The Genealogist

The Family Tree Is Important To All Families

April 29, 2007 on 4:49 am | In Amateur Genealogist News | No Comments

By David Fishman

Family Tree provides detailed information on the families past history. To organize your research you need to create a worksheet of your family tree. There are many tools to use to help start the process of your family tree, they are not expensive and widely available, and they are great tools for organizing. Studying genealogy will give you the knowledge you will need to understand your ancestry, and it will help in creating the family tree. The family tree is a graphical representation of how the family fits and is related to each other. To make it easier it is a good idea to separate the generations, this will make it easier for tracing the family roots. By seeing the generations it is a good rule of thumb of you your family tree will be formed and how extensive it is. Use a family tree to elaborate on how each of us is connected to each other. The family tree is a great tool for showing children how the family is related plus it give a perspective of how the family was formed..

There are plenty of websites that have great tools to use to keep you organized with your records. Keeping records is very important, along with maintaining them in a secure and good condition.

When searching for information about families the most common type of information that is found is that information that is public. Full names are also essential. As you go through old letters, many of the names will be completely unfamiliar to you. Include any dates; also take note of the addresses on envelopes, and the dates the letters were posted. Names can get you into a muddle if several of your ancestors share a name. Genealogy is now becoming popular for many people. Searching for your past and for ancestors is very fun; many people find it interesting and a great way to learn about their history.

One of the easiest and cost effective way to start is to talk to living relatives and pick their brains about past relatives. Watch for free genealogical courses at your local library. Now that family tree research is so popular, many libraries hold short courses (lasting a couple of hours) on how to conduct library research. Try entering the names into any of the online search resources you\’re no doubt familiar with. One of the reasons so many people get frustrated with their family tree research is that they simply can\’t find much if anything online. It\’s possible you\’ll find an Internet cousin or two on this site. Sharing research is an excellent technique for getting faster results.

There is no need to place expensive phone calls or travel to all parts of the world just to meet your distant cousins. A lot of family tree software can be bought at reasonable prices, and some are free. Most family tree maker software is completely customizable. Most software have some type of safety precautions so you don\’t loose your work, many come with a backup utility so you save your work to a separate file. Family tree software is widely available and can be very affordable.

About The Author

David Marc Fishman is the owner of an the ask an expert site. Watch experts give advice via video on family genealogy.

Some Key Terms Directly Related To Studying Your Ancestry

April 19, 2007 on 4:20 pm | In Amateur Genealogist News | No Comments

By Jimmy Cox

Before beginning a study of one\’s ancestry, it is important to know one\’s terminology. Here then are a few key terms that one would do best to know.

Ancestral Charts

An Ancestral Chart is a picture or diagram of a descendant and his ancestors. It is the framework or skeleton on which a Family History is built. It may be arranged in any one of a multitude of ways, sometimes resembling an open fan, but more often shown by a plain diagram on one or more sheets of paper ruled for the purpose and indicating the multiplication of lines necessary to represent the geometrical progression needed to accommodate the actual number of ancestors of any one person.

An Ancestral Chart will contain only names, dates of births, deaths and marriages, and possibly the place of residence of the various people named. It is a skeleton history giving only the vital record.

Ancestral History

An Ancestral History in a compilation of data combined with interesting incidents, with reference to lines of ascent from a common descendant. It starts with a person in the present or some recent time and works back to earlier dates along all lines of blood which have contributed to the life of the individual selected as the starting point, thus embracing many families of different surnames and many strains of blood in no way connected only as they are the ancestors of a common offspring. Ancestral History is one straight line from child to parent so far back as it is carried.

An Ancestral History, because its focal point is in one person of recent date, or at most in one family of brothers and sisters, is of more private nature than a genealogy. It is of interest in its totality to only a few people and is prepared more for a pastime than for any historical value it may reveal and, therefore, is not prepared with a view of publication.

Genealogy

A Genealogy is a compilation of data with reference to lines of decent. It starts with one common ancestor who may be the emigrant, or one of the emigrants if there were several bearing the same surname, who came to this country in colonial times. Or it may begin with any subsequent ancestor heading a particular branch of the family surname.
From the beginning point, wherever it may be, the genealogy works down to a more recent date, even to the present time enumerating by generations the descendants of the selected ancestor and following only the blood lines of the one chosen forefather. Genealogy is a history of one family of one blood strain only.

The genealogy may be restricted to those persons bearing the same surname as the selected ancestor in which case it is only the history of sons and unmarried daughters of the family, or it may be enlarged to include the marriages of daughters and the enumeration of their immediate families, which by the way is the most common practice and the plan to be most strongly recommended, or it may be still further extended to include all known descendants of the ancestor, thus embracing the ancestral name and the surnames acquired by the daughters through marriage in all branches.

The latter method would produce a family history which could be termed a full genealogy and would be the complete history so far as it could be gathered of an ancestor and all his blood descendants - the complete history of one strain of blood. Thus, while an Ancestral History is the history of a descendant and his ancestors, a Genealogy is a history of an ancestor and his descendants.

Genealogist

A Genealogist is a person who, professionally or otherwise, practices the science of examining public and private records with the object of compiling in some form the history of a family. In its broader meaning it embraces both those persons who are working on Genealogies and those who are preparing Ancestral Charts and Ancestral Histories. In this treatise the term Genealogist will be used in its broader sense to indicate any person who for any reason is examining and compiling any sort of family records.

