Why you should visit your local Genealogical Society
I admit that upon moving to my current state of residence, I only considered visiting my local genealogical society because I had some ancestry in the area. I doubt I would have considered it otherwise. I probably would have assumed they wouldn’t have any information for me about ancestors in other states. Or that they wouldn’t have very much information. Of course, I would have been wrong.
For one thing, most genealogical societies have great libraries. While the majority of these books will contain information about the area, they may also have collected books about surrounding areas or have random information that was donated by some passer through. It’s always worth while to check their catalog.
While you’re at it you might as well become a member. Membership fees are small with big benefits. Suddenly you’ll realize you’re surrounded by people who share a common interest. You may not realize your neighbor three doors down was an avid genealogist until you meet her at a society function. It really helps you feel a sense of community and that you’re not alone in your research.
Most societies hold monthly meetings or host special workshops which focus on genealogical skills in general. Of course some will focus on local resources but the topics should vary.
Maybe one month you’ll learn about how to improve your internet search skills. Maybe the next month you’ll learn about how to organize your genealogy. At these meetings you can make new friends. Maybe you’ll find someone like you, who doesn’t have any ancestry in the area. Maybe you’ll befriend someone and find out you’re actually related through your 9th great grandfather. You won’t know until you go. Plus the enthusiasm and passion genealogists have is always contagious, whether you have any ancestors in the area or not. Visiting or joining your local genealogical society may be a great motivator in your personal research.
Have I convinced you yet? If so, all you have to do now is find your local society and go. You can search for the one nearest you by visiting Society Hall and click on the link under Search/Edit the Society Directory.
“And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect. – Doctrine and Covenants 128:15
Helping others with their family history
“Genealogy is not family group record forms, pedigree charts, microfilms, name abbreviations, and technical regulations. These are only tools. Genealogy is the study of one’s family, the study of our ancestors—their birth, their childhood, their dreams, their marriages, their occupations, their children, their deaths. And because these things in the past all have an impact on the present, in a very real sense, genealogy is a study of one’s self.” – George D. Durrant, Doing Genealogy: Finding That Glorious, Elusive Condition Called ‘Balance’ Ensign, Apr 1985, 1
You don’t necessarily have to know much about genealogy to help others with their family history research. Some of the biggest genealogical helps came about simply because people cared about the history of events or people in their area and decided to preserve or record documents or document sources, either within a specific category or in general. One example of this is the The Dibean Michigan Marriage Index.
Jack and Marianne Dibean began indexing records of marriage for the state of Michigan years ago and the project has been an immense help for those who have ancestors from Michigan, like myself. I found an ancestor in their index which provided me with the information I needed to send for the actual record of marriage.
Now, of course you don’t need to start a statewide indexing project. Even if you just help one person down the road you will have done a great thing. Here are 5 ways you can help:
1. Save obituaries from your local paper – This one should take you no more 15 minutes a day to do. Cut out all the obituaries from your local paper. Use a paper clip to hold all the entries from that day and add a note stating the name of the newspaper and the date. File all of your entries in a folder to donate to your local historical or genealogical society. Or submit them to an online website such as the USGenweb. Someone down the road will be very grateful you took the time to do this.
2. Transcribe a local cemetery – Do you have a couple of free hours on Saturdays? Visit a local cemetery and start writing down the information on the headstones. Even if you can’t finish the entire cemetery in that time or over a series of weeks, a partial transcription is better than none. Again you can submit the information to an online website or to a local society. Check online first to make sure you won’t be duplicating someone else’s efforts.
3. Keep a journal intended for public use – This means keeping a journal that might detail how life is in your community. You could keep track of changing prices of staple food items such as milk and bread. You could write about the weather, the wildlife and greenery in your area, the names of neighbors and friends and where they live. You could include newspaper articles about important local events. It’s little details like these that your descendants will crave. They will want to know what life was like for you. And others who are not descended from you may get an idea of what life was like for their ancestor who lived in your area, based on your views. Again, publish it online at some point or submit it to the local society.
