Best way to keep track of family tree?

carolinechurch · Post by **carolinechurch** » 17 Feb 2010, 19:43

Thanks Stuart! I love Excel, have often played around trying to set something up, but your layout is great. I might just steal it.

Your website is fantastic too, what an interesting story, and what a wonderful photo you have of Achille. Did you inherit his hair?!
Caroline.

carolinechurch · Post by **carolinechurch** » 17 Feb 2010, 20:43

For all my paper files (and I save to my hard drive, and print almost everything I find on Ancestry) I use ring binder folders, as you can add extra sheets when you need to, and take pages out to spread all over the floor, or to show to the elderly mother who can't see on the computer screen properly.
I keep precious things in clear plastic covers, and have coloured dividers for different family members, and different folders for each branch.
I keep notebooks for jotting as I used to use scraps of paper and then lose them and this way if I find something that seems totally irrelevant I can refer back to it later and it will have a quick note of where it came from, and when.

Romano1970 · Post by **Romano1970** » 17 Feb 2010, 20:55

It gets very detailed but I try to keep each person on a seperate page with spouse notations.

For instance

name
Born
Place
Father
Mother
Spouse
Etc
etc
etc

stuartcapaldi · Post by **stuartcapaldi** » 18 Feb 2010, 15:56

Caroline

Thanks for the comments. As you say excel is so easy to use. Also at a glance you can have a section of your tree printed and available on your desk.

I also take notes in my jotter and continue to refer to them and as you say, saves losing scraps of paper.

I also use a Family Group Form and a Census form which I initially complete in pen/pencil as a working document and then transcribe onto my template and print.

I have attempted to attached a blank sample of the forms. Some advice on how to do this would be helpful

carolinechurch · Post by **carolinechurch** » 18 Feb 2010, 20:54

Hi Stuart.
If you use the 'post reply' button rather than the quick reply box you get the option to add an attachment at the bottom of the screen.

stuartcapaldi · Post by **stuartcapaldi** » 18 Feb 2010, 21:18

Caroline

Thanks I have tried that but attachment is not uploading

I'll try again

carolinechurch · Post by **carolinechurch** » 18 Feb 2010, 21:20

IT WORKED!

dcolligan73 · Post by **dcolligan73** » 19 Feb 2010, 05:01

I noticed this thread, and thought I'd add my two cents on the original post.

I started out doing my family tree several years ago with the might pen / paper ..... eventually, I bought Family Tree Maker (version : Older than dirt).

I currently use Family Tree Maker 2009 so that I have a software copy that I can back up easily. I also use Ancestry.com, but.. a previous poster pointed out that if you don't pay the subscription it's gone... and I don't believe that is the case anymore. You can always access YOUR tree, but you cannot access the records / public member trees if you don't have a subscription.

It's a pain to keep both copies current, however, I like to be able to backup my Family Tree Maker copy regularly... and I enjoy being able to share my work in a public form for others to collaborate.

I also like Ancestry.com's "publish" feature with MyCanvas.... I keep a hardcopy of all record notations and print 4 generation tree's to add to my binder. I currently have 3 Canvas projects... one for tree charts, one for documents (marriage/birth/death certificatees, etc).. and the last is for census records..... (I like to annote the page numbers for records in an Appendix... so it helps to keep them in seperate "Projects" for publication... when I add a tree chart, I don't have to go back and renumber everything.

And FINALLY... (my two cents is almost up).... If you go to www.ellisisland.org... click Geneology.... and select Charts and Forms.. there's some decent forms for you to jot notes onto until you get your info into your PC records.... it's easier for me to take a binder full of blanks into a public research center or library, rather than a laptop I wouldn't leave on a table to go get another record source.

dcolligan73 · Post by **dcolligan73** » 19 Feb 2010, 05:09

I almost forgot...

there are also blank census forms available for the U.S. census..... I like them because I can print neatly the information from the census record for just the ancestors I'm tracking and it's neater than the writing of the person who took the census (usually).

They can be downloaded via Ancestry.com if you have a membership... and probably can be found elsewhere for free.

If you provide me with your email, I'd be happy to send you a set of blanks for your use. They are copyrighted, but I don't believe I'd be violating any terms of use by sharing them to you, however, it would probably be a violation if I "published" them to the forum.

liviomoreno · Post by **liviomoreno** » 19 Feb 2010, 07:33

I am attaching the US Census blank form from 1790 to 1930

wldspirit · Post by **wldspirit** » 19 Feb 2010, 10:18

It gets very detailed but I try to keep each person on a seperate page with spouse notations.

I can easily cross reference names and brief information by using 4x6 index cards, kept in an index file, and sorted alphabetically.

I have software, but everything is backed up in three ring binders, sorted by surname, and broken down into further categories within in each binder, such as birth, marriage, death, ect. They are all kept in acid free plastic covers.

johnnyonthespot · Post by **johnnyonthespot** » 19 Feb 2010, 10:32

wldspirit wrote:
It gets very detailed but I try to keep each person on a seperate page with spouse notations.
I can easily cross reference names and brief information by using 4x6 index cards, kept in an index file, and sorted alphabetically.

I have software, but everything is backed up in three ring binders, sorted by surname, and broken down into further categories within in each binder, such as birth, marriage, death, ect. They are all kept in acid free plastic covers.

I think it fair to say that most people doing in-depth genealogy research do so for two reasons: 1) personal interest in their ancestry, and 2) the hope that their descendants will someday find the information as helpful and exciting as they did.

That being the case, the only truly safe long-term storage method is paper. Moving forward only 20 years, what are the chances that your grandkids will be able to access all of your hard work if it is stored in FTM format (or Legacy or GenoPro or...)? Software goes obsolete, disk drives crash, backup CD's and other media get lost, broken, or corrupted.

A box of paper charts and index cards can be dug out of the attic 100 years from now and still be easily readable. I guarantee you that will not be the case with electronic records.

So, yes, use the software of your choice to assist you in documenting your research efforts, but in the end, be sure to print those charts and to save and index every supporting document in paper form.

oilman19 · Post by **oilman19** » 19 Feb 2010, 15:25

Livio,

Thank you for those census blanks. They will be a big help to me. I didn't know how to get them. You always come through.

Jim

Veronesi-Guardini · Post by **Veronesi-Guardini** » 19 Feb 2010, 17:05

Im running Family Tree Maker 2008. I tried 2010, but I prefered the simple, effective, no-nonsense layout of 2008

I would definately recommend it to anyone doing a tree!

wldspirit · Post by **wldspirit** » 19 Feb 2010, 17:30

Moving forward only 20 years, what are the chances that your grandkids will be able to access all of your hard work if it is stored in FTM format (or Legacy or GenoPro or...)? Software goes obsolete, disk drives crash, backup CD's and other media get lost, broken, or corrupted.

Very true!! I started out with floppy disk, now, my newer computer doesn't even have a place to use a floppy disk!!

Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?

Re: Best way to keep track of family tree?