Family History Book

10 “Must-Do” Genealogy Projects for April

10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for April

Are you looking for some productive genealogy projects to do for April? As the first full month of spring, April offers some interesting and unique genealogy opportunities that just don’t fit in as well during other months of the year. If you want to stay on top of things in your genealogy research, these are the projects that should definitely be on your “to do” list this month. Enjoy them.

 

1. Spring Clean Your Genealogy

This is a perfect time to go through all of the printed genealogy information in your files and binders and clean it up. Put things in their proper places if they have been stacking up for a while. Get rid of information you don’t need anymore. Alphabetize items and arrange them by date from oldest to newest. You can even categorize documents in this way. Doing this will make it much easier for you to find what you need when you need it, and reduce genealogical clutter.

 

2. Sweep Your Family Tree

It’s not just your physical genealogical information that needs cleaning this time of year. This is also a perfect time to prep your digital family tree for work for the year ahead. Go through the lines you are actively working on and make sure every piece of information has a credible source attached to it. If there is no source, find one or more. Make sure your family tree makes sense and all generations have a proven connection to one another. Delete inaccurate or disproved information. Edit notes in your family tree for grammar and spelling, and add new details that you may have discovered but not written down yet. Add photos of any new ancestors you’ve discovered to your digital family tree to paint a more complete picture of your family history.

 

3. Make Donations

You may have some family heirlooms, or other important genealogical artifacts you’ve discovered during your research that have a local or regional importance. If you want to make sure those things are always well cared for and available to other researchers and the general public, this is a perfect time of year to donate them to local historical societies, archives, libraries, and museums. Doing this is a much more secure way of ensuring the survival of the artifact for future generations than handing them down in your family, unless you have a relative you are sure is as interested in family history as you.

 

4. Have a Traditional Spring Picnic

Picnics became really popular outdoor pastimes in the 1800’s. Research what types of foods and activities your ancestors in your part of the country would have had at a 19th century picnic. Then, recreate it and enjoy an old-fashioned picnic with your family, while honoring the traditions of your ancestors at the same time. If the place where your ancestors would have had picnics is still available for that kind of use, then have it there. Otherwise, choose your own favorite place to enjoy the springtime outdoors.

 

5. Read a New Genealogy Book

It’s always a good idea to keep up on learning new genealogy research techniques and sources for finding records. One of the ways you can do this is by reading books on genealogy research. There are a lot of them, so you can easily read a new book each month, and keep your learning on point. Your genealogy research will benefit from this and you will be glad you did it. Soon, it will develop into a good genealogical habit.

 

6. Read a New Book on Local or Regional History

Just like keeping up on genealogical research methods and sources makes you a better researcher, so does learning about the places your ancestors lived. Read a book on the local or regional history of your town, or the towns in which your ancestors lived. It will give you a better idea as to what their lives were like at the time they lived there. You may even find a mention or two of them in the book you read, and learn things about them that you never knew. These tidbits make excellent and important additions to your genealogy research.

 

7. Research Graduation Traditions of Your Ancestors

Spring is generally the time when public schools and colleges have their graduation ceremonies. Around this time, kids everywhere are starting to get ready for graduation, and it was the same for your ancestors as far back as the mid-1800’s, when public education was first becoming compulsory across the nation. Add a bit of interesting detail to your family history by researching the graduation traditions of your ancestors. You may even find details on their actual graduation ceremonies in old newspapers and yearbooks (you can find old yearbook records in local archives and historical societies, and on Ancestry.com).

 

8. Write Another Chapter in Your Family History Book

If you are writing a book on your family history, make it more manageable by doing one chapter a month. If you write one chapter a month, the project will seem much more doable. If you’ve finished your book, take this month to submit it for publication, or self-publish it and learn to market it. Or, you can start a new family history book on a different family line. Just go ahead and write the first chapter.

 

9. Research the History of Your House or Your Family’s Traditional Homestead

The history of the house you live in, or that your family owned for generations (and maybe still does) is interesting. There are people and companies that specialize in doing the “genealogy” of houses. But you can do it yourself. Research it using old newspapers, property and land records, and photos. You will discover so much about how your ancestors lived in that house in generations past, and can add the information to your family history narrative to enrich it.

