Step 7:
Use a pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a way to record genealogy. One easy-to-make type is an ascendant chart, which includes parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. It doesn't include brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.
You can buy a blank one at genealogical museums and bookstores. You can also find charts online to buy or download for free, and there are several computer software options that can help you create a chart. Or you can make a basic version yourself with a piece of paper and a pencil.
To make your own, turn a legal size piece of paper horizontally and write your name at the center of the far left-hand side. Under your name, include dates and places of your birth and marriage.
Above your name, and to the right, write your father's name. Under it, include dates and places for his birth, marriage, and death. Connect your name with your father's with an ascending, step-like line.
Below your name, and to the right (directly under your father's name, but with ample space between the two), write your mother's name. Under it, include the dates and places for her birth, marriage, and death. Connect your name with your mother's with a second step-like line. This line should connect with the line that stems to your father's information.
Use this same format to include your father's parents, your mothers parents, and so on. The chart should continue "stepping" toward the right-hand side of the page with each generation.
Now you're ready to begin the journey back in time. Soon, you won't have to wonder who your ancestors were or where they lived. You'll have this history at your fingertips.
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