Allison Stacy - Family Tree Legacies: Preserving Memories Throughout Time

Family Tree

LEGACIES

PRESERVING MEMORIES
throughout time

FROM THE EDITORS OF
FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE

ALLISON STACYDIANE HADDAD

FAMILY
TREE
BOOKS
Cincinnati, Ohio
www.familytreemagazine.com

FAMILY TREE LEGACIES. Copyright 2009 by Allison Stacy, Diane Haddad, and the editors of Family Tree Magazine. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No other part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review, or the purchaser who may copy the blank forms for personal use. Published by Family Tree Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. (800) 289-0963. First edition.

For more resources about genealogy, visit http://familytreemagazine.com.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stacy, Allison.

Family tree legacies: preserving memories throughout time / Allison Stacy, Diane Haddad, and the editors of Family Tree Magazine. -- 1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4403-0134-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)

1. Genealogy. I. Haddad, Diane. II. Family tree magazine (Cincinnati, Ohio) III. Title.

CS14.S7 2009
929.1072--dc22 2009009304

Edited by Kelly Nickell and Melissa Hill
Designed by Terri Woesner
Production coordinated by Mark Griffin

TABLE ofContents

Youre about to embark on a fascinating and fulfilling journey to discover and preserve your familys heritage.

Begin recording information and stories about your parents, siblings, spouse, children, and grandchildren.

Record names, dates, places, and stories, and track your family tree as it grows and grows.

Keep your familys traditions alive by writing where they came from and how your family shares them.

Family photos are a visual link to the past. Preserve these precious prints, learn the stories behind them, and pass them on to future generations.

Discover how to preserve family heirlooms and save their stories.

Honor ancestors who served in the military or held down the home front during times of war by exploring their experiences and recording them here.

Record any newsworthy family moments.

Learn about and commemorate your familys journeystheir orgins and the places where they settled.

Foods evoke strong memories of special times with family. Heres a place to record those recipes and recollections.

Remember birthdays, anniversaries, and other special family dates by writing them on this perpetual calendar.

Get the resources and references you need to start discovering, preserving, and celebrating your familys past.

Introduction

Over time most of us feel the pull to the past: Three-quarters of Americans are either interested in or are actively tracing their family trees. Thats because we instinctively know that our ancestors experiences, tribulations, and successes created the families we know today. The shared celebrations, stories, sayings, and beliefs passed from one generation to the next give families a sense of identity and a feeling of closeness. We try to understand our loved ones and ourselves by understanding our ancestors lives.

In this book, youll find a place to record your familys story and advice to help you discover new information about your familys past. Write your immediate familys names and special memories in chapter one and other relatives names, life dates, and places of residence on the fold-out family tree and the family information sheets in chapter two to get started. Then youll find space to enclose letters, certificates, and other mementos; pages for photos and stories about those photographed; recipe pages for favorite family dishes; and pages to save family stories, news clippings, military service details, and much more. A blank line at the top of each form provides space to record family names.

If you need another blank family information sheet, family story record, recipe card, or another form, simply pop the enclosed CD into your computer and print the page you need. The pages on the CD are PDF files, which you can open with Adobe Reader software. Most computers already have it; if yours doesnt, download it free from http://get.adobe.com/reader. The CD also includes the Reference Guide to give you one-click access to the recommended resources.

At the back of the book are decorative photo corners you can cut out and use to attach documents, pictures and other family ephemera in the designated spaces within the various sections of this book. Youll find blank memorabilia pages for additional family mementossimply insert them in the appropriate sections. The book also includes stickers to designate family favorites, calendar events, and locations on the maps in the Places section.

Whether youve vaguely wondered about your family history or youve already begun to look for information, this book will help you gain new insight into your heritage and preserve your familys unique legacy.

10 STEPS TO DISCOVERING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY

Maybe youre curious about your familys past, but you dont know how to find out about it. Dont worrygetting started isnt difficult. These ten steps show you how to start with information you know or can easily learn, and then you can move on to resources at libraries.

1. Talk to relatives.
Interviewing your family members is one of the first steps to discovering your family history. Its also the step people most often regret not taking after a beloved relative passes away. Maybe you think theres no one left to interview, or youre reluctant to call Great-aunt Mary and pepper her with questions. Take advantage of the opportunity to ask relatives about your family history. Not only will you get to know a family member, youll learn valuable genealogical information and hear family stories you can pass on to future generations. Use the tips in the Memories and Traditions section to make your interviews a smooth process.