Beginners First Step

I was realizing that this blog may not have a starting idea but then it definitely does not progress you forward. So, I thought I would start us out on the journey and keep us in the journey better than I have been. I will start over with this and give help to those that may have questions. If you do, please do not hesitate to ask. I would love to answer and it will be fodder for the blog. Thanks.

Now, we start, of course, with ourselves. We then add our children and their families. This means having a separate folder inside the master folder that has been set up for the family name. If you are female, it is the husband's name that is on the master file. As a female, use your maiden name in all your research and information.

Like My name is Jodie Kilgore Masteller. I would have a master file that said Masteller and it would have Robert's daughter's family. That folder would have her married name on  a folder. Then there would be a master folder that had Kilgore, and that would be a folder that I would use for my family. It would have all my brothers and sisters, as well as my dad. Then I would have a file that was for my mom's maiden name and her siblings.

This is a great way to keep up with all family names inside of a family line. Once this is done, you can arrange a similar filing system on your computer. You can create folders and subfolders that hold all of the information that you have found online. One thing I highly recommend is that you record the databases you have searched and do so in hardcopy and on the computer.

Trying to remember all of the places you have been and the areas that you did and did not find information can be overwhelming. So many people do this type of research and do not record where they have been, what they found, and when they were there. It might also be a good idea to record any other pertinent information. I know I have found out the hard way that I should do this.

I have found family information only to lose it because I did not record the website address. It is so frustrating to know that the information was at your fingertips only to know you let it go. You never know when you will need the information again. Or you did not find anything and do not need to waste your time on the website. Either way, recording information hardcopy is important.

So, now we know where to start, how to start, with ourselves and our folders, and what to do to start. Next, we will talk about adding family members to trees and family group records and pedigree charts.