 

10. Search eBay for Items Pertaining to Your Family History

You’re not the only one doing spring cleaning this time of year. Other people are doing it, too, and this may mean an excellent opportunity to gather new family heirlooms and photos by browsing eBay. Who knows what distant relatives out there may be selling the exact things you want to add to your genealogy and family tree? Search eBay by your last name (or the last name of the family line you’re researching), or by last name and location to get more exact results. You may find some incredible things. Many genealogists use eBay as a research source, and so should you.

10 “Must-Do” Genealogy Projects for February

10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for February

February is deep in the coldest part of winter. While the days are starting to get longer, it’s not exactly spring-like yet. With Valentine’s Day, along with this unique annual weather, February is the perfect time to tackle a bevy of genealogy projects, like these 10 “must-do” ones.

 

1. Genealogy Valentines

If you are going to be sending Valentine cards out to your relatives anyway, why not make them genealogy Valentines? Consider what ancestors would have the most personal meaning to the individuals who will be receiving cards from you. Then, make a copy of a photo of that ancestor and glue or paste it to the front of the card stock paper you’re using to make the Valentine. Use markers, decorative ink stamps, and other decorations for paper to add a border for the photo on each Valentine. Write a meaningful message inside, along with a little bit of information about that ancestor and their connection to your relative receiving the card. Send the cards in large envelopes so you don’t have to fold the photos.

 

2. Traditional Family Candy Recipes

Look through old family cookbooks and recipe cards for candy and cake recipes. Valentine’s Day is, after all, a day when people celebrate by eating sweets. Why not do it the traditional way your family used to do it? Make a few of the recipes and share them with your loved ones, telling them the stories behind the treats and how they connect with your family history.

 

3. Research Old-Fashioned Valentine’s Day Family Traditions

How did your ancestors celebrate Valentine’s Day? Did you ever wonder? Now is the time to do a little historical research to discover how your ancestors celebrated the day of romance. It’s definitely changed many times over the centuries, and the ways it was celebrated were often regional. Looking into the way your own ancestors likely celebrated, or actually celebrated (if you have an old diary or letters that describe it) will add some rich details to your family tree.

 

4. Valentine Mosaic of Your Ancestors

While you’re working with old family photos on the genealogy Valentine’s Day cards, make additional copies of them to create a nice mosaic of your ancestors. You can even include photos of ancient ancestors who no one in your family today actually knew in person. Include fun borders around each photo with a little bit of information about the ancestors on them, and arrange them on a cardstock backing, attaching them with archival safe glue. Look at a craft store for a heart-shaped frame, or have one custom made. Then, put the mosaic in it and put it up on your wall, or give it as a gift to a special relative who will love it.

 

5. Write Mini-Biographies of Ancestors with February Birthdays

This is a fun addition to your family tree. Choose ancestors you have not concentrated on much in your research who have birthdays in February. Spend the month getting your research started on them, and include your findings in mini-biographies of them in your family tree notes. You can continue to add to the biographies until they become full ones as you continue your research into these ancestors throughout the year. This is a perfect way to get started on researching ancestors you haven’t had a chance to work on yet, but have been wanting to.

 

6. Make Travel Plans for Upcoming Genealogy Conferences

Most of the big genealogy conferences around the nation take place in the spring and the summer. That makes February the perfect time to make your travel plans for the conferences you are planning on attending. You’ll be making your plans earlier than most other attendees, so you will get the best rates on plane and train travel, hotels, and car rentals. You may even get a discount on registration fees for the conference if you register for it way ahead of time, such as now. – Learn More

 

7. Work on Lineage Society Paperwork

If you are joining a lineage society, the long, dark, snowy days of winter in February are the perfect time to work on them. The weather makes it a hassle to go out for all but the most necessary errands, and doing lineage society paperwork takes a lot of time and effort. Work on it now, and you’ll likely get a lot done and get way ahead on the research, bringing you that much closer to being accepted as a member of the society of your choice. – Learn More

 

8. Join a New Genealogical Organization

Winter is perfect for trying new things that don’t involve going outside. There are plenty of genealogical organizations out there, and you probably belong to at least one. If you don’t, or if there are some you haven’t yet joined, now is the time to research them and see what each one can do for you in exchange for your membership fees. Choose one or more that you believe will give you the best research value for your dollar and join it, or them. You’ll have a new avenue of research to explore, and you can spend the month getting acquainted with the sources the society offers and learning how to use them. You may even add a few ancestors to your family tree, just from membership in the society alone. – Learn More

