or group. First cousins have two of the same grandparents, while second cousins have the same great-grandparents, third cousins have the same great-great grandparents, and so forth. Once removed is a common term to classify different generations. A cousin once removed is the difference of one generation. A family tree has many benefits. Other than a basic history of names, birthplaces, and birthdays, a family tree can document the family medical history. This is especially important to track the occurrence of certain trends and genetic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more. There are also many Web site databases to research and build your family tree and these databases grow everyday. Some of these sites are free (such as familysearch.org) and others charge a small fee. Be sure to talk with your family members to see if they've already done genealogy research or are currently building a family tree. Rather than do duplicate work, you can incorporate the work they've already done and link your information together for a more complete history and to get it all done quicker. The first step to your family tree is what you already know: your name, your parents' names, and your grandparents' names. The second step is to interview your family members, especially ones with family documents like legal papers, birth and death certificates, or obituaries. Also look for books, letters, newspaper clippings, diaries, yearbooks, and photographs. Next, find sources of records of your ancestors. Census records are one of the most helpful tools in documenting family history. Also check records of immigration, court, probate, military, and vital records and even go to cemetaries. While some records are public, there may be a small fee to search, copy, or print some materials. If you are requesting the records through the mail, you will usually need to pay the postage costs. The further back in history you go, the more difficult. But you'll find interesting information along the way. Generations ago, literacy was not as prominent, and many people could not spell their own names. You may have trouble deciphering handwriting and there may also be typos in records. Watch your family tree grow and bloom as you discover more about your ancestors. Create an eternally rewarding gift to enhance your family's future and restore the memories of the past. Copyright (c) 2006
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