Sunday, April 24, 2005

Using Genograms In Genealogy

Sometimes tracing family ties is a long, long process & involves looking at the families of siblings or cousins for clues or, particularly in the case of female ancestors, investigating possible family links with neighbours, marriage witnesses, baptismal sponsors or other people.

For these cases, I have found it helpful to chart the families together in a genogram. This gives me a visual summary of what possible connections I've found & helps me identify new strategies.

Genograms were originally designed to help family therapists see emotional & behavioural patterns in families. There are any number of symbols which can be used to identify family members & relationships. Although genograms are not 'family trees' in the usual genealogical sense, they can be very useful in picturing possible relationships between families, or portraying histories of specific family medical problems.

You can draw out your own genograms, but there are computer programmes available, too. Genopro is the programme I've used. It's available as a free download & is fairly easy to use. Genopro genograms with pictures & reports can be imported into Word & then you can add additional explanations, evidence citations or a timeline, if you like.

For more information, see these links or the book below. Even if you don't want to use a computer programme, check out GenoPro's website as their tutorials could be helpful. Apparently, GenoPro is a Canadian company. Better & better!

"GenoPro 1.91b", an overview of the programme, by Mark Lang, Family Tree Magazine, (the U.K. one), Connect Section, October 2004, pp. 48-49.

"The Genogram: A Great Way to Track Collateral Lines”, by Alice Eicholtz, on-line at
Ancestry.com, May/June 2003: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=8239

"Tracing Your Medical Family Tree", by Ralph Bishop, on-line at About.com
http://genealogy.about.com/library/authors/ucbishop7a.htm

Genogram ‘Tutorial’, see the Introduction, Components & Rules. GenoPro website:http://www.genopro.com/genogram/

Genograms: assessment and intervention, by Monica McGoldrick, Randy Gerson, & Sylvia Shellenberger. (New York, U.S.A.: W.W. Norton, 1999) See the Appendix for guides for genogram format, interviews, and interpretation.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Researching Female Ancestors in Western Canada-April 23, 2005

RESEARCHING FEMALE ANCESTORS IN WESTERN CANADA

CLOVERDALE BRANCH, SURREY PUBLIC LIBRARY, B.C.
APRIL 23, 2005
SATURDAY, 10:30-12:00 NOON


"Researching female ancestors can seem frustrating.
See examples of strategies to use in searching for information about women in genealogical sources, and learn about women's history resources.
Illustrated with examples from Western Canada."
With Diane Rogers, of the Women’s History Network of British Columbia.
The Women’s History Network of British Columbia (WHN/BC), a broadly based not-for-profit society, exists to celebrate the contributions women have made to the history of the province. Composed of women who research, discuss, write about and care about women’s history, it provides an opportunity for networking and for sharing information.

$10---Please pre-register by calling 604-576-1384 (local 303 or 304).
Payment is required upon registration
Cloverdale Library, 5642 176A St., Surrey, B.C. 604 576 1384 locals 303 or 304
http://www.spl.surrey.bc.ca/Programs+and+Services/Genealogy/default.htm

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Fun & Free Family Tree Charts

On the web & off, there are many interesting family tree charts. I'm looking for free ones just at the moment, something fun or pretty & notebook sized that I can fill in, maybe colour, then add to the family sections in my binders & give to relatives, perhaps by e-mail.
(Yes, yes, I promise, I am getting organized!)

On the Web

I've had a coast around the WWW & this time, I do think that the people at About.com have put together the best list.

I like these suggestions:

Fan Chart, from marthastewart.com

Tigger Family Trees (three of them!) from Disney

Tree Design, Family Tree from Misbach Enterprises

Picture Tree Chart, also from Misbach Enterprises

Grandma's Box Chart, again, Misbach Enterprises

and, there's About.com's own Interactive Family Tree Chart, which can be filled out on-line, e-mailed, used on a website or printed out.

BOOKS

Here are a few books with family tree chart ideas.

At home, I have:

Paper Trees: genealogical clip-art, by Tony Matthews, (Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.,1999)

Grand collection of hand drawn trees, all kinds, that you can copy, shrink, enlarge, colour, embellish, whatever! I do like the leafy ones, and especially the book one, but there are trees to suit most anyone, with trains, unicorns, windmills, wedding cakes, international scenes, First Nations designs, flags---even a CD player. Many of these eye-catching designs will be fun for teenage school projects & younger children's crafts.

Tony Matthews has at least two other books with his designs:

Memory Trees---family trees for the scrapbooker, 2003, 2004

Creativitree---Design Ideas For Family Trees, 2001, 2004

(Both, Clearfield Company, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.)

Also there is:

Family Tree page ideas for Scrapbookers, editors, Kerry Arquette & Mary Jo Regier, (Memory Makers Books, 2004).

This looks like a great book. I've just ordered it myself, and now I notice that the same people, with Lydia Rueger, have edited a book called:

Budget Scrapbooking: Great ideas for scrapbooking on a shoestring, (Memory Makers Books, 2004)
I better get that one, no matter the price tag!


LINKS

About.com Free Genealogy Charts & Forms---Family Tree Chart
http://genealogy.about.com/od/free_charts/

Genealogical Publishing/Clearfield Company
http://www.genealogical.com/

Memory Makers
http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/store/

If you're creative, Misbach Enterprises says they're looking for new family tree ideas.
http://misbach.org/pdfcharts/

If you're looking for useful, everyday charts & forms, I'd suggest going first to the LDS FamilySearch website: www.familysearch.org

Check the printable forms available there, or visit your local LDS family history centre. (Contact information for these is on the LDS site.) The volunteers at the centre will be glad to help you.

And, don't forget to check with your local genealogical society. The British Columbia Genealogical Society's Boutique sells interesting family tree charts at a reasonable price & has all kinds of genealogical charts & forms at a nominal cost. www.bcgs.ca