I need some guidance on beginning my genealogy journey. I’m starting from a really good place, but I’m not sure of my initial steps. This is my first post here, so please be gentle.
TL;dr - My grandmother did extensive genealogy research over many years. I have all of her handwritten notes and a couple of completed binders containing records on a great many ancestors. It’s all on paper. 1) How do I convert it to an electronic format, and which one? 2) What can I contribute to the project over the next 20+ years in terms of details, additional ancestors, and fleshing out the stories/histories of some of them?
Long version:
Between the ages of 10 and 13, in the early 1980s, I stayed for a couple of weeks with my grandparents each summer. My grandfather was a hunter, a woodworker, a farmer, a baseball fan, and a very active physical man. I was not that kind of boy and he did not understand me at all. Instead of working with him outdoors, I sat inside with my grandmother as she worked on a lifelong genealogy project. I was fascinated and loved helping, hearing the stories, and working on the mysteries. These were the days before the Internet, so the research was slow. At age 13, my family moved to another state and I stopped spending part of the summers at their house, but I never forgot how much I enjoyed the work. Over the years, from my teens through my early 40s, I’d discuss the project with her whenever we were together. Sometime around 2000, she presented each of her three children with three-ring binders containing nearly identical copies of a family history. She kept an original for herself, with some working notes. She also had an entire four-drawer filing cabinet full of documentation. Her children (my mother, aunt, and uncle) seemed to be utterly unimpressed with the binders. I was delighted. I made it plain to her that I wanted to inherit every scrap of paper. She assured me that no one else cared. I told her I’d hang on it it all and continue the work someday when my life was a bit less active.
I think that day is coming. I’m nearly 51, with one child out of the house and another on the way out. I’m looking for something to supplement my other two hobbies (writing fiction and playing music). As promised, I received everything when she passed away several years ago, much to the relief of my family members, who did not want to deal with a file cabinet and many boxes of old papers. I was thrilled with the inheritance. A year ago I dug through some of my grandma’s files, but I was overwhelmed. I’ve let the project percolate in the back of my mind, and since I seem to have a lot of time stuck in the house these days, I am thinking about getting started.
I know that my grandma tried to document her findings according to recognized genealogical practices and standards. I also know that worked hard to manage evidence correctly - primary evidence, gathering evidence from multiple sources before declaring information as “true,” etc. I believe she left me in as good a place as possible during this transformation from the written to the digital world. The scope is this - we have solid records going back to the American Revolutionary War (and in a few cases, back further).
Anyway, now that that’s off my chest, on to the real content. I now am the owner of about eight boxes of handwritten materials and photocopied resources. I have no idea how to get rolling.
1. Do I convert all this content to digital? What format? Am I really about to embark on a massive quest to manually enter all of this data?
2. I’m a computer guy, and I know that formats and companies come and go. I’m concerned about entering vast amounts of information into any system where the system may not survive over the next 50+ years. In other words, will Ancestry.com really still be here? They may not be… we all know how fast the computer world changes and that it’s still really in its infancy. And what if I don’t like Ancestry two or three versions down the line? Am I stuck? I know that is a serious problem with many companies that put their data in the cloud. Once there, it’s very difficult to move.
3. I’m also looking for aspects of the project that I can contribute to myself. That part is easier, but ideas or unique perspectives are welcome.
4. Finally, a bit of fun and hope. My son is now 20 and my daughter nearly 15. I made some comment about the genealogy boxes and going through the papers. Both kids were enthusiastic and both assured me that they would really like to be involved in the project. Furthermore, they each see it as a lifelong project for themselves. I see the same spark in them that I had, and that gives me hope!
Thanks for reading this far, and thanks for any help or ideas.
TL;dr - My grandmother did extensive genealogy research over many years. I have all of her handwritten notes and a couple of completed binders containing records on a great many ancestors. It’s all on paper. 1) How do I convert it to an electronic format, and which one? 2) What can I contribute to the project over the next 20+ years in terms of details, additional ancestors, and fleshing out the stories/histories of some of them?
Long version:
Between the ages of 10 and 13, in the early 1980s, I stayed for a couple of weeks with my grandparents each summer. My grandfather was a hunter, a woodworker, a farmer, a baseball fan, and a very active physical man. I was not that kind of boy and he did not understand me at all. Instead of working with him outdoors, I sat inside with my grandmother as she worked on a lifelong genealogy project. I was fascinated and loved helping, hearing the stories, and working on the mysteries. These were the days before the Internet, so the research was slow. At age 13, my family moved to another state and I stopped spending part of the summers at their house, but I never forgot how much I enjoyed the work. Over the years, from my teens through my early 40s, I’d discuss the project with her whenever we were together. Sometime around 2000, she presented each of her three children with three-ring binders containing nearly identical copies of a family history. She kept an original for herself, with some working notes. She also had an entire four-drawer filing cabinet full of documentation. Her children (my mother, aunt, and uncle) seemed to be utterly unimpressed with the binders. I was delighted. I made it plain to her that I wanted to inherit every scrap of paper. She assured me that no one else cared. I told her I’d hang on it it all and continue the work someday when my life was a bit less active.
I think that day is coming. I’m nearly 51, with one child out of the house and another on the way out. I’m looking for something to supplement my other two hobbies (writing fiction and playing music). As promised, I received everything when she passed away several years ago, much to the relief of my family members, who did not want to deal with a file cabinet and many boxes of old papers. I was thrilled with the inheritance. A year ago I dug through some of my grandma’s files, but I was overwhelmed. I’ve let the project percolate in the back of my mind, and since I seem to have a lot of time stuck in the house these days, I am thinking about getting started.
I know that my grandma tried to document her findings according to recognized genealogical practices and standards. I also know that worked hard to manage evidence correctly - primary evidence, gathering evidence from multiple sources before declaring information as “true,” etc. I believe she left me in as good a place as possible during this transformation from the written to the digital world. The scope is this - we have solid records going back to the American Revolutionary War (and in a few cases, back further).
Anyway, now that that’s off my chest, on to the real content. I now am the owner of about eight boxes of handwritten materials and photocopied resources. I have no idea how to get rolling.
1. Do I convert all this content to digital? What format? Am I really about to embark on a massive quest to manually enter all of this data?
2. I’m a computer guy, and I know that formats and companies come and go. I’m concerned about entering vast amounts of information into any system where the system may not survive over the next 50+ years. In other words, will Ancestry.com really still be here? They may not be… we all know how fast the computer world changes and that it’s still really in its infancy. And what if I don’t like Ancestry two or three versions down the line? Am I stuck? I know that is a serious problem with many companies that put their data in the cloud. Once there, it’s very difficult to move.
3. I’m also looking for aspects of the project that I can contribute to myself. That part is easier, but ideas or unique perspectives are welcome.
4. Finally, a bit of fun and hope. My son is now 20 and my daughter nearly 15. I made some comment about the genealogy boxes and going through the papers. Both kids were enthusiastic and both assured me that they would really like to be involved in the project. Furthermore, they each see it as a lifelong project for themselves. I see the same spark in them that I had, and that gives me hope!
Thanks for reading this far, and thanks for any help or ideas.
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