Presentation: How Do I Start My Family History

It is so important to start out with a clear idea of what you already know about your family and what you want to learn.  Two simple resources can save you a lot of time and keep you on track in your research:

The Family Tree Worksheet

The Family Group Sheet

These are only two of the resources that are explained in the presentation, How Do  Start My Family History.  Most people that I provide assistance for have never filled out either of these two helps.  They are already searching for ancestors online without concrete details such as event dates and places.  Researching that way almost certainly lead you to a brick wall or to adopting people into your family that are really not related.  Beginning with a clear picture also makes it easier for those whom you turn to for direction.

Below is a brief selection from the genealogy presentation, "How Do I Start My Family History." The Family Tree Chart and the Family Group Sheet are helpful to keep them with you when you research at libraries and archives because they provide a snapshot of important details that can help you locate historical records.  To find out how to schedule a presentation visit Ask Me to Present.  See My Entire Social Presence.

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12. Is My Ancestor on the 1920 US Census?

     As you work in reverse to identify your ancestor on the 1920 Census, you will still need to rely on the family group sheet and what you discovered in 1930.  In the last post, an extraction of the 1930 Census lists the following individuals living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

1.  Earl Vance, head of household, 50 year old shipper, married at 21 in South Carolina, mother and father born in South Carolina.
2.  Clorena Vance, wife, 46 years old, married at 17 in South Carolina, mother and father born in South Carolina.
3.  Clarence, son, 25, born in South Carolina.
4.  Minnie, daughter, 22, born in Pennsylvania.
5.  Oscar, son, 16, born in Pennsylvania.


     According to the age of each of these individuals, this family group should be listed together on the 1920 Census.  Because Oscar was born in Pennsylvania, it is fair to assume this family may be living in Pennsylvania ten years prior.  The ages of the children in this family are spaced fairly apart, so it is possible Earl and Clorena had other children who are no longer home in 1930.


     An initial search for Earl Vance in Pennsylvania proves unsuccessful.  A subsequent search for Clorena Vance produces no result.  Widening the search for Earl and Clorena in the United States still proves unsuccessful.  According to the 1930 Census, the next person in the family group to search for would be Clarence Vance.  Clarence Vance was born in South Carolina, and no such person exists living in Pennsylvania during the time the 1920 Census was taken.  


     This would bring most family historians to the point of frustration.  Some of the most common reasons for not being able to locate an individual on a census would be:
1.  Names were not recorded correctly.
2.  The individual lived in a different location.
3.  The individual was not recorded.
4.  The area was redistricted creating new boundary lines.
5.  The individual was not alive during the time.
6.  The individual went by a different name.


      In carefully considering the above possibilities, you will be able to adapt by choosing a different search technique or resource. For example, you may search using a more limited amount of information which widens your online search, providing more results where previously no results existed. Perhaps you would rather order the microfilm for the location where you suspect the individual was living at the time.  Researching the census on microfilm allows you to become familiar with surnames and individuals who lived in the same area as your ancestor.  The actual census books which were published by state make it easy to locate individuals whose names were sorely misspelled.  The names are indexed, and it is much easier to spot a possible match from the alphabetical list.  Census books are available at most state archives.


     No matter which resource or technique you choose, you will be completely dependent on the family group sheet for identifying who you should search for to find the ancestor's family.  So far, a search for Earl, Clorena, and Clarence living in Pennsylvania has not worked.  Searching for Earl or Clorena Vance living in the United States does not help either.  Searching for Clarence Vance, born in South Carolina and living in the United States finally links the family:

      The primary reason this family was so difficult to find is that they actually were living in Baltimore, Maryland, and Earl is listed as Calvin Vance.  It is still to be determined whether his name was Earl Calvin or Calvin Earl.  His wife's first name is misspelled (Florina instead of Clorena). An older daughter, Angelina, appears home in 1920.  She was not listed with the family on the 1930 Census.  Clarence, Minnie, and Oscar, however, appear in the same birth order as they did on the 1920 Census, and the ages coincide for the most part.  Normally, there is a two-year margin of error for ages listed on the census, but you may discover huge discrepancies in age.  For this reason, it is best to search each census year when attempting to document age in addition to locating any available vital records.  


