Get Family Details

How to Write Your Family History Choose a Format. Define the Scope. Set Realistic Deadlines. Choose a Plot and Themes. Do Your Background Research. Don't Be Afraid to Use Records and Documents. Include an Index and Source Citations.

A family tree is a visual representation of a person's lineage, tracing relationships to common ancestors. Visually similar to an org chart, this diagram is usually presented in a tree structure starting with one individual as the root. From the root, lines representing branches terminate in boxes representing leaves.

Identify all of your family members by name and discuss where your family members live. Use “brother, sister, mother, father, uncle, aunt, cousin, etc” to identify your family members. For example, you may write: “Let me tell you about my family. I have a mother, a father, two brothers, and one sister.

Examples include marriage licenses, draft cards, birth certificates, and census records.

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Examples include marriage licenses, draft cards, birth certificates, and census records.

Before You Start Writing Your Family History Decide Your Audience. Decide On The Message For Each Piece of Family History Writing. Set A Plan & Avoid Tangents. If You Can't Write It, Say It. Use Endnotes or Footnotes to separate your family history writing from sources. Bring Your Family History Writing To Life.

Start with the oldest ones first. Be sure to take written notes or record your interviews. Ask family members for permission to see certificates and make a record of family birth, marriage, death, and burial records (known as vital records) in your free Pedigree chart and Family Group Sheet.