A family tree is another name for a pedigree chart. Filling out a pedigree chart is a good way to begin doing genealogy or also known as family history.

The first ( free and easy) step is to go to http://www.familysearch.org/ and download the PAF program. The Personal Ancestral File (PAF) genealogy program is user friendly and free! Go through the tutorial if you need some help getting started.

The second step is to pull-up a pedigree chart. Your full name goes on line #1. Line #2 is for your father’s name. Go to line #3 to record your mother’s first, middle and maiden name. Below each name is space to record dates and places of birth, marriage and death. Now you are linked to your parents on your pedigree chart. Then you continue on linking your parents with their parents. This pattern repeats itself for every generation. The father’s names on your chart have even numbers and the mother’s have odd numbers. Hopefully you will be able to fill out the info for your parents and grandparents from your own knowledge.

It is best to write out the months, years and place names. The usual format for writing a date is the day, month then year 26 March 1852. For place of birth, marriage or death record the city or township, county and the state Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. If you don’t know the city put , Marion, Indiana or ,, Indiana if you only know the state.

Once you have filled out all you can on your own, you will want to contact your extended family members to see what help they can give you. Also go once again to http://www.familysearch.org/for a free search of over 2 billions names of deceased persons. You may hit gold on your first search!

After you have filled out your pedigree chart as much as you can, it’s time to start on the family group charts using your PAF program. You will want to make a family group chart for each person on your pedigree chart. If the husband or wife has been married more than once, a family group record needs to be created for each marriage. The family group chart lists the names of the children associated with each couple. As on the pedigree chart, there are spaces for each birth, marriage and death record.

For more genealogy know how, read my articles in this blog under the category genealogy tips.

Genealogy begins as an interest,

Becomes a hobby,

Continues as an avocation,

Takes over as an obsession,

And in its last stages,

Is an incurable disease!

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