Genealogy Activities
Researching a family tree can become a lifelong hobby and involves many genealogical activities. From recording the milestones in your parents' lives to delving into the history of grandparents and ancestors, it is an ongoing quest that never ends. While those who have never researched their past may think of genealogy as a simple interconnecting tree, there is much more involved than linking a few names and dates together to form an interesting pedigree.
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Family Activities
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Interview your parents, grandparents, great aunts and uncles about their genealogy knowledge. While they may claim they don't know much about their history, they also hold information that may seem insignificant to them and not worth passing on. By asking open ended questions such as "Where was your mother born?" and "Where did your parents live in the old country?" you may open the door to memories that hold important dates, names and other clues pertaining to family genealogy.
Reunion Activities
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Contact your relatives a few weeks before the date of your family reunion and ask them to bring any old family photos, documents and mementos in their possession. Often a family bible has been passed down to another branch of the tree; the same holds for birth, marriage, baptism and death certificates and notices. You can also request that they write a short story about their earliest family memories; often relatives will hold key information such as a birthplace or family homestead that has not been previously recorded.
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Research Activities
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Visit your local library to explore the resources available for genealogy research. Many libraries hold census records, town histories, city directories and other key pieces of information; they may also be able to order books and microfilms that can be borrowed from another library in the region or state. Larger libraries now have a computer research area as well as subscriptions to large genealogy research websites that you can access for free at the library.
Online Activities
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Type "genealogy" into a search engine and you will receive over 80 million hits. There is a vast amount of genealogy information available online, and much of it is available for free. Look for websites that offer free charts and organization aids as well as links to the specific area in which your family lived. Many subscription sites offer free trial periods; make a list of key items you're searching for before you begin to help stay on track in your research. It's also a good idea to bookmark sites as you find them so you can locate the information again if needed.
Vacation Activities
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Plan a trip to a location pertaining to your family history. Much information can be found from cemetery headstones and records; many smaller towns have a local museum that may hold keys to your family's past. In addition, there are usually a few local amateur historians that enjoy sharing their knowledge with interested visitors. While the stories may be second or third hand and colored by memory they are also usually based on fact and can give you another avenue of research for your family tree.
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