It’s a natural human tendency to be curious about where we come from. Somewhere in our DNA, do we have ties to George Washington? Are we a long-lost Kennedy? Or maybe even a cousin to Brad Pitt?
We all ask the questions. Maybe it’s time to put in the work and find out.
For Charleen Stehman, that work has become her passion. A dedicated volunteer to the Berks County Genealogical Association, Stehman is unofficially referred to by co-volunteers as the savant of family history research. Whether you’re looking for an in-depth history or just an overview, here are some tips she has to getting started on your very own Family Tree project.
Back to Basics
“The best place to start is always yourself,” says Stehman, who started her own extensive history with a simple family group sheet she found on the Internet. Google is a great resource for the basic sheets you’ll need, such as pedigree sheets and the aforementioned family group sheet. Start with basic information (name, birth, and death date) and worry about getting detailed later. Begin with yourself and immediate family, and slowly sift through history.
Start by constructing your direct bloodline, such as mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, and so on. Worry about collateral family (those related by marriage, second marriages, cousins, etc.) later. A good goal, says Stehman, is to go back to the first direct relative who stepped on to American soil.
Know your Resources
There is no shortage of resources for family histories, but be wary of Ponzi schemes that reap big profits and little information. The Internet can be beneficial, but make sure you check your sources. Many townships have local historical societies. Look in to the Pennsylvania State Library, Harrisburg’s State Archives, or Philadelphia’s State Genealogical Society. If you’re looking on a larger scale, check out the National Archives or the Mormon-based (and free) www.familysearch.org.
Sites like www.ancestry.com (which charges a yearly fee of $155.40) offer a building block, but seldom provide good sources. Much of the detective work has to be done yourself by sifting through old newspapers, court records, or your state’s Vital Statistics Bureau.
Sidenote: www.ancestry.com can be accessed for free at the Reading Public Library.
Be Patient- and Enjoy the Ride!
There are few things that require as much patience and determination as constructing your family tree. You could very well search for months to find a miniscule obituary in a decaying newspaper. “Sometimes it’ll be as easy as snapping your fingers,” says Stehman. “Other times, it’ll be like you’re crawling through quicksand.” If one door doesn’t seem like it’s opening, be willing to let it go and try a different angle on your history.
Above all, this mission is all about having fun by learning where you come from. Make it an independent project, or invite family members to get involved. And let the rest, of course, be history.
