The plan is to take three ways to research family until we have a rich strong Family Tree. As we discover our roots we find ourselves on an exciting genealogical adventure!

Get comfy, grab your notebook pen and iPad as we form a homework plan for gathering family stories. We never know what can be found digging around in the past!

Googling ancestor names sometimes provides a more defined life span. A Google Search and Find A Grave can help reveal a family members birth and death dates, photos and stories. Facebook has helped in the search for family.

Unfortunately, not every google search or Find A Grave attempt aids us in researching our family roots. One of my favorite go-to’s is Ancestry.com

Homework Plan: Finding All There Is To Know About Family

Write Down Family Information Known To Be Correct

• Begin With You-
• Write or type out full name and any other last names you have had. This is very important! When you are studying the life of one of your ancestors, they may have several or just one or two last names during their life span. Women have a Maiden Name-Married Name And May Get Married More Than Once. An Ancestor may have taken the last name of a family that took them in if they did not live with their parents for some reason. I have a whole family in our Family Tree, the mom, dad, and two sons, that changed their last names more than a few times.
• Write out Birth Date-Day, Month, & Year. Do Not be surprised if you think you have found your Ancestor but their Birth Year is not matching up with what is on their tombstone. People changed the year they were born to appear older maybe to get a job or maybe to get married, etc.
• Write out the year they were Married and in what County, City and State.
• Write out If they were in the Service and the years you served.
• Write out Any and ALL Information that might be helpful if someone wanted to find you.
• Where you were born-
• Where you went to school-
• If you vote-
• Where you work-
• Travel-This gives you a great path to follow in finding your Ancestors.

Ask For Help! Question Family Members

• Call-Write-Visit Don’t hesitate and wait till that person can’t remember or is no longer with us. Ask them for any information they are willing to share. They might open up and want to share a book of stories! People want to talk and share and they love that you are interested. Or do they?
• They might have a box full of family photos. You can always make copies if they want to keep the original photo. I have taken my phone and Apple ipad and taken a photo from a hanging picture.
• Facebook Groups share photos-
• Ancestry.com has photos people have shared
• googling brings up old photos too.
• Check with the college in the town you are searching.
• Historical Archives.
• Check out the libraries
• Call and Visit Historical Society.

Document Everything While Researching Family Roots

Remember to Always document every bit of history you come across and keep close not only on paper but in your heart all the valuable time you spent with family! Document Everything! Keep it in our handy in 3-Ring Binders- Journals- Notebooks- Microsoft Office shown in my Amazon Storefront above in the Menu

We never know what we might come across! Our Family Tree on my mom’s side has some dead ends (play on words) that we really want to untangle along with unsolved family secrets, lies and a murder! This will be in my book The Death Owl Poems & Reflections

There will be Broken Connections but we can not give up! As Always, Happy Writing And Reading!

These pics were from a family reunion trip where we first time met some wonderful family members to add to the limbs of our Family Tree. Precious memories! And, this little cutie came along. She is our 2 year old English Bulldog named after my great Mamaw Liley.