4. Write down information from the Family Bible entries on Ebay or another auction site – That’s right. Its sounds maybe a little strange but what a help it might be to someone. After all, only one person can have possession of that family bible. Old family bibles often have the family genealogy written somewhere within and auctioneers on ebay may list those names and dates or be willing to provide them when asked for. When writing down this information be sure to include the Bible information (year, type, etc.) and the auction information (seller, auction number, etc.) and include any pictures you may have been given of those names and dates. Publish your information online or mail it to a society where the ancestors therein lived.
5. Interview older members of your community who have lived there for a long time – Maybe someone you know or you could ask a local retirement home for permission to visit someone like that. Bring along a notebook or a tape recorder and be prepared to listen. Come with a list of questions to spark remembrances. Submit the entry and whose remembrances they were.
Starting a Family Newsletter
In a previous post I talked about the importance of improving extended family relationships and mentioned a few ways that this might be done. I’d like to discuss one of those ways now: starting a family newsletter.
The idea of a family newsletter was another novelty I encountered upon getting married. The members of my extended family usually called each other on birthday’s and that was about the extent of our contact during the year, excepting the occasional visit.
After marrying my husband I discovered that not only did his family have regular parties and game nights, they also kept in touch with distant relatives by sending out a quarterly newsletter. We loved receiving that large manilla envelope every four months and reading about the lives of our relatives around the country in their own words. And of course it was fun to write our own little addition detailing new church callings, jobs and other activities. I have no doubt you’ll love starting your own family newsletter. And it’s much simpler than planning a reunion.
First you’ll need to decide on a name for your publication. Our family newsletter is very simply titled, Owens Family Newsletter with the subtitle, The Descendants of Joseph Alma Owens and Alice Elvaretta Harris. You can keep it simple like that or be more creative. You could even ask family for their ideas if you’re having a hard time coming up with your own.
Additional details that you’ll want to think through before gathering submissions for the newsletter are:
* How often will it be published
* In what format will it be published (email, hard copy or both)
* From whom will submissions be gathered/for whom will it be published (maternal or paternal side of the family or both, all descendants of grandparents on down or great-grandparents on down, etc.)
* A set deadline for submissions and target deadline for actual mailing
To get your newsletter up and running, it might be best to start with submissions from your immediate family or other relatives in the area. Then you can send out the first newsletter to distant relatives with a note explaining what you are doing and the actual first copy so they can see how it works and then decide if they want to participate and/or write their own update about themselves. Be clear in communicating your vision for keeping in touch but be respectful of your families ideas.
In, Getting the Whole Family on One Tree,” Ensign, Feb 1981, 42 Godfrey J. Ellis spoke of the difficulties and joys of trying to organize a family newsletter within his “fractured” family. He said:
“It seemed to us that organization had to begin with communication, so we decided to start a family newsletter called, harmlessly enough, The Family Tree. My wife and I spent hours planning such noncontroversial features as “Family Member of the Month” and “Family Talent Spotlight.” But then we discovered that some of our extended family members don’t believe in the concept of family! Rather, they believe that one’s family should be humanity, or especially those who believe in Christ. Although it was difficult for us to understand, some family members of different religious beliefs see the family unit as a myopic concern that must be overcome and outgrown.
The problems continued. Should the newsletter contain news of birthdays and Halloween activities? Would we talk of Christmas excitement and the birth of our Savior? Some family members don’t believe in birthdays, Halloween, or Christmas! Could we put in President Carter’s proclamation declaring the week of November 19 as “National Family Week”? Over half the family members do not live in the United States.
We found the key to be sincere respect for the beliefs of others and keen sensitivity to each member’s feelings. Family members need to feel that the organization includes them, regardless of where they live, where they fit in the family structure, or what they may believe. “
Don’t forget to ask for the Lord’s council as you work on possibly beginning a very valuable tradition within your family
Planning a Family Reunion
“I suppose all of us have our own favorite reason for having family reunions. In a way, they are extensions of family home evenings. Family reunions are an opportunity to gather our larger, eternal families together to learn to understand and love one another, and to unite ourselves in the work of the Lord, just as we do in family home evenings.” – Alma Heaton, Really Getting Together: Your Family Reunion, Ensign, Jun 1975, 12
In a previous post I talked about the importance of improving extended family relationships and mentioned a few ways that this might be done. I’d like to discuss one of those ways now: planning a family reunion.
