Welcome to the
Van Zandt County Genealogical Research Group's Beginners' Page "I want to research my ancestors but how do I get started?" Every genealogical researcher was a beginner at one time. This page will be for very new beginners who need some direction. We hope this will be helpful. Our thanks to Shirley Fuller, Polly Martin and Virginia Jones for compiling some of this information. Beginners Packets are available upon request free of charge at the Van Zandt County Library of Genealogy and Local History. If requested by mail, there is a fee for copying and postage.
Here are some things to think about when you begin to research your family history.
1. What is genealogy? The dictionary described this word as: lineage, ancestry, descendants of a person or family from an ancestor.
2. What genealogy is NOT: "Just a study of dead people," "Living in the Past" or "Waste of Time."
3. Benefits of Genealogy:
a. Discovery of genes inherited
b. Types of diseases and traits you may have inherited
c. Legal rights to inheritance of property
d. Rights of membership in various patriotic organizations
e. Nobility in your family tree
f. Church affiliations of your ancestors
g. Achievements of your ancestors
h. Customs and manners of your ancestors
i. Professions and occupations of your ancestors
j. Where you family migrated from
k. Military service of your ancestors4. Starting Out
a. Gather all the information about yourself, your husband, your children
b. Interview family members, especially the older ones
c. Gather all the information you can about your parents, then grandparents, and so on. Obtain as much data as possible: Names, Dates, Places, Family Stories, etc.
d. Organize this information right from the start by using Ancestor Charts and Family Group Sheets5. Gather as many documents as possible beginning with yourself, then your parents, your grandparents, your great grandparents, etc.
6. Here is a list of some important documents:
a. Birth Certificates
b. Marriage records
c. Death records, obituaries
d. Military records
e. Pension applications
f. Wills and Probate records
g. Deed records, tax roll records
h. Cemetery records
i. Bible records
j. Personal letters
k. Family photos
l. Naturalization records7. Important Places to research:
a. Courthouses
b. Libraries
c. Archives
d. Cemeteries
e. Family History Centers (Mormon Church)
f. Old newspapers
g. Funeral Homes
h. Chambers of Commerce
i. Telephone directories
j. Social Security Death Index
k. Counties where ancestors resided
l. The Internet
8. Census records are very important to genealogical research.9. The Soundex is a wonderful tool for finding your ancestors.
11. Organizing your material: This is so important! Genealogical research is very "paper and documents" intensive. Organize right from the beginning or your will soon be overwhelmed. Everyone has his or her own system and that is fine but here are a few suggestions:
a. Use Ancestor Charts and Family Group Sheets for the information you have gathered.
b. Use a three-ring binder with tabbed dividers for the family lines. This is to start, you will find a binder for each family or each person will soon be needed.
c. Develop a workbook binder which will hold the bare information about all the lines to be researched. Take this with you to courthouses, archives, libraries, etc. LEAVE YOUR SCRAPBOOKS AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AT HOME IN A SAFE PLACE. You will often be asked to "share" your information. Don't let anyone take your scrap books. Make them copies of all you have if you want to share but don't let your material out of your sight.12. Record Keeping and Work Books
13. Standards for filling out forms
14. Scrap Booking
15. Pitfalls in Genealogical Research
17. Researching on the Internet: Remember that the Internet is a tool and a wonderful one for genealogical researchers but there is an awful lot of misinformation out there so be careful and try to document everything. See our Links Page for some good research websites.
18. Remember that your ancestors were real people, not just names and dates. Some were prominent, some were not. They were in all walks of life. Some were good and some were not so good. You are not responsible for anything your ancestors did! Think of it as a part of history and you will find that the "rascals" usually left more tracks for you to follow!
19. Please remember that in the old days people were not consistent with name spelling. Check all possible spellings of your ancestors' names. Also, even official documents are not error free.
20. Making a Genealogy Trip: If possible, it is always very rewarding to make a trip to where your ancestors lived. Virginia Jones has some tips about this "Safari."
Enjoy the journey! And remember if we can help you with your research in Van Zandt County, just let us know.
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This page last updated 29 September 2006
Van Zandt County Genealogical Research Group Website
maintained by
Sibyl Creasey*