Active Aging Series: GENEALOGY & HISTORIC EDMONTON
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, we hosted our Active Aging Series: Genealogy & Historic Edmonton. It was a wonderful morning as we learned about the City of Edmonton Archives, the different resources available at the Edmonton Public Library and the Genealogy group hosted at our centre!
As promised, the following is a summary of the resources our presenters told us about with links on how to access the information.
How to Build a Family Tree
STEP #01: Decide what you want to know about your family history:
- Research one direct line
- Cultural Background?
- History of One Family Member?
- Medical History?
- A Particular Family Event?
STEP #02: Write down what you know about your family tree and history.
- Share your knowledge and information with other relatives and gather their input and suggestions for further contacts.
- Start to research your information using the Internet, libraries, and free search sites like Family Search.
- Join a Genealogy group to gain their recommendations, assistance, and guidance.
STEP #03: Open an account with a family research site, i.e. Ancestry.com, My Heritage, Find Your Roots, etc.
- Keep your costs low at first until you determine where you will get the best value for the least cost.
- Take a free trial, a limited-time membership, or a limited resources membership.
- Always try to verify the information you find with authentic source information.
- Be patient, this takes time.
- Be open-minded
- Pause, read your information, ponder
- Consider taking a DNA test to verify what you know and to open new possibilities by identifying relatives.
- Choose how you want to record and organize your documentation.
- Reroute back to earlier contacts to share your findings, ask for further suggestions, and spark more memories.
- Never give up, the answers are out there somewhere.
