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St. Cloud Area Genealogists Inc.

St. Cloud, Minnesota

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serving Benton, Sherburne and Stearns Counties in Minnesota

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Hopefully, Helpful Hints

originally written by Janice Kukuk, 1973, Charter member of SCAG

revised in 1994 by Annette DeCourcy Towler, adding the where to..

revised for Web page by adt 12 Jun 2005.

I. The family record is the basic unit of genealogy and should include the following:

A. Ancestor Chart - a five or more generation chart of direct-line ancestors.

____ A five generation chart to fit your notebook.  Suggested Form A2 available from SCAG. (or put in your favorite genealogy software)

____ A five generation chart with space for brothers and sisters available through SCAG

____ Six, nine and twelve generation charts are available from the local branch of the Family History Center library.

____ Keep a hard copy of all your data.

B. Family Group Record

____ One family group record for each of the 16 sets of parents on your five generation ancestor chart. (Ior put in your favorite genealogy software)

____ Many different forms are available.  Suggest Form A1 available from SCAG

C. Pictures of your Ancestors

____ Choose sharp and good pictures, but few in numbers.

D. Personal Histories

____ Additional information on each individual in a family. For example, organizations, military records, etc.

____ Use the back of your family group sheet or another form.

II. Steps in gathering Information

Life Event Date Place Sources/Citations Other information
Birth        
Christening/Baptism        
Marriage        
Death        
Burial        
Census Records        
Additional information        

 

III. Recording information on forms

A. Names - Surname/ last name or maiden name in CAPITAL LETTERS then given names. Example: KEMP, William. (married females always use Maiden surname.)

B. Dates - listed by day, month, year, example: 13 July 1939 (Military way/European)

C. Places - township/town/city/parish, county, state and country. example: St. Cloud, Sherburne County, MN, USA

D. Research Record   use the 4 W's

____ For each item, birth/marriage/death, record Where/place, When/date, Who/name as you found it, and What/event state the  source you used when you found the item.

____ Record letters sent, when received when answered.  ALWAYS INCLUDE A SASE - ‘SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE’ - WHEN SENDING US mail LETTERS

 

 

IV.  MISCELLANEOUS HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS:

A. Record complete and verified information in ink.

B. Record uncompleted and unverified information in pencil.

C. Use liquid paper to correct mistakes.

D. Use a highlighter or an 'X' to designated which child is your direct line.

E. Number your charts, contact  St.Cloud Area Genealogists, inc  for how to number your chart.

F. File in notebooks or by families in  file cabinets.  Suggest one set of files for maternal lines and one for paternal lines.

G. Be prepared for the library or courthouse who will not let you take all your files in with you.  Use 1 pencil and 1 piece of paper.

 Where do I look for Information??

Area to Search

What to find

Checked

Home and Relatives

 Account books (business & others)

 

 

 Baby Books

 

 

 Church magazines,

 

 

 Diaries and Journals,

 

 

 Family Bibles,

 

 

 Family Histories

 

 

 Farm Records

 

 

 Graduation certificates

 

 

 Legal Papers

 

 

 Letters,

 

 

 Memorial Cards,

 

 

 Military Records

 

 

 Personal Interview

 

 

 Personal Knowledge

 

 

 Pictures ,

 

 

 Receipts,

 

 

 Scrap books,

 

 

 Sunday School prizes,

 

 

 Wedding Book

 

Public/Official Records

 

 

 

 Abstracts/deeds/leases/

 

 

 Adoption

 

 

 Apprenticeship records

 

 

 Birth Certificates

 

 

 Cemetery/Sexton records

 

 

 Criminal Court records

 

 

 Death Certificates

 

 

 Deeds

 

 

 Divorce

 

 

 Hospital Records

 

 

 Immigration records

 

 

 Land grants

 

 

 Land Records/Indexes

 

 

 Leases

 

 

 Marriage Certificates/Bonds

 

 

 Military records (70 year privacy act)

 Maps

 

 

 Mortuary Records

 

 

 Naturalization/citizenship

 

 

 Orphan Court Records

 

 

 Passengers List

 

 

 Pension applications & records

 

 

 Probates

 

 

 School records

 

 

 State and Federal Census Record (75 year privacy act)

 

 

 Tax Lists

 

 

 Tombstones

 

 

 Town clerk minutes

 

 

 Trade union records

 

 

 Voter Registration

 

 

 Water Rights

 

 

 Wills

 

Newspaper Clippings

 

 

 

Announcements

 

 

 Birthdays

 

 

 Births

 

 

 Christenings

 

 

 Divorces

 

 

 Engagements

 

 

 Marriages

 

 

 Memorials

 

 

 Obituaries

 

 

 Open Houses

 

Church Records

 

 

 

Annulment

 

 

 Banns

 

 

 Baptism/Christening

 

 

 Birth,

 

 

 Burial

 

 

 Church wills

 

 

 Communion rolls

 

 

 Confirmation

 

 

 Divorce (Catholic Church)

 

 

 Marriage

 

 

 Membership Lists

 

 

 Minister Records

 

 

 Obituaries

 

 

 Ordination

 

 

 Parish vestry books

 

Printed Records

 

 

 

Biographies

 

 

 Church Histories

 

 

 County Histories

 

 

 DAR Records

 

 

 Published Records

 

 

 State Histories

 

 

 Town Histories

 

 

 City Directories

 

Family History Center (LDS)

 

 

 

Accelerating Index System (AIS)

 

 

 Ancestral File

 

 

 IGI  International Genealogical Index

 

 

 Local Card Catalog

 

 

 Social Security Death Index

 

Census Records

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 Copyright © St. Cloud Area Genealogists,  Inc.

P.O. Box 213, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0213
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Last updated: 09/16/08.