Why do a Family Tree?

Probably the most common question I hear from someone who has never been involved with family history is "Why do a family tree?"  My first response is usually "because it is fun", but I always know there are tons of other reasons.  I just happen to love researching my family history, and to find out who my ancestors were.

To me, doing a family tree is a piece of cake.  But to someone who is inexperienced, it can be frustrating and confusing.  For this reason, I would like to provide some simple suggestions and background information.

 People who are curious about their family history like to develop a family tree, which is basically a list or chart of ancestors.  A family tree starts with a current family member, and begins charting out parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc., on down the family line as far back as research allows.  Most family trees are compiled into what is known as a Pedigree Chart, which traces the direct lineage of paternal and maternal family lines.  Each ancestral family can then be expanded further in separate charts to detail family members more fully.

To start a family tree, a person needs to gather background information on various family members, including birth/death dates, place of birth/death, marriage dates, names of children, siblings, parents, etc.  As you can see, the more data you can obtain prior to starting a family tree, the easier it will be to compile the family tree.

For many, having a family tree becomes a legacy treasure, providing the family with rich history on where their ancestors came from, how they lived, and what events in the past triggered their way of living.  With today's modern technology, a lot of historical data can be found through various libraries and online resources.  Perhaps one of the most common and useful online services available to the public is Ancestry.com, which provides instant access to a world of information just by typing in a name and a few dates.  I have been using Ancestry for a few years now, and have grown my biological family tree to nearly 3,000 individuals, spanning back over a century to England, Scotland, France and Norway.

There is no reason to not start a family tree.  Researching your family's history can lead to a passion that will last a lifetime.  There is no cost in starting your research.  Take the first step today and find out what you have been missing in knowing about your ancestors.  You may be pleasantly surprised!