words Al Woods
In life, you get to a point where you want to know about your family history. It always starts with the question, ‘Where am I from?’ If you get to this point, there is a push to answer the question.
You begin asking your relatives questions about how and where your ancestors used to live, and how you found yourself where you are. Sometimes the thought of seeking answers can consume you and find yourself rifling through documents and photos searching for vital records that give a hint about your origin. This study of family history is called genealogy. Explained in this article are ways on how you can travel back in time and learn about your past.
Hunting at Home
Conducting a hunt in your home is the first way to learn about your family history. Your home is the place to start from before going to the outside world for research. Just like detectives, you need to look for patterns, clues in your family. Collect data to solve the mysteries in your mind. The information is vital in uncovering your history. During your hunt, you discover that the essential hints for your quest are in your home.
Focus your hunting on the drawers where the family keeps old pictures, documents, and other personal attics. Make sure to set apart the images and documents with dates marked on them as they tend to be helpful. The data source here could be postcards, letters, military records, or diaries. To make the search less challenging, involve relatives if possible. Explaining your quest to them will not only ease the work for you but also permit you to search through the confidential information in their home. You need to respect their wish of how they like their data to be copied or handled.
Talking to elders
When we talk about elders, it involves speaking to those who are ten years older than you. I know this may sound vague to you because you may think you share the same experience and knowledge. You will be surprised to find out that they are a living library. Elders have a lot of information in their brains that can save you time and money during your research. You can approach elders by drafting questions and interviewing them. In this step, you need a digital recorder.
Writing the questions before the interview session helps reveal new ideas. You can use the photos discovered in step one, and ask them to identify the people and places. You can also conduct sessions to talk about family artifacts with the elders. During the session, you can ask about necessary information like the names of great grandparents, birthdates, occupations, ethnic backgrounds, and places of burial. The data act as a catalyst for new leads and stories.
Hiring Genealogy Services
Hiring the services of a genealogist is another way to know about your family history. Learning about your origin can be difficult sometimes as it is time-intensive. The above- mentioned ways are helpful but as a foundation. Therefore, you need a professional who provides a source document with proof of every piece of data like birth, death dates, and places of burial.
The process of finding the record is challenging. If you find yourself stuck and in need of professional genealogy services, it’s recommended that you contact a reputable service provider that is known to give extensive ancestry services. A professional is knowledgeable in the most cost-effective and reliable methods to compile details in your family tree. Make sure you hire a fully certified, budget-conscious, cost-effective, and trustworthy professional.
DNA Test
Getting a DNA test is another way to travel back in time and know about your family history. This decision uncovers missed data during the above steps, which depends on information on a paper. With a DNA test, you discover about people you couldn’t find through reading materials online or from your home. Scientists help uncover the paths followed by the ancestors during migrations, tracing back the roots of your relatives a thousand years ago.
When doing the test, choose a broad database ancestry-search. Before you decide to go for a DNA test, you need to understand that there is a possibility of discovering some maternity and paternity hidden family secrets by your family members or ancestors. You need to prepare psychologically!
Genealogy helps find your family tree. The study can be interesting as you learn about the traditions, lived experiences, and stories passed down by your ancestors. This information is part of you, whether you like it or not. Apart from the information provided in this article, you can browse online for genealogical materials. Traveling to where ancestors came from can be rewarding in your search.
