Getting started can feel daunting; however, numerous resources exist that can help you trace your origins, including ones in the local area and on the internet.
The best and simplest way to start working on your family tree is to start with yourself and work backward. Write down your name, your parents and your grandparents. See how far back you can reach with your memories and family records, such as photo albums, Bibles, birth certificates and scrapbooks.
Your loved ones likely have a wealth of information that can help you start documenting your family history, including additional family albums, letters and diaries. Even stories passed down through the years can provide you with names and details you can use in your search.
It's also possible one of your relatives has already begun building a family tree, which you could use as a launch point for your studies.
When looking over documents, four pieces of information are critical:
You can use these key points to verify records you find during your research. For example, if you know your great-grandfather's name and where he lived, you can search for an obituary using his name and location. If you can find his obituary, you may be able to learn the names of his parents, siblings, wife and children, which will help you take one step further in your studies.
It isn't unusual for the spelling of family names to change, sometimes drastically, between recorded documents. The same person may be listed as Thomas Schneider in an obituary and yet appear as Tom Snider on a census record when they were a child.
In the past, many people were illiterate, and consistent spelling wasn't considered as important as it is now. While frustrating, misspellings usually can be resolved by verifying the documents in question through other data, such as age, birth date, location and names of family members.
As you trace your family tree, you'll notice the number of entries in each generation will double because each parent has a set of parents. It can be difficult to keep this much information organized and easy to access.
To simplify the process, use a spreadsheet, template or free family tree builder to manage your notes. You may also want to consider regularly backing up your information on a removable flash drive or Google Drive for safekeeping.
Older adults in Frisco don't have to travel far to find useful information and historical documents that can help them.
Public libraries typically have an entire section devoted to genealogy, and the one just a few miles from our Bethesda Gardens Frisco location is no different.
Its monthly Genealogy Power Hour event connects aspiring genealogists with their peers and local experts who can help answer their questions. The meetings are free to attend, and seniors can use the library's computers to help further their research.
Additionally, the library has an Ancestry.com account, historical newspapers and over 60 databases cardholders can access.
The Frisco Heritage Association was founded in 1998 to preserve and share local history. A nonprofit staffed by volunteers, its offerings have been expanded to cover genealogical records, such as census data, obituary archives and cemetery lists.
The staff also leads educational classes when there's enough public interest. Past examples include Gateway to Genealogy, Ten Hidden Genealogy Sites and the Brick Wall Genealogy Workshop.
The genealogy corner of the Collin County Clerk's Office website has free online databases you can use to view useful documents. If you're building a family album using your findings, you can request a copy of the official documents for a fee.
The searchable information houses marriage licenses going back over 126 years. It also contains birth and death indexes, school census records and a publication of residents who served during World War II.
The Collin County Genealogical Society assists its members in their research while supporting and improving the genealogy section of the Plano Public Library.
Although joining the society requires a one-time fee or annual subscription, it has free resources available to the public, including interactive maps and digitized local newspapers.
Websites are a powerful tool in genealogical research. As you explore your family tree, you'll likely find relatives who immigrated to the Lone Star State from other parts of the nation and the world.
Using the internet allows you to view official documents and talk with local experts to gather information without leaving the comfort of your assisted living apartment.
The United States has taken a census every 10 years since 1790, just 16 years after the Declaration of Independence. These records and other historical information can be found in the National Archives and accessed through its website.
The Library of Congress offers a searchable directory of newspapers published between 1756 and 1963.
Find a Grave is a free community-driven website that features cemetery and memorial information from around the world.