Growing up I had never attended a family reunion, at least in the official sense of the word. We would go on vacations to visit family at times, since our immediate family was alone in our area. We lived in Utah and all of my Aunts, Uncle and Grandparents lived either on the West Coast or in Texas, so we didn’t see them very often.
As a youth whenever I heard the word reunion I envisioned a massive gathering of family including extended family I may never have even known existed. I thought maybe there would be games and picture taking and lots of food. I discovered I was pretty much on the mark after I got married. My husband is the 12th of 13 children and his family reunions are even bigger than I had imagined. He grew up with a yearly family reunion that involved 3 days of camping out somewhere, barbecuing, games, a family auction and more with at least 100 people. I was pretty amazed the first time I went.
Of course a reunion doesn’t have to be on such a large scale. In the Summer of 2002 my family decided to have it’s first reunion. Everyone flew out to southern California where my grandparents lived and we spent a week together, wore matching reunion shirts and got pictures taken. There was a grand total of 19 of us (only one person missing), but we still had a great time.
Maybe you’ve wanted to plan a family reunion for some time but thought the task too intimidating. Well, I can assure you with realistic goals and proper delegation it’s something you can make happen fairly easily. Let’s look at the fundamentals of a traditional family reunion:
1. Family Members (hopefully this one was obvious)
2. A date, place and length of time
3. A Budget
4. Activities
5. A Menu
That’s not so bad is it? Now, let’s look at actually planning the reunion:
1. Make a list of all family members including spouses, children, cousins, etc. and get addresses and phone numbers for each person/family on your list. Plan an invitation for everyone. Even if Aunt Myrtle is bed ridden she will be happy you sent her an invitation.
2. Involve the family in your planning. Most likely you and a few others will be the ones to really organize everything but you can’t have a reunion if no one wants to attend. Send out an email asking if there is interest in a reunion. Offer up two or three place and date options for reunion asking family members what they would prefer. Choose places which are relatively close to the larger clusters of your family. The easier it is to get there, the more likely they’ll be to show up. After you have guaged your families responses, then you can make the final decision and prepare the actual invitations.
3. Develop a budget and ask for contributions from everyone who plans on attending. The more people who attend, the lower the cost for each family will be. Ask for contributions to arrive before the reunion so you’re not having to spend your own money on all of the costs.
4. Reserve a site early. If you’re planning on having everyone stay in a campground or a hotel you should reserve it early. Especially for larger groups. My husbands family reserves their reunion site about a year in advance.
5. Plan out a menu. Keep it simple for yourself. Sloppy Joes, tacos, hot dogs, muffins and other quick and cheap foods will definitely keep the stress down.
6. Plan activities. Kids activities, adult activities, mixed activities. Make sure there is plenty to do. Maybe involve prizes in some of your activities.
7. Delegate actual reunion responsibilities. Once you know who will be attending it’s time to start asking for help with the actual reunion. Well ahead of time, ask someone to be the main photographer for the group, taking both posed and candid shots. Maybe you could ask others to rotate through the jobs of cooking and cleaning.
In some upcoming posts we’ll be looking at some great reunion activities, easy recipes and other ideas to make it easy to get to know your extended family better at your own family reunion.
Improving Extended Family Relationships
As a Genealogist there really are times where I feel closer to my kindred dead than to my living relatives. It’s often easy to bury myself in the discovering of facts about people I wish I had known and forget to forge deeper relationships with those in the here and now. But I know it’s important to make both living and deceased family members a priority in my life.
“Whether we live in the same city in which other members of our family live, or far away, or even whether we have any living relatives, our choices are the same. Our extended family can be seen as a natural extension of ourselves, or they can be seen as distractions from our own needs and interests.
The scriptures abound with insight into the value of maintaining good extended family relationships. Abraham, for instance, left Ur of Chaldees and took with him his brother’s son Lot to follow the Lord in a new land. (See Gen. 11:31.) During a time of famine, Joseph of Egypt saved the lives of his father, brothers, sister, and their families. (See Gen. 42–47.) Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro, discussed their welfare on at least one occasion: “Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he said.” (Ex. 18:24.) Though he was a prophet, Moses honored his father-in-law and respected his counsel.” – “Extending Family Relationships,” Ensign, Oct 1986, 57
It’s not always easy to improve our family relationships. Sometimes you may not even want to try when it concerns certain individuals. Maybe you simply can’t see eye to eye with your Mother in Law. Maybe your don’t like being around a cousin because you find them annoying. Then of course there are generational differences. Perhaps you feel like your grandparents simply can’t relate and that it’s not worth telling them about the ups and downs of your life. Or perhaps simple distance between your areas of residence prevents you from trying to establish anything more than a yearly Christmas card correspondence.
