NEWGEN-L Archives

From: "Sally Rolls Pavia" <>
Subject: [NEWGEN] Family Trees and Histories
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2003 23:11:31 -0700

Family Trees and Histories

I'm often asked by visitors to my site, what's the difference between and
family tree project and a family history project? Personally, I like doing
the later much more. While they may sound like interchangeable terms, the
two are quite different; requiring different resources and approaches.
Building a Family Tree

A family tree project focuses on names, dates and relationships. Using the
metaphor of a tree, you compile links between individuals based on their
bloodline (e.g. mother, father, etc). It's an easy process to start -- just
sit down with your parents and start asking questions (e.g. "Who was your
mother?")

Genealogists build their trees many generations, and to do so require older
resources. Many researchers can quickly trace their roots back three levels
(you parents, grandparents and great-grandparents), and for most this will
get you back to somewhere between 1890 and 1910. If you get stuck, the U.S.
Census is a great tool -- and with a few searches you can see who was living
where and with whom.

After that it becomes a much more challenging project. As you work back
century by century, the resources become more scarce and the effort required
gets bigger.

Collecting a Family History

This is my favorite type of project. It focuses on your direct ancestors
(for which you need the basic information: names, dates, etc), but rather
than just typing them into a software package (FREEBIE: ) or writing them on
a nice chart, you gather details about their lives.

These details then begin to intertwine as the stories of one generation
blend into the next (which makes sense since when your parents were born,
your grandparents would have stories about them).

Family Historians tend to focus on three or four generations, which over
time tends to lead further back, but the primary goal is to get as much
information about the direct ancestors. Often, and are the best resources,
although land and probate records have a certain richness contained within
them as well.

Interviewing is essential, but don't just ask about birth and death
information. Find out where your relatives went to school, where they worked
and lived. Two summers ago, I dragged my wife all over New Jersey to look at
the different homes my great-grandparents lived in. It's a lot of fun to
look at a home and imagine what it was like back when they were living there
Oh, remember to bring a camera!

Pictures are also important for family histories. Putting a face to a name
is a key objective for the historian. Do you look like your ancestors? Is
there one that you resemble more than others?

Must I Choose?

Absolutely not, you can actually work on both types of projects
simultaneously. They're truly complementary. And both are tons of fun!


Sally Rolls Pavia
Sun City, AZ
"History is the ship carrying living memories to the future"

List Owner:
Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES
"All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"
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• [NEWGEN] Family Trees and Histories by "Sally Rolls Pavia" <>