     Hopefully, this example illustrates the common pitfalls you may encounter in researching the census.  Aside from the challenges, it is exciting to learn more about your family as you move back in time where fewer family members are living to recount history for you. 

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11. Finding your Ancestor on the 1930 US Census

     An earlier post stressed the importance of interviewing the oldest living family members and gathering records on hand.  That information should be extracted and recorded on a pedigree chart and a family group sheet or entered into a family history database.  This will help you quickly access birth, marriage, and death information that will help you determine if you ancestor may be found on the 1930 Census.

       If you do not know your ancestor's date of birth, you can still use death records to determine if he/she would be listed on the 1930 Census. Many online indexes and links to actual images of death certificates are being made available.  If you know the county and state where your ancestor died and an approximate date of death, you can use FamilySearch Wiki to determine where a death record can be accessed.  Be sure that you are familiar with the dates that the state began to record death records.  Many records are being made available at beta FamilySearch, where you can access historical documents free.

     The US Social Security Death Index is another resource which can be used to identify birth and death.  If you have no idea where your ancestor lived in 1930, try searching the place where the Social Security was issued.  This information is usually available on the index.

     Using the family group sheet, you will be able to identify whether your ancestor was a child or a parent in 1930.  If your ancestor would have been a child, for example, you would not look for him/her as a head of household on the census.  The family group sheet will identify each member of the family, and this will be useful if you have any difficulties locating your direct-line ancestor.  You can search for each individual in the family group who would have been living in the same household as your ancestor.

     The 1930 Census can be accessed online at Ancestry.com  or at Footnote.com.  These databases are available at various libraries and institutions or by subscription. You can also order census records on microfilm at a family history center.

     Some of the types of information that you may discover about your ancestor on this census would be (see sample below):

1.  own or rent home

2.  marital status

3.  age

4.  birth place

5.  parent's birth place

6.  occupation

After you have located your ancestor on the first census, remember to record your findings on the Census Checklist.  As you search the next census for your ancestor, you will be able to more easily determine the make-up of the family group in that year.

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3. The Family Group Sheet is your Secret Weapon!

George E. Tucker (1910-1980)

One of the least understood tools is The Family Group Sheet. You should generate two Family Group Sheets for the person whom you are researching. We will attempt to explain here why this is your secret weapon in breaking down "brick walls." The term "brick wall" is used to refer to what it feels like you have to pass through to uncover resources on you ancestor.

If you would like to print out a Family Group Sheet to refer to, CLICK HERE.  This form has two sides.  Be sure to download both sides. Fill out one Family Group Sheet with your ancestor as a parent. Fill out another Family Group Sheet with you ancestor as a child. You should make your best attempt to fill out both sheets completely with spouses, siblings, parents, children, events (birth, marriage, death, burial), and places.   

                                                                                                       

The number one mistake of many whom I have assisted is that they do not trace spouses, siblings, parents, and children. They run out of resources and get stuck in their research for many years. When they gain the courage to begin anew, I always request to have them produce a Family Tree and Family Group Sheet. We will proceed to identify resources which may document the lives of the entire family. If you take the time to complete this step in the process, you will be happy in the long run.

This is one of the least understood principles: You will have greater success if you will become familiar with the family as a whole. They lived together, interacted with one another, and appear together in public documents that were generated in their lifetime. 


Many times when records are indexed such as land records and wills, you will not find your ancestor's named indexed. The record may be indexed under the name of another relative. When you look at the actual document, you ancestor is named along with other members of the family group. At times, you will need to search different documents indexed under other family member's names. You may end up searching for the previous generation using a sibling or cousin of your ancestor because your ancestor my not have sufficient resources. 


The Family Group Sheet is also most beneficial because it helps you to narrow your search down to the specific time period and place(s) your ancestor lived. This becomes vital information when you discover that even though your ancestor never moved, county boundaries changed and you are having to search holdings in more than one district.


This all may sound confusing. Do not worry. We are building this bridge one step at a time. You can go your own pace here. Just get those Family Group Sheets filled out, and we will take it from there.

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