“Developing close ties between generations can sometimes be challenging. Challenging also are the relationships we must develop after marriage. The mother who enjoyed being the special confidant of a son or daughter can no longer assume that role. The father who has been a provider and adviser to a child will discover that his role changes when that child marries. Likewise, the son or daughter who marries must also assume new responsibilities. New in-law relationships must be strengthened. A daughter-in-law needs to understand her mother-in-law’s past relationship with her son, and the mother-in-law must understand and accept the position of her son’s wife as the new central figure in his life.” – “Extending Family Relationships,” Ensign, Oct 1986, 57
Ours is the duty to practice patience and understanding as concerns our family members. They are worth getting to know better. It is also worth the effort because it may strengthen Christlike attributes within ourselves such as those mentioned above.
There are many ways to improve extended family relationships. You could write regular letters or emails to a relative who lives far away. You could start a Family Newsletter or a Family Blog or organize a family reunion.
If some of your family relationships are in turmoil I encourage you to go to the Lord in prayer. Ask him to soften your heart toward the relation with which you are struggling. Pray for understanding and love. If you really want to change your relationship with that person for the better, I can think of no better way to make it happen than with Heavenly Father’s help. If you ask in sincerity he will bless you with the understanding or patience you desire.
“Extending our family to include grandparents and cousins, grandchildren and nieces, neighbors and friends is really just a matter of extending our love. And as the Lord has consistently counseled, the more love we extend, the fuller our life will be of the things that matter most.” – “Extending Family Relationships,” Ensign, Oct 1986, 57
Journaling made easy
In an earlier post I talked about the importance of keeping a journal. Perhaps you’ve read that and understood why it’s important or maybe you already knew the value of keeping a journal. But sometimes, in spite of knowing the importance of something, we find that something very hard to do. Journal writing is certainly not something that everyone finds enjoyable.
I’ve always enjoyed writing, whether it be poems, short stories or journal entries. So keeping a journal is something I look forward to doing and it isn’t hard for me to get creative or think of topics. Math on the other hand is something I avoid doing at all times.
Maybe it’s the other way around for you and writing is something you dread in any form. For some it’s the act itself of putting pen to paper. For some it’s coming up with anything to write about. If you fit into the latter description I have an idea for you. It’s something that one of my Young Women leaders implemented in my life when I was a teen and it may get you started if you’re having trouble thinking of what to write.
She presented us with a standard mason jar. We dressed up our jars and the lids with cloth, beads and stickers (not required for you of course) and then we were asked as a group to come up with some topics we could use for journal entries. After brain storming a while we had a great list and each of us wrote each topic on a thin strip of paper. We put each slip of paper in the “journal jar” and committed to pulling out one slip of paper each night and writing about the topic thereon.
Some of the journal topic ideas included were:
* When and where were you born? What was your birth story like?
* Write down the full names of your father and mother including your mother’s maiden name and write down your favorite things about each.
* Write down the full names of your extended family members and your favorite things about them.
* Write down the most spiritual moment you’ve had in your life.
* Write down the most terrible moment you’ve had in your life and how you got through it.
* What are your beliefs and morals?
* What are your hobbies and why did you choose them?
* What is your happiest memory?
Those are just a very few of the many topics we came up with that night. Some we’re as simple as writing down your favorite color and others we’re more complex. But each topic no matter how simple, will offer important clues as to who you were at one time. Whether it be important for yourself down the road or for future generations.
“On a number of occasions I have encouraged the Saints to keep personal journals and family records. I renew that admonition. We may think there is little of interest or importance in what we personally say or do—but it is remarkable how many of our families, as we pass on down the line, are interested in all that we do and all that we say.”
