NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO WRITE YOUR FAMILY HISTORY AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION WHILE YOU DO IT /P>
How many of you have had friends who were active genealogists die without ever publishing their family history research? It happens every day. Generally, their family will come in to sort their valuables and the results of their research will be thrown away. Many of us were not scholars in school, and some of us feel that writing a book is more than we want to attempt. I have good news:
IT'S NOT DIFFICULT!
For those of you who already used PAF, Family Tree Maker or the like to keep your family history information, your book is no further away than the press of a few buttons.
You have the option of printing a book of all of your direct lineal ancestors, or picking an ancestor and printing a book about all of his descendants
Before printing, through a flat bed scanner, you can include old family photos, census records, military records, etc. With the push of a button, an index will automatically be created. You can create a table of contents with a little effort.
With your own printer, print out one copy of your book. OfficeMax can print them cheaply and the Library Binding Company in Waco, TX will bind them for about $7.00 each. These family books will make a cherished Christmas Gift to members of your family.
Get some tax relief by saving your book to a CD and donating these CD's to libraries. Tax laws allow you to deduct the fair market value of the book. Most such CD's sell for about $25.00, and your cost to produce a CD is about $3.00 including postage
EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS
Many SAR members had their membership handed to them on a silver platter. Their mother, grandmother or aunt did all the research. As a result these members can't appreciate the historical events as well as those who had to dig for the information.
This is a challenge to all members. Begin researching now. Find an ancestor who fought in the Colonial Wars before the American revolution. Then, join the Society of Colonial Wars. Easier still, find an ancestor who fought in the War of 1812, and join that society. Even closer to home and easier to find would be to locate an ancestor who served in the Confederate forces. The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) accepts members who are collateral descendants. If you have a distant cousin who served, you are eligible to join the SCV. Many SAR members already belong to these, and many other lineage based societies. Membership in these other groups will enhance your knowledge of history and will cause you to better understand your ancestors' lives.