A NEW YEAR OF GENEALOGY

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Dec 25, 1998

Wishing all of you the best of the holiday season.

I always get a little sentimental at this time of year. Remembrances of all the family celebrations of the past bring back fond memories, and memories are a genealogist's stock in trade. While these thoughts are fresh in our minds, it is a good time to write them down. Our family tree is more than just a list of names, it is our family story. New traditions are always being born. Add these to your story, because today quickly turns into yesterday.

With holiday preparations finished and the New Year around the corner, it is time for me to put my feet up and consider my goals for another year of genealogy. So here are my New Year's resolutions.

1. I am going to start a looseleaf notebook of family traditions. It can be my gift to the future. Just think, if one of my ancestors had done that, what a delight it would be to read.

If you are ready to write down your family stories, Center For Life Stories Preservation, Publishing Family Stories will help you get started (a site I mentioned in a previous article, but well worth looking into again if you want to start preserving family stories).

2. This year, I am going to make contact with at least a few more relatives that I have lost touch with over the years. Maybe some of them can add to my work on the family tree.

The Internet is a great way to find relatives if they are online. Internet Address Finder can help you find their e-mail addresses. Another people finder that you may not be aware of is Where did they go to? A great help.

3. My files are beginning to be filled with documents and old family pictures. This year I am going to master my scanner and get them all on disk. While I am at it, the best way to insure that these archives are preserved is pass copies around to family members.

Dealing with the computer end can be confusing for many genealogists. A place to go where you can get help is the GenNewbie list at RootsWeb. No question is too dumb. This list has genealogists who will gladly give you help if you have questions about mastering any phase of computers and genealogy.

These three goals should keep me busy all year.

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