About The Author

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Reconciling Your Past In Texas, Or What You Should Know About Your Medical History

April 9, 2007 on 10:02 pm | In Amateur Genealogist News | No Comments

By Pat Carpenter

Your family\’s medical history can provide insight into the diseases and conditions that are common to you and your relatives. Use this history for clues about your risk for certain diseases and conditions. Family gatherings in Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas can be fun and memorable. They are also an ideal time to catch up on family news and information, including your family\’s health history. By mapping your family medical history, you can help identify some health risks you may face in the years ahead and plan for measures to minimize or eliminate those risks.

What is a family medical history?

A family medical history or medical family tree is a record of illnesses traced among family members. It looks like the family tree you might have drawn in school, with, of course, the addition of health information. This tree shows the relationships between each family member. And, depending on how much information you\’re able to get for each relative, your medical family tree may end up being very detailed, while including health issues each family member faced.

What are the advantages of family medical history?

By compiling a family medical history, you can help your doctor spot patterns of specific conditions and diseases among family members. Your doctor and other healthcare professionals can use your family\’s medical history - sometimes called a pedigree - for a number of things, including:

* Diagnosing a medical condition
* Determining whether you may benefit from preventive measures to lower your risk of a specific disease
* Deciding what medical tests to run
* Identifying other members of your family who are at risk of developing certain diseases
* Calculating your risk of certain diseases
* Calculating your risk of passing certain conditions on to your children

What can\’t your family medical history tell you?

A family medical history doesn\’t necessarily help everyone looking for answers about hereditary health concerns. For instance:

* If you\’re adopted, family medical histories only work for blood relatives. And if you are adopted and don\’t know your biological parents, your family\’s medical history won\’t tell you about your risk of inherited diseases.

* Don\’t use it to predict your future. Whether you\’ll actually end up with an inherited condition depends on your health habits, especially diet and exercise. Knowing now that you\’re at risk of certain diseases can motivate you to change any unhealthy behaviors.

It provides limited insight into small families. If you have few siblings and cousins, it could be more difficult to identify family health patterns.

Someday it may be possible, and affordable, to use genetic testing to predict all of the diseases you\’re at risk for. Until then, your family\’s medical history is probably the best way to look into your possible future.

Gathering information about your family\’s medical history.

Interview your relatives in person or on the phone. Or see if they are willing to take a few minutes at your next family reunion to answer your questions. Talking with your relatives can also help you renew or build relationships, as well as gain valuable medical knowledge.

Devise a questionnaire for your family. This should include questions about medical conditions your relatives have and their health habits, such as smoking, diet and exercise. Also include:

* Can you provide significant dates, including birth dates and other approximate dates when diseases/conditions were diagnosed?

* What major diseases has the family experienced? Examples: heart disease, stroke, cancer, depression, diabetes, Alzheimer\’s disease, obesity, blindness and deafness. At what age were these diseases or conditions diagnosed? Was treatment successful?

* Any relatives have a tendency for other conditions: allergies, asthma, migraines or frequent colds?

* Have infertility, miscarriages, stillbirths or infant deaths taken place in the family? If so, what was the cause?

* Any history of birth defects, learning disabilities or mental retardation?

* What is the family\’s dominant racial and ethnic background? Some diseases are more common among members of certain races and ethnicities.

* Is there any other information that may be relevant to the family medical history?

There are other sources of information you could include, such as death certificates, which are available through your state health department, and family records, which might include letters, census records or obituaries.

Try to gather as much information on as many generations of relatives as you can, including your parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, half brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, children and grandchildren. If you\’re married and have children, include your spouse\’s family history as well.

Make sure the information is as accurate as possible. If you don\’t have information regarding what caused a family member\’s death, don\’t guess. Incorrect information will give you incorrect results. Do your best to collect solid information about your closest relatives, which would be your immediate family.

What can I do if a relative doesn\’t want to share their medical information?

You might come across some relatives who prefer to keep their health information private. There may also be relatives who do not want to talk about an uncle\’s alcoholism, a niece\’s treatment for mental illness, a nephew\’s dyslexia or a grandmother\’s Alzheimer\’s disease. Use tact and compassion to overcome this hurdle.

In addition, consider these strategies to get family members to open up and share personal information:

* Emphasize that your purpose is to create a record that will help you determine whether you and your relatives have a family history of certain diseases or health conditions. Make the completed medical history available to other family members so that they can also share the information with their doctors.

* Ask a question several different ways. Some people may be more willing to share health information in a face-to-face meeting. Others may prefer answering your questions by mail or e-mail.

* Word each question carefully. Don\’t start with personal questions. Begin your interview by asking general questions about the whole family and then let your relative volunteer his or her personal health information.

* Be a good listener. As your relatives talk about their health problems, let them speak without interruption. Listen without judgment or comment.

* Respect privacy. As you collect information about your relatives, respect their right to confidentiality. Some people may not want to share any health information with you. Or they may not want this information revealed to anyone other than you and your doctor.

Now share your family medical history with your doctor.

Take your completed medical history to your next doctor\’s appointment. Your doctor can help you analyze disease patterns and can talk with you about your risk of developing certain diseases. If you\’re considering genetic testing, your doctor can discuss this with you and determine whether genetic testing is right for you.

You\’re a young, healthy Texan and you certainly want to continue to stay healthy now and as you get older. So a comprehensive medical history might just help you pinpoint and avoid problems in the future. The right individual health insurance plan might also help you with your long-term fitness and health goals.

About The Author

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com