Getting Started With Family History

 

Do you know who is in your family tree?

 

It can be exciting to learn about the past, especially when it's connected to your own family!  The easiest place to start is with your parents and grandparents. Start with questions about yourself and then move back in time to your parents and grandparents. Aunts and Uncles might have some great family stories, too! 

 

Here are some questions that you can ask to get the conversation started. As you think of more questions to ask about your family's history, add them to the list. And be sure to print our family tree chart so you have a place to write the names of ancestors you learn about.

 

You might want to take notes so you can remember what your relatives tell you about your family history. Ask each generation if they can help you add names to your family chart. If you have a tape recorder or video camera, it might be fun to preserve these family memories for future generations!

 

Questions to ask about yourself:

What was I like as a baby?

What toys did I like to play with?

Where did we live when I was born?

Was I named after someone in our family?

 

Questions to ask your parents:

What kinds of things did you like to do when you were my age?

How was life different when you were a child?

Were you named after someone in our family?

What can you tell me about our family history?

Can you help me fill in some names for our family tree?

 

Questions to ask your grandparents:

When and where were you born? Where did you grow up?

How many brothers and sisters do you have?

Were you named after someone in our family?

Did you work outside of the home? What was your first job like?

What has been the biggest change in the world since you were a child?

What were your parents' names?

Did you serve in the military? 

When did our family come to America, and where did our ancestors come from?

 

Learning About The Past

 

Check out our page on Life in the 1800s, and come back often to see what we've added!