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31 Easy Ways to Organize Your Family History | |
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October 2005 issue | |
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Be An Organziation Wizard Is genealogical clutter stalling your family history progress? Use these 31 painless tips to get your research in order—no supernatural powers required.
Did you know that Samantha Stevens, the magically empowered housewife on TV's "Bewitched," was a genealogist? It's true: In season five, after the Burning Oak Country Club's snooty screening committee concluded Samantha's pedigree was polluted, she exposed the members' black-sheep ancestors.
Of course you didn't notice Samantha's enchantment with roots research. Her home showed no telltale signs of her hobby—no family tree charts, legal pads and dog-eared books piled high on the dining room table; no photos spilling out of shoeboxes. You never witnessed Samantha's frantic search for her father's birth certificate or cousin Serena's e-mail message bearing the names of Aunt Clara's parents.
Even though her mortal spouse, Darrin, begged Samantha not to use her supernatural abilities, how could she resist instantly organizing her research? With a mere wrinkle of her nose and that tinkling-bell sound effect, manila folders would leap into their drawers, neatly arranging themselves by surname. Flurries of five-generation ancestor charts, photocopied marriage certificates, gravestone transcriptions and research notes would file themselves. Samantha's computer hard drive would whir to life, sorting digitized documents and GEDCOMs.
"If only I had such powers of organization," you think, "my research would be immaculate, too." But wait—you do have the power. Granted, it'll take more than a nose twitch, but you can clear off your dining room table, make e-mails easy to locate and avoid return trips to the library to re-photocopy those records you misplaced. The payoff? Your ability to research faster and smarter. Just use these simple tricks.
To read our in-depth article including 31 tips for organizing your family history, see the October 2005 Family Tree Magazine.
By Diane Haddad
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