You've seen the memes. Genealogists would rather spend every moment working on their family trees than, say, eating, sleeping or dealing with people.
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| It doesn't take a ton of time to make real genealogy progress. |
Do you have the luxury of 100% free time? I don't either!
Don't worry. You can still make significant progress on your family research in short bursts of time.
Have about an hour after the dinner table is cleared? That'll do. Have some free time in the late afternoon before the family gets home? That's great! Are you an early riser? It's genealogy time!
Arm yourself with a list of tasks and a progress chart, and a small window of time can yield big genealogy progress. Here are some examples.
1. Choose a Specific Ancestor from your Grandparent Chart
Last night I was too exhausted to spend much time on genealogy. So I chose a specific ancestor from my "grandparent chart".
The chart shows me exactly which direct-line ancestors I've identified, and which ones I haven't. (See "How to Visualize Your Ancestor-Finding Progress".)
I chose one ancestor from the chart whose parents were missing. I found him in my tree to see what I knew about him. Then I examined his children's marriage records to see if they contained the names of their grandparents.
In the short amount of time I had (before I fell asleep at the keyboard), I added a few marriage document images to my tree. I can pick up where I left off when I have another chunk of time.
2. Improve as Many Source Citations as You Can
I have a few items on my Task List in Family Tree Maker that involve making my tree better. One task is to replace some of my weaker sources with strong ones.
For example, I received some relatives' information from a distant cousin. That's not very scientific. I'm happy to have the information, but I need to verify it with proof. (See "Trade Up to Better Family History Sources".)
So, when I have some time, I can go to these people in my tree and do the legwork. I can replace the "a cousin told me" source citation with more concrete facts and documents. That's a great use of time.
3. Enhance Your Tree's Document Images with Facts and URLs
Ever since I discovered this trick, it's been a must-do task for me. Before I attach a downloaded document image (vital record, census sheet, ship manifest, etc.) to my family tree, I add facts to the image itself.
You can add a descriptive title and comments to an image's properties. Many or all the facts will be pulled into your family tree file. (See "How to Increase the Value of Your Family Tree Images".)
Each time I have a new document to add to my tree, I edit its properties. I include a descriptive title, the name of its source and the URL it came from. Once I add it to my family tree, all I need to edit there is the date field and the category.
4. Create or Update Your List of All Gathered Documents
I'm a strong believer in keeping a spreadsheet inventory of my found documents. My document tracker contains more than 1,500 names of people in my tree, and each document I've found for them. (See "Track Your Genealogy Finds and Your Searches".)
When I have some time, I can choose someone in my tree, like my grandfather. I can see exactly which documents I have for him, and which are missing. In his case, I have his:
- 1902 birth certificate
- 1920 ship manifest
- 1927 naturalization papers
- 1930 and 1940 census
- 1992 death certificate
There are only three important documents I would like to find for him:
- His 1928 marriage to my grandmother
- His 1959 marriage to my step-grandmother (I do have a record of their marriage license)
- His 1958-or-so trip back to Italy—his one and only trip home since arriving in New York in 1920.
My document tracker makes it very easy to see what I can search for when I have some time.
Don't worry about not having countless hours to spend working on your family tree.
By spending a little time on your family tree more frequently, you will see true progress. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment. And you'll know your family tree—your legacy—is better and stronger than it was yesterday.
And speaking of efficient genealogy:
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