Family Bible - Family History

There was a time when family histories were kept in the family bible.  And that bible would be handed down through the family.  It is a blessing how easy it is now to share family history throughout the world with our family.  Here is a lovely story about the rescuing of a bible that provided family history information.

Rare Bible Rescued from Trash Provides Missing Family History

Family Health History

More and more we hear about the importance of health history.  Doctors prefer to be aware of family healthy problems that they should be aware of to keep track and possibly begin to see before it's a real problem.  The following article suggests ways to gather this information.

Doctors Want You to Do Your Family History

Part of the problem is the fracturing of families.  The articles mentions the genetic services available like 23andme.  I am on the edge of doing that myself because of some family estrangement issues.  It is also rumored, highly probable, that my father's father was not his biological father.  It is only $100 to do 23andme, and I have friends that have also used the service and speak highly for its ability to direct you in health issues also.  I would suggest this style of test if you do not have access to family, because of death, estrangement, or whatever, to consider the money towards the information available in DNA testing.

It would be good to read the article in regards to what to preserve to start a family health history to pass down through descendants.

For further consideration on a family health history, please see the following articles from the familysearch blog.

Finding your family history through medical history part 1
Finding your family history through medical history part 2

Grab & Go - Personal Items to Grab in case of disaster

In the last week I have known two families in my area that have lost their homes to fires.  It's important to have a Grab & Go box with important documents.

Also, it's a good idea to have 3 copies of any documents/photos.  Those copies could include: hard copy, dvd/cd, could, and/or external hard drive.  This is a good practice for backups.  It's also a good idea to have a copy in an area away from you, another city, in case of a natural disaster.

http://www.personalhistorians.org/blog/is-your-grab-go-file-updated-and-ready/

2013 Comparison Photo Organizing Software

Looking for some software to organize your photos, check out this comparison.  I currently use Picasa, it's free and loads to the web easily.  But you might have different needs.

http://photo-organizing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Searching is getting easier on FamilySearch.
Go to your ancestor's details page and click "Search Records."  This will open a new browser window that allows you to search for your ancestor in FamilySearch's historical records collection.
http://spr.ly/6039Z12F

Making Genealogy Cool

Are you involved in genealogy?  What go your started?  How do you get others excited?  This article helps with some ideas.

Younger Generations Family History

Helping Others Find Family

I am a family history consultant in the LDS family history center on Sundays.  Today I had the opportunity to help someone who hadn't started genealogy yet, to start their family tree.  Last week we got her parents information, and this week we got her father's mother and father in.  Once her grandma was put in, she linked up with other information already in Family Search and that information goes back to the 1600s.  It's always great to see someone's family tree grow before your eyes.  We had fun searching Ancestry.com for information about her grandparents.  Even with the limited information she had, we were able to find them.  I am looking forward to being able to help her more.

Facebook and Beyond

I have had a couple of friends that have expressed interest in what I know about researching family, but also what I do in preserving family history.  For almost 10 years now, I have created and shared a family newsletter within my matriarchal side of my family.  I also have worked on scanning family photos from my matriarchal grandmother to be able to have digital copies for myself, and because digital is so easy to share, I have done so with my cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc.

In order to share with people who want to know more about researching and preservation, I have also created a page on Facebook where I share.  It is a public page and you can find it here: WilliStory

It Begins...

The hardest part about genealogy is the motivation.  At times it can be frustrating because you are searching and searching and not finding what you want to find on someone.  But what is even more frustrating about genealogy is sometimes your living family.  The idea of finding your ancestors sounds like a good idea.  Where did I come from?  Why do I have the physical features I do?

The idea of finding out family history can be difficult when the family you have is one that you struggle with because of estrangement, abuse, or other obstacles.  It can be a struggle to be motivated to find ancestors when you aren't thrilled with the family you have.  I am not saying I have all of the answers, because each family is different.  Each member of a family is different.  What works for me, might not work for you.

That gets to the heart of genealogy and family history - WHY DO WE CARE?  The belief that families are important, whatever they may look like.  My family all has a history of why they are who they are.  Ancestors were human.  They made good choices and bad ones.  Current family members are human and do the same.  I do family history in an effort to find out where I came from, and to learn to love my family regardless of their faults.

The purpose of this blog is to share my journey in searching out my family.  I will share what I learn and how I strive to maintain a positive attitude while working with the past.