- Spencer W. Kimball, President Kimball Speaks Out on Personal Journals,” New Era, Dec 1980, 26
Substitutes for Vital Records
“The need for safeguarding the world’s vital records, original manuscripts, histories, biographies, and other genealogical records has long plagued mankind. Where and how can records be protected from destruction by the elements, the ravages of time, and the destructions of man?
Through microfilming, copies of original documents are being made in every corner of the earth; and thereby, copies of millions of pages of records are presently being stored safely and securely.” – Theodore M. Burton, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, May 1973, 48
Unfortunately, most state vital records weren’t mandated until the early 20th century. So what should you do when a certain official vital record cannot be found? Search for the next best thing, a substitute. Something that while not official perhaps, is likely a trustworthy source of information. Below are some possible substitutes:
1. Federal or State Census Records – Certain Federal Census Records will contain some vital information depending on the year. All census records from 1850 to the present will at least list the age of every person in the household and place of birth giving you an approximate birth date and place. The 1900 census was even more specific, providing the month and birth year of every person in the household. Some other censuses asked how many years a couple had been married, helping you narrow down the year of their marriage. See what other information you might be able to glean from the United States Census 1850-1930
2. Newspaper Announcements – Births were sometimes announced in the local paper, although sometimes a birth announcement might give the date of birth and not the child’s name, only who they were born too. Marriages we’re sometimes announced and sometimes you might find 25, 50 or 75 year anniversary celebration announcements. Then of course there are obituaries which could provide not only a death date but also a date of birth and marriage.
3. Biographical Sketches – If your ancestor lived in a certain town or county for a long period of time they may have been honored with a biographical sketch in a town or county history book. Sketches could provide all sorts of interesting tidbits about your ancestor including date of birth, where they migrated from, who they married and when, their occupation, etc.
4. School Records – Sometimes Report Cards provided the date of birth for a student as was the case of my Great Uncle. The state of his birth did not record births until 6 years after he was born and so far his report card has proven my only record of his birth date.
5. Land or Property Records – At times a father would provide his daughter “dower property” upon her being married. The time frame in which this was recorded was likely very close to the time of her marriage.
6. Military Pension Papers and Service Records – Pension records usually list a spouse and may include a copy of the marriage license to prove relationship in order to receive the benefits of the pension. Service Records usually provided the age of the person at enlistment along with the date on which they enlisted.
Other records that could help you out are Probate Records, Cemetery Records, Church Records and Coroner or Funeral Home Records. With so many possibilities, hopefully you’ll find that vital information you’ve been searching for, very soon.
Vital Records
“Ask living members of your family what they know about your extended family. Look at records close at hand, such as family Bibles, to find more details about your forebears. Then you can reach out to other sources such as vital records, church records, census records, and military records. If you have access to a computer, you can put your computer skills to work and log on to the Church’s FamilySearch.org Web site. Family history has become a sophisticated activity where computers provide immense resources for your search. You can easily access a vast collection of family history records using the Internet on your home computer or at your nearest family history center. – James E. Faust, “The Phenomenon That Is You,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 53–56
What are Vital Records?
When it comes to Genealogical records, those termed vital records are some of the most sought after. Vital records refer to records of Birth, Marriage and Death. The range of years for when these records are available will vary from state to state. As will the year that the state mandated that they be kept. Sadly, most states did not mandate vital records until the early 1900’s.
What will Vital Records tell me?
Again, it depends on the state but most vital records issued after 1900 will tell you at least some of the following:
Birth Records – Full name of the recorded individual, date and place of birth, mother’s full name plus maiden name, father’s full name, mother’s age, father’s age, whether mother has born any other children.
Marriage Records – Groom’s full name and age, Bride’s full name and age, county of residence, name of witnesses, name of officiator, name of parents.
Death Records – Full name of the deceased, age at death, cause of death, town and/or county and state of death, place of interment, social security number, place of residence, full name of father, full name plus maiden name of mother, the attending physician, the informant, name of spouse, occupation.
Records kept prior to 1900 will vary even more in the information given state to state and will often hold much less information than more current records. It is also important to note that each type of vital record may have been mandated in a different year. So while a state may have begun keeping birth records in 1905, this doesn’t mean that marriage records were mandated then as well. They could have been mandated later or earlier. This goes for death records also.
Ordering Vital Records
There are many different options for ordering Vital records online. One popular service that I’ve heard of but haven’t used is VitalChek. Their website is very easy to navigate so I’ll let you check it out for yourself.
