Kids Genealogy: The Family Unit

This is a continuation of my new Kids Genealogy Series on Examiner.

The family unit is a very important part of genealogy research. Without knowing more about each family, your research will not progress very far. So after completing a family tree, your next step is complete the family group sheet. You can download and print page 1 here and page 2 here.

To fill in this sheet, put the names of your parents at the top in the appropriate spaces. Fill in as much of their information as possible. Then add all the children born to these parents in birth order.

Print additional sheets to complete for each family on your family tree. The next sheet should be your dad's parents where you will list him as one of the children with his siblings. The sheet after that should be your mom's parents and list her as one of the children. Continue working backwards filling in as much information as you can find.

Need a little help getting information? Use some of these interview questions with your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings.

1. What is your full name?
2. Where were you born? What city and state? What hospital?
3. When were you born?
4. What are your parents names?
5. When were they born? Where?
6. What are your siblings names?
7. When were your siblings born?
8. Who did your siblings marry?
9. Are you right or left-handed?
10. What is your eye color? Hair color? Do you wear glasses?
11. If your parents are married, when and where did they get married?
12. Do you go to church? What religion are you?
13. What is your job? What other jobs have you held? Which job was your favorite?
14. Do you have a nickname?
15. Where did you go to school? What subject(s) did you enjoy the most?
16. What hobbies did you have growing up? What hobbies do you enjoy as an adult?
17. Did you have pets?
18. What is something you remember about growing up that was really funny?
19. Growing up did you live in a house or apartment? What was the address where you lived?

Write down the date of your interview, the name of the person you interviewed, your name and the address where you are living. Keeping a log of addresses when you take interviews or find documents can help you locate new information. Store this interview in a notebook or on your computer. Or, start a binder of information you collect through your research jounrey.

Need more help? Check your local library for genealogy or interviewing resources. The Harold Washington Library in Chicago is an amazing resource for these materials.

Come back next time or subscribe to my series and learn about records you may find at home and hidden sources to use when researching.