Genealogy Merit Badge

Missouri Western State UniversityMerit Badge College March 20,2010 May 8, 2010

Workbooks

Please fill out the workbook as we discuss the different aspects of Genealogy.

Introduction (Req. 1)

Genealogy (ge·ne·al·o·gy): the study or investigation of ancestry and family histories.

Who were they? Where did they live? What were they like?

Introduction

Ancestor (an·ces·tor) a person from whom one is

descended (parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc)

Descendant (de·scen·dant) an individual descended from

another (child, grandchild, great- grandchild, etc)

Where to Begin: Who are You? (Req. 2)

Create a timeline of your life.▪ List Important Events: Birth, Schooling, Vacations,

Scouting, Family, Memories.▪ Ask parents and grandparents to tell you about things

that occurred in your life before you can remember Use these notes to write a short biography of

yourself. Update this timeline and biography every year. Write in a Journal

Next Step: Learn from living relatives (Req. 3)

Talk to your parents and grandparents. Ask them about their childhoods.

▪ Where did they go to school?▪ What were their friends like?▪ What did they like doing?

What were their brothers/sisters/cousins like? What do they remember about their

parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles.

Record their stories (Tape and Written)

Letter from my Great Grandfather

Family StoriesCharlotte Holmes:

The biggest, hardest thing in our family was when my older brother Chuck got sick; he was about twelve (in about 1924). This was a bone infection and there was not antibiotics or sulfurs or nothing of that sort at the time. Four years later they took off his right leg above the knee. He spent a good deal of time in the hospital and in bed at home.

While he was a boy scout he had a Model-T Ford because his uncle Walter made sure that he had one so that he could get around; he couldn’t walk very far by himself on his artificial leg. Well, there was a voting contest to send one boy to scout camp for free and another boy in town got it. But then they discovered that there were a lot of votes that hadn’t been counted and most of them went for Chuck. The other boy had already left when they told him about it so Chuck rushed home and told my mother that he was going to camp. He got his gear together, jumped in his Model T and rode off down around Lake Michigan and he managed to get there. Well, my father came home and he was pretty upset. My mother told him “I couldn’t have stopped him if I wanted to.” Chuck had a wonderful time at camp. He worked with the scouts in Batavia in the 1950’s and 60’s until he retired on the farm.

Genealogical Resources: (Req. 4a)Where to find more information

Vital Records Birth, Marriage, Death records

Census Records Every 10 years from 1790. Privacy laws mean

that only through 1930 have been released State Records

Land deeds, wills, pension records Libraries

Books and microfilm resources Internet Family papers, bibles etc.

Birth

WillObituary

Census

Evaluating Records (Req. 4c) Primary Records:

A record that was created at the time of the event. Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Marriage Record, etc.

Only primary source for that event. Secondary Records:

Information recorded at a time other than the event. Example: Birth date listed on death certificate.

Secondary information can be incorrect. If a close family member were to die, and you were asked to fill out the death certificate, would you be able to accurately remember that person’s birth date, mother’s maiden name, etc.

Vital Records: Birth Certificate

Primary Source: Data that was

recorded at the time of the event. Birth date Birth Place Parent’s Names

Secondary Records: Information recorded

at a time other than the event. Mother’s or

Father’s Birth date and place

Vital Record: Death Certificates

Primary Source:• Death date• Death place• Burial Place

Secondary Source:• Birth Information• Parent’s Information• Spouse Information

Vital Record: Marriage Records

Primary Source: Marriage date Names of

Spouses Marriage Place

Secondary Source: Parent’s

information Birth dates and

places

Census Records

Taken every 10 years as required by the US Constitution

1790 – 1840: Lists heads of households only1850 – 1930: Lists all members of household1940 – 2010: Not released to public yet.1890: Destroyed by FireInformation obtained from Censuses:

Names of Family MembersAges at time of CensusBirth LocationsWhere the Family Lived

Not Terribly accurate! - neighbors frequently gave information. Only as accurate as the census taker.

1850 Census

1900 Census

Pension and Military Records

Books, Websites, etc

Motherwell Memories

Information gathered and published by other researchers

May Contain Errors

Obtaining Records

Family: Check with your parents/ grandparents, etc to see what records they have. Make photocopies or scanned images of these records.

Record Repository: courthouse, state or national archive, state library, genealogical library.

Internet: Watch for Primary, Secondary, and “Dubious” records.

Internet

More Internet

Computers and Genealogy (Req. 8a)

Storage of Information: FamilyTreeMaker Legacy Ancestral Quest

Sharing of Information: Internet Sites E-mail Digital Photos

Finding Information: Online Records Computerized Document Searches Googling

Photography (Req. 8b)

Microfilming: Copying old records onto film that can be viewed and copied. Allows more access to records that are falling

apart. Allows microfilms to be copied and stored in

multiple facilities (libraries). Duplicate copies in case originals are

destroyed. Microfilmed copies are now being digitized

and copied into computer databases.

Photographs – Identify Them!

Creating a Pedigree Chart (Req. 6)

Start with yourself as #1.

Next is your Father (up) and Mother (down)

Each generation continues in the same way: Grandfather (up) and Grandmother (down)

Family Group Record (Req. 7) List Father on Top Line Mother on Next Lines Children in Order of

Birth Use Extra Pages if

Necessary List only one family per

sheet

Evaluate Information

Do your detective work!• Do you have an original record? That’s great evidence –

make sure you record where it came from.

• Did you get it from someone else’s research? That’s questionable – check out their sources – hang on to the information as a “possible”

• State something as a fact only when it is supported by convincing evidence, and identify the evidence when communicating the fact to others.

• Keep your mind open – your ancestors may not be who you think they are

Review Requirements

Use this time to complete Timeline / Personal History Prepare questions for relatives Fill in Pedigree Chart and Family Group

Records Search Internet for Resources

I will come around and check off requirements for those who have completed the prerequisites.