Family History Bingo

My favorite website for family and personal history is definitely Family Search. They offer so many different ways to learn about your ancestry. From facts about the countries of your heritage to seeing which ancestor you most resemble, they provide varied opportunities to connect to your family. To make learning more about your ancestors (and the site) more fun, I created a downloadable Family History bingo sheet.

This sheet is meant to help you get to know your ancestors a little better. Don’t worry if you don’t get a “blackout” or even a “bingo.” It’s not a competition, just a fun way to learn about your family.

If you’re a pro researcher, this may be simple for you. For the rest of us, here are some hints on how to find this info.

1. The Family Search homepage can help you find recommended tasks.

2. To learn where an ancestor was married/sealed, use the “Discover Your Ancestor’s Temple” resource.

3. Your Fan Chart provides dates, locations, and even which of your ancestors have photos.

4. Visiting “All Activities” provides A LOT of research resources.

5. Though most of the information is found through Family Search, you may need to visit Relative Finder, a site provided by BYU, to learn more about who you’re related to. Just sign in with your Family Search account.

6. If you’re wondering if your ancestor needed a mustache cup, you may want to compare him to my 2nd great grandfather on this blog post.

Click on the image below to open a printable pdf in a new window.

Let me know if you use this card to learn more about your relatives. I’d love to hear if you learned something new!

Free Family History Art Prints

On occasion, I get in a family history funk. Whether I'm differentiating between two records or just can't find a source, it can get frustrating. When I feel like giving up, I need some outside inspiration to continue plugging along. Here are 10 free art prints I created to download and print. Display these to help motivate you in your family history journey.

To download the 8x10 prints, click on the image and it will open in a new window. Right-click to download to your computer and you can print at home or at a printer service.

We are who we are because they were who they were.

Strong roots produce beautiful leaves.

A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots.

Our family. Like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, but our roots remain as one.

Trees without roots fall over.

Family. A link to our past and a bridge to our future.

"Family is essential because we all yearn to feel like we belong to something greater than ourselves." – Laura Ramirez

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hands, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people." – Thich Nhat Hanh

Respect your ancestors for you are the result of a thousand loves.

Facts get recorded, stories get remembered.

A few other quotes that I loved that I may turn into prints in the future are…

Generations pass like leaves fall from our family tree. Each season, new life blossoms and grows, benefiting from the strength and experience of those who went before.

How will our children know who they are if they do not know where they came from?

To our children, we give two things, one is roots, the other is wings.

"Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here." – Sue Monk Kidd

"Nothing has really happened until it has been recorded." – Virginia Woolf

Look to the Past and Embrace Your Future

Last Mother's Day, I saw a tweet from a friend that expressed what a difficult day it was for her. I wasn't sure why since she is a devoted mother to children who love her. It was only when I saw the post she linked to that I understood. She may be a fantastic example of motherhood, but her own mother was not.

My heart ached for this friend and others like her who did not receive the acceptance and love they so desperately needed from their parents. They were judged and belittled by adults who never viewed them as "enough." From the people that should have loved them unconditionally.

It can make family history research daunting if you're not sure what you'll uncover beyond your own hurt-filled past.

As I was pondering my friend's situation, I saw an episode of Generations Project on BYUtv. Twins, Pj and Heidi, were abused by their father after their mother passed away. The fear of what they might uncover on their father's line was almost too much for Pj to handle. Luckily, she had a sensitive genealogist to help guide her through how incredibly happy, smart, and humorous her ancestors actually were.

We are more than our circumstances. We are more than our immediate family. If you didn't have the greatest example of a parent, look for that example further down the line. Connecting with our ancestors and knowing their talents, abilities, and personalities can provide our hearts with personal heroes. You'll find love and acceptance in your family tree.

[The artwork above was made using the Rhonna Designs app and is available to download. Just click on the image and it will open up in a new window.]

Family History — Where to Begin

So you've heard family history is important, but aren't sure where to begin. Whether you have an aunt that's traced your lineage back to Noah's ark or you don't even know your grandparents' names, we're here with tips to start you off right.

When you're just beginning your family's history, you're inundated with names and dates. It can be intimidating to wade through internet search results for family or through books of remembrance with oversized pages full of old photos and handwritten information.

The best tip I've found for knowing where to start is with you. Begin with the end in mind. Create a family tree with you as the trunk and work your way up. Keep it simple with names, dates, and locations. Do this for yourself, your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

I designed a basic family tree for you to print and fill out. Just click the image below to download the FREE pdf.

After you have the foundation of your family, start gathering photos and documents for those currently on your tree. Use scanners or phone apps to digitize them. Ask those still living for their personal histories or those of your ancestors. Determine how you're going to organize and store the information. (For a post of my favorite family history apps, CLICK HERE.)

If you decide to use web applications to preserve your family's histories, there are no guarantees a company will maintain that service. (Anyone remember Google Reader?) The only website I put my trust in to remain free and online is FamilySearch. It's owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but you don't have to be a member to have an account.

I recommend saving your information to an external hard drive or archival-quality CDs. USB sticks tend to be error-prone and regular CDs deteriorate over time. Spread copies throughout your family in case something happens to your own.

Now that you've got the basics for the first three generations of your family tree, keep going! Find even more ancestors and tell their stories. Piece together their lives from the documents you discover. Get to know them beyond names and dates.

When I was a child, I didn't look forward to growing up and copying down all the information from my parents' books of remembrance. Luckily technology evolved and has revamped the way I see my ancestors and record their information.