There are 12 steps to keep you organized when
making a family tree.
1. Gather all the supplies for your project.
You will need file boxes with lids, colored hanging file
folders, standard green hanging files, manila folders,
pens, highlighters, labels for folders, dot or star
stickers, lined paper, additional boxes to expand your
storage, a carrying case to hold all of this in, and a
wall size pedigree chart. Pedigree charts can be found
on most ancestry websites or at your local library.
2. File your family pedigree charts
Print a complete set of all your pedigree charts
starting with yourself and working back. Label one of
the green hanging folders "Pedigree Charts" and place
all of these charts in it. Pedigree charts can be
located at most ancestry and genealogy sites. Fill them
out as much as you can. The more info you can fill out
now, the easier it will be later.
3. Print a copy of the Circled 5 generation
Pedigree Chart
Print a color copy of the Circled 5 Generation Pedigree
Chart. You are the 5th generation. Your sixteen great
grandparents are the first generation. Use the color
code provided with the chart to fill in the rest. This
chart can be found at most genealogy websites.
5. Put 16 hanging file folders in your box
This step needs no explanation. Just place 16 hanging
file folders in your box. You may need more later on but
16 is the basic you will need for all your great
grandparents.
6. Label the colored hanging file folders with
your family surnames.
Label each of the folders with the surname of each of
your 8 great grandfathers, and the maiden names of your
8 great grandmothers. If you don't know the surnames
(last names) of your great grandmothers, do as many as
you can and try to contact family members that may know
other names.
7. Put a highlighted copy of your 5-generation
pedigree chart in each of the colored folders.
Print 16 more copies of your 5-generation pedigree chart
with you as 1 on the chart.
On one of the pedigree charts, highlight the names of
all persons with the same last name using the color
assigned to that last name. File the highlighted
pedigree chart in its last name hanging file folder.
Repeat the process of highlighting a last name line and
filing the pedigree chart in its hanging folder for each
of the 16 last names of your great-great grandparents.
This may seem tedious, but you will appreciate how much
easier it makes things later.
8. Set up a file for each family on your
5-generation pedigree chart.
Set up manila folders for each of the families by
putting a colored labels on the file tab. Match the
label color to the color of each family group record. Be
sure to use sticky labels. Sticky labels are great
because if you have to change something, you just place
a label over the existing one. They help keep things
organized.
9. File the manila folders
Place the manila family folders in hanging folders,
matching the color of the label on the manila family
folder to the color of the hanging file folder. Color
coding everything makes things so much easier to find
later.
10. Put these items in each family folder
In a family folder place the family group record of the
family, documents you have already gathered for that
family, and any notes you have taken on the family.
11. Set up other useful files
Set up other files containing letters, photos, emails,
birth certificates, etc. Anything that you can think of
that may fit into its own category, make a file for it.
It makes it much easier to locate later.
12. Expand to other boxes as needed
When one of your files gets too big to fit into your
box, simply move it to another box. Take as many boxes
as you need to get all the information you need. Having
multiple organized boxes is much better than having it
all in one box unorganized and a jumbled mess.
Following these easy steps will help keep you organized
while creating your family tree. With such a big
undertaking, organization is important.
About the Authors
Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook own
http://www.amateur-genealogist.com
and
http://www.our-family-trees.co.uk two of the
leading Genealogy Websites.
In addition Paul owns a wide range of exciting websites
which can be viewed at
http://www.our-family-trees.co.uk
Source: http://www.searchwhateveraustralia.com.au/
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