Another good resource which not only enables online orders, but also provides addresses to state record holdings if you prefer snail mail is Vitalrec.com. Once there, scroll down the page just a bit and you’ll see a list of States. Click on your state of interest and once on that page scroll down a bit again. You’ll find the address and phone number for that states record holdings, what records are available for what years, and how much the records cost, along with an option to order online.
If the vital records are available, get them whether you already know all that information about Great Grandpa or not. They’ll be a valuable keepsake and you may just be surprised to find something on one of them that you didn’t know.
Organizing your Genealogy: Methods
“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” – Doctrine & Covenants 88:118
There are several different methods for organizing your Family History research and if you’re like me, none of them seems to be the perfect fit. But they’re all easily adaptable to your own preferences. I’ll discuss the two main systems of organization below.
Organizing with File Folders
Mary E. Hill presents a method of Family History organization in an article online titled Organizing your Paper Files using File Folders. Visiting the link will take you to this article complete with step by step instructions on getting your File Folder system set up. This was the method of organization I was first introduced to. I’ve modified it slightly but it’s a great way to organize and I’m still using this method.
Organizing with 3 Ring Binders
I also organize certain documents using 3 ring binders. I have one binder filled with colored page dividers. Between each page divider are many copies of one type of sheet needed for research. In this binder I keep blank research logs, blank correspondence logs, black and white maps (for tracing migration routes), blank pedigree charts and blank family group sheets.
I also prefer to use 3 Ring Binders when storing original documents and photographs as the sheet protectors offer more protection.
The 3 Ring Binder system is also my more finalized method of organization. I’ve got one binder devoted to my great grandfather’s genealogy and it is organized by Surname, and within that surname by each direct male ancestor from the most recent on back.
Whether you choose to use the organizational methods discussed here or decide to create your own, keep in mind two main steps needed to create an effective organization plan for your papers: sorting and filing.
Have a location specifically for sorting papers. Mine is a hanging file folder I titled the “In Limbo File.” Things I don’t have time to file at the moment or don’t know just where to file yet go in there for a time. On occasion if I have a document that could be filed in multiple places I’ll make copies of it to put in all of those places.
Other categories under which you might file things having to do with genealogy: Letters of Correspondence, Military records, Family Health History, Family Lore, Migration Routes, Probate Records and more.
Organizing your Genealogy: Basic principles
“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” – Doctrine & Covenants 88:118
Why Organize?
I feel that organization is critical to good research for many reasons. First it cuts down on frustration. It’s easy enough to get frustrated over my ancestor Mary Cotty for whom information about seems to constantly elude me. I don’t need to be frustrated that I finally found some crucial information on her and misplaced it.
Second, organization can help prevent duplication of effort and research. I don’t want to spend 45 minutes searching through piles of papers for the information I want. I also don’t want to be so disorganized I accidentally misplace or throw away an important document and then have to duplicate the research for what was on it. Time is very valuable in Family History research. Being organized helps me find what I want right away, thus saving me time.
Third, being organized helps me plan for additional research. I know exactly what I’ve done and thenceforth what I still need to do. I can create plans of action and have those organized by date and location, helping me be more likely to actually get it done.
Fourth, organization is a wonderful skill to have in a general sense. Now and with your Family History is as good a time and place as any to start.
Fifth, your organization now, will be a great gift to the future genealogists in your family. You’ll save them the trouble of having to do it themselves. Your documents will be better protected when organized, both from being thrown away and from other damage if treated properly.
So, get organized! Start by de-cluttering. Take those piles of papers and separate them into groups. These don’t have to be the final groups into which you’ll organize everything. This is just to give you a basic sense of what you have, which will help you decide on your organization plan. After you’ve done this, it’s time to strategize.
Make a plan of action for getting your documents organized. Decide exactly how you’ll be organizing your research then pick a place in your home where you’ll be storing your research and get it ready. Make sure that for whatever method of organization you’ve chosen, that you’ve already got the necessary materials to make it happen quickly. Have file cabinets, file folders, colored tabs or stickers, highlighters, paper clips, pencils, erasers, markers, paper, binders, pedigrees, family stories or other materials at the ready.