Discovering your family history before it’s too late

WHEN we were young many of us were too impatient to listen to Nanna’s stories or Uncle Fred’s wartime anecdotes and as for listening to our parents blather on about their childhood . . .

We lived in the present and history was something for the classroom, and then only because we had to listen to it – for those of us who were not real history buffs. And even for those of us interested in the history of world events, we did not usually relate them to our own families. It was not cool to even stay too long  in the room of relatives as they reminisced about the “good old days”.

But as we move to our middle years, with our children grown up having children of their own, suddenly we

Researching your family tree can be fun

are interested in our family history. And that is usually because our children are starting to show an interest.

Suddenly knowing about your past is cool – fueled by reality tv programs aimed at people trying to find out about their forebears.

Trouble is, Nanna is gone, Uncle Fred and your parents are either gone or gone soft and you have only a few snippets of information in your head as well as a suitcase of un-named, fading photographs.

It is time to rally what family you have left – if your parents and their siblings are not around, consider their cousins and of course your cousins who may have listened a bit more attentively than you did.

What I am talking about here is an anecdotal history of your family, a good place to start weaving your family story. Before you get down to the serious business of a proper geneological study of your family, those anecdotes you have heard, even if they do not have firm dates, places or events, are an important part of  your family’s story.

You may think that researching your family tree with names, dates of births and deaths is the best, even the only way to go but any stories from relatives adds to the rich tapestry of your family history. Writing those stories down will spur you on to the harder task of  researching your family tree.

So, to start with:

• Interview and film surviving relatives, even if you think their memories are dimming;

• Organise a family reunion with as many branches of the family as you can as you may find a distant relative knows something worthwhile about your family;

• Write down your own life story as it could start a trend copied by subsequent generations;

• Catalogue family photos with names, dates and places if you can and separate them from photos with no data;

• Start the process of doing your family tree and tracing ancestors with the help of genealogy experts which you will find online.

Most important thing to remember is HAVE FUN, even if the task seems overwhelming. Take one step at a time and enjoy the journey.

Piecing together the puzzle of your family story is a great activity for your retirement but also a good way to spend your spare time if you are still working – meeting relatives at those sunny-day picnics and sorting through photos and writing on the rainy weekends.

And don’t forget there could be the  chance to travel if you really want to go that far.

http://www.ancestry.com.au/

http://www.findmypast.com/

http://www.tracingyourancestors.com/

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