Prioritizing Your Efforts

Fresh research - I would always choose going to a courthouse or genealogical library over doing work on the internet. I can hop online any place I want, any time I want. Physical locations have limited hours. Courthouses burn down and libraries get flooded. Cemeteries are a little more accessible, but they too are falling into disrepair. Preserving a cemetery can be considered a part of the Second priority listed above! Farther is better. If you have a choice between a two day trip to a courthouse or a day trip to a local community, do the longer one! Who knows when you will be able to carve out another two days to make the trip. Perhaps you won’t want to drive that far next year. It is much easier to find another day to make that local visit then it is to travel a couple states away.

Validation of Existing Research - Not comfortable with that branch that Uncle Henry handed to you written on the back of a paper plate? Do some validation work! Verify the information and list the sources.

Resolve Discrepancies You’ve got two different birthdays for your 3G Grandfather. Is it possible to find the correct one? Or is there solid documentation on both of them? I have one date from a gravestone and one date from a family Bible. I may never know which is correct. And that is assuming that he even knew!

Get organized!If you take care of the top prioritized items above, you probably are in pretty good shape. It can be amazing what information you may discover in your notes that you had overlooked or forgotten about. It pays to take some time to create files and notebooks with the information you have and insure that it is all reflected in your documentation.

And please don’t forget, the living relatives should always take priority over those that have already gone!

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