Go beyond names and dates – Tell a story

Genealogy research should go beyond finding documents and filling in names and dates on charts. Additionally, family histories should be more than family trees or piles of documents listing the facts about our ancestors. Saving this information in a readable format is essential to making this information useful. This information is crucial to tell the stories that keep our ancestors’ memories alive and continue to honor them.

Family histories consist of the stories we hear in the oral histories at family gatherings and see in pictures and documents. I became more excited about my history as the stories developed when I saw how these pieces of data were related. I also discovered that my initial view of my family changed quickly as the information and stories flowed from the documents. As I recorded new information into narratives, the stories gave me a greater closeness to my ancestors and their lives.

An example of going beyond the details and doing additional research to tell more of the story is showing photos or maps of homes, churches, places of work, and neighborhoods. This depiction shows the progression of where people lived and will give their families a slight sense of their lives. Adding a picture of the home provides a strong visual reinforcement. For example, the following aerial view illustrates where my grandparents lived. It also shows where my grandfather lived and worked. I indicated the locations of the residences, his workplaces, and other relevant places mentioned in his family history.