 

9. Write Another Chapter in Your Family History Book

Each month, write another chapter on your family history book. Do this consistently, and the book will actually get done one day, rather than be a project you leave unfinished. If you’ve finished your book, consider starting another one on another branch of the family. – Learn More

 

10. Read a New Genealogy or History Book

Just like writing a new chapter on your family history book each month keeps you on track to getting it done, reading a new genealogy research book or history book pertaining to your ancestors each month keeps you up to date on the newest techniques you need to add more people to your family tree. – Learn More

 

10 “Must-Do” Genealogy Projects for January

10 "Must-Do" Genealogy Projects for January

The long, cold month of January is here, and with it, an excellent opportunity to do some new and interesting genealogy projects that are just perfect for this time of year. Just because it’s freezing and possibly snowy outside doesn’t mean you don’t have plenty of things to do with your genealogy research to keep you busy. In fact, some projects are more suited to January than any other month. Here are ten “must-do” genealogy projects for January.

 

1. Make Your Research Plan for the Year

While you’re mostly housebound due to the weather, it is an ideal time to decide what your genealogical research focus is going to be for the coming year. You may want to start working on branches of the family you haven’t gotten to yet, do deeper research on branches of the family you’re extremely interested in, or a mix of both. Laying out a plan of action for your approach to the new year’s research will keep you on track as you go, and make sure your research is as flawless as it can be.

 

2. Make Travel Arrangements for Any Genealogical Excursions

If your research plan for the new year involves any travel to ancestral towns, or even homelands, you can save a lot of money by booking the trips now. The farther out you book your trips, the less money you’ll generally spend on them. If you’ll be driving there, decide on which hotels you’ll stay in along the way there and back, and while you’re there. Also, make a list of the places you need to visit while you’re in the locations you’ll be going, such as historical societies, libraries, courthouses, cemeteries, and local archives.

 

3. Put Away Loose Research Items

If you’ve collected any research items during the year that you haven’t organized into binders or files, now is the ideal time to do it. Get your research all organized and tidied up for the coming year, and it will be much easier for you to keep track of what you’ve done and what you still need to do on various family branches.

 

4. Review Your Work from the Previous Year to Get New Insights

Looking over your research from last year can give you new insights into your work. You may discover details, patterns, and even information you didn’t notice the first time you compiled it. Reviewing it allows you to make sure your family history research is as complete and detailed as it can be.

 

5. Read a New Genealogy Research Book

While you’re staying indoors due to the cold, why not take the opportunity to improve your research skills by reading a new book on a genealogical research technique you haven’t used yet? You’ll be able to use the information you gain to improve your research in the future and add to research you’ve done in the past.

 

6. Read a New Book on the History of One of Your Ancestor’s Towns or Counties

While you’re at it, read a history of one of your ancestor’s towns or counties. You’ll likely discover a lot you didn’t know about the way your ancestor lived, and maybe even a little bit about your ancestor, if he or she is mentioned in the book.

 

7. Organize Your Digital Photos from the Previous Year

This is a perfect time to download all of your digital photos from your phone that you took last year and put them on your computer. Organize them into files labeled by family and person, and give the photos names including the dates they were taken, where they were taken, and the people who are in them. – learn more

 

8. Work on One New Chapter of Your Family History Book

Each month, you should work on one chapter of your family history book, if you are writing one. Take the entire month to write the chapter. If you’ve finished a book on one family line, start a new book on another family line with the beginning chapter.

 

9. Add Your Christmas or Other Holiday Cards to Your Genealogy Collection

Christmas and other holiday cards are important parts of your personal genealogical collection about your own life, to save for your memories and for future generations. Keep the envelopes they came in, then scan the envelopes and the cards, keeping each envelope with its card, and place them in an appropriate file folder on your computer, labeled with the year, the holiday, and your name. You can keep the physical cards and envelopes if you want to, as long as you organize them into appropriate physical binders or files.

 

10. Take an Online Genealogy Class

Use this time to take an online genealogy class. There are plenty available out there, from beginning to intermediate to advanced level classes. You can always improve your research skills. Plus, taking an online class allows you to interact with other genealogists, have fun, and alleviate some of the boredom that often comes with the coldest month of the year. Sign up now to secure your spot in the class you want to take the most.