Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Preserving photos and documents

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BeaAdamscroppedMy father was recently sent a packet of aging newspaper clippings and some photographs by a cousin. She was cleaning out her mother’s home after a downsizing (her mother is my grandfather’s sister) and thought my father would enjoy the clippings and photos about his parents, Dave and Bea Adams. There were also a couple of clippings about my father, Gene Adams.

They were delightful to look at and read. My grandfather had published a small-town weekly newspaper (The Franklin County Graphic) and several of the clippings were humorous essays be him, about my grandmother. Real treasures. There were also photographs, probably taken by my grandfather who was also the newspaper’s photographer, of my grandmother all dolled up. I knew her as very casual dresser, so they were really fun to see. I’ve included one with this post–I don’t know why there’s a veil attached to her hat.

Anyway, I wanted to treat these treasures properly. The newspaper clippings are yellowing and getting fragile. They were mushed together with the photos in an envelope. Fortunately, I have a few resources that I’d purchased to help me make sure these items get the proper treatment. They include:

Thanks for these resources, I’ve done the following with my treasures:

  • I’ve put the newspaper clippings into an archival folder, separated from the photos, and will have them photocopied onto archival paper. (They’re too big for my scanner.) They’re safe in an archival box.
  • I’ve put the photographs into a labeled archival envelope in an archival box.

This is making me want to get my hands on more documents and photos. My mother has a box of them in her closet that I think I’ll bring home with me next time I visit.

 

Free National Archives virtual genealogy fair next week!

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virtualgenfairposterI am really excited about the virtual genealogy fair the National Archives is putting on next week, September 3 and 4. Anyone can not only view a variety of genealogy lectures, but also there will be a genealogy help line open during the afternoons of the fair where you can ask your own questions! Recordings of the sessions will be available afterward.

And there’s no charge.

I so wish I didn’t have a client appointment on September 4. However, I’ve blocked out the 3rd on my calendar.

Here are the bare bones details. Go to the Archives fair website for complete details, including links to handouts.

What: National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair

When: September 3, 10 am to 4 pm eastern and September 4, 10 am to 5 pm eastern

How: View live broadcast via UStream (the webcast includes closed captioning and American Sign Language interpretation.) Questions will also be monitored on Twitter, hashtag #genfair2013

If you’re interested in participating, I urge you to click on the above link and read the instructions for participating in the webcast. You’ll need to create a UStream account if you don’t already have one, and you might want to get your ducks in a row in advance, so you don’t miss any of the fun.

Are you organized enough?

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My genealogy file cartA lot of people (including me) strive to be organized, especially when it comes to their genealogy. You need look no further than the incredibly popular and busy new Facebook group, The Organized Genealogist (3,604 members, as of today) to see that. It’s obvious that many people are looking for ways to get their genealogy research organized.

That begs the question, What does being organized really mean?

I think the answer varies by the individual, but generally speaking, as a professional organizer, I believe that being organized means that you’re able to put your hands on what you want, when you want it (well, within a minute or two). I always discourage people from striving to be “perfectly organized” (because that’s not really possible) and instead go for “organized enough.”

So how do you become organized enough? When it comes to family history research, the path to being organized starts with picking out a system that will work for you. There’s no one right way to organize your genealogy records. Pick what you think will work for you and try to keep it simple.

The next step is to deal with your backlog. That is, implement your system using the papers or files you already have.

The final, very important, step is to maintain your system regularly. You don’t want to wait for a back up to build back up before filing again. Instead, file as you go along. When you acquire a new document  (be it paper or electronic) file it right away. And here’s a tip: Don’t wait until you get through your backlog to start filing your incoming documents. Start immediately.

For me, the big difference in how I organize my genealogy files between now and when I first started getting interested in the hobby about a dozen years ago is that I’m relying less on paper and more on electronic files. I’ve set up a file naming protocol and I’m using it consistently for new files while chipping away at the backlog. Since I know I can find my electronic files, I’m printing fewer documents. I’m still using the paper file system that I started at the beginning for the papers that do come my way. And today, unlike a dozen years ago, I’m using software to keep track of my family tree and my sources. (I use Reunion on my Mac.) That gives me great peace of mind. (And, yes, I back it up both on an external hard drive and in the cloud.)

The best part? Thanks to neat paper and electronic files, my genealogy research doesn’t impinge on my physical space. (My paper files are in a rolling file cart that I tuck into a closet in my office.)

I’m not perfectly organized, not by a long shot. But I can find virtually everything I’m looking for quickly, so that makes me organized enough. And that makes me happy.

Direct vs collateral lines

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Keeping track of ancestors' siblings can provide valuable genealogy clues.

My grandfather, Crawford Brown, with his parents and siblings, 1916

So far in my family history research, I’ve focused on direct lines. Except for my own brothers, every person entered into my genealogy software (I use Reunion) is someone I’m directly descended from. I think one of the reasons for that is to try to make genealogy research less overwhelming. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how useful it would be to record brothers and sisters of direct ancestors (i.e. collateral lines). They can give valuable clues and help verify that a person being reached is the right person.

I worry a little about where I should draw the line–if I record the children of the siblings of my direct ancestors, will my family tree feel bloated? Will I feel more overwhelmed?

This came to a head this week when I learned that my grandfather’s only surviving sibling, his sister Mary, passed away at the age of 99. I was fortunate to meet Mary for the first time earlier this year. (That’s Mary, on her father’s lap at the age of four in the photo. My grandfather, Crawford, is standing at his father’s left shoulder.) She was delightful, with sparkling eyes and an easy laugh. I’m saddened by her passing.

Somehow it feels wrong that Mary’s not included in my family tree entries. I’ve decided to record siblings of my direct line as I come across them. My mother’s cousins Jerry and Judy Brown (Aunt Mary’s nephew and niece) have done a lot of genealogy research–including oral history with Mary–so adding that part of the family will be easy. I don’t know that I’ll go out of my way to research collateral lines (though who knows?), but I intend to verify and record information as I encounter it.

It seems clear to me that I shouldn’t be afraid of having too much information, as long as I apply the same standards of accuracy to my collateral lines as I do my direct lines. I don’t mind recording information–in fact, I rather enjoy it. So I’m comfortable with my decision to start including collateral lines. I’ll try not to let it overwhelm me!