The Pedigree Chart

A pedigree chart, or family tree, consists of one persons name as the starting point and adding fathers' and mothers' names, which quickly multiplies as generations are recorded. The best place to start is with YOU. After you record your full name in the first position on the pedigree chart, write your parents' names in the next positions. List grandparents names next, adding great-grandparents on the chart as well. Ideally, adding birth dates and birth places, along with death dates and death places helps to complete your pedigree chart. While gathering all this information, notice reactions of family members: it's odd how recording your own dates and those of close family seems intrusive and tabu, but the more distant the relative, the more informational and less personal. Interesting!

Gathering family information can be fun but challenging. Most of the time, asking Mom or Dad for their parents' names, and possibly their grandparents names' is the easiest way to build a family tree. However, there may be situations where the information isn't known or is sketchy. Dad may only know his grandmother came from Sweden, but not which city; or Mom remembers her grandpa from the midwest, but doesn't really know where any other relatives came from. Searching geographical areas where the last known relative lived, you'll want to locate any information that would be considered "official;" meaning birth records, death records, census records, military service records, journals, etc. These documents not only provide the name of your searchee, but may include other family names and other information as well. For instance, a birth record will include father's and mothers' names and their birthplaces, and will also have addresses and dates.