By Linda D. Epstein
McClatchy-Tribune News Service

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

My aunt showed me this quote by German philosopher Martin Buber she had written on the front page of her travel diary as we boarded our plane in New York City for Eastern Europe. We didn’t realize how true it would be to our own voyage.

More than a year ago, plans were made between my dad’s sister and our mutual paternal cousin to travel
back to “the old country” and see where our ancestors had lived before coming to America. (The first to come over on my father’s paternal side was my grandfather’s uncle in 1871; he changed our family name from Tikotzinski to Epstein.) I have been working on my family’s tree for many years, so my aunt and cousin decided I should be a part of the trip as well.

We would travel to Grodno, Belarus (then part of Russia), where my grandfather was born; and Sokolka, Poland, where his father was born. We would travel to Minsk, Belarus (also then part of Russia), home of my father’s maternal grandparents. Our cousin’s mother’s side of the family was known to have perished outside Panevezys, Lithuania, in World War II, so we would make a pilgrimage there as well.
(The article continues on the Mercury’s website:  http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_18421336)

I hope you enjoy the article.

Betty

tracemyfamilytree.net

This article, which appeared in the printer version of the Feb. 27, San Jose Mercury News, is all about  using DNA to trace my family tree.  It talks about the National Geographic’s DNA project which “traces one’s ancestors’ tree of life out of Africa”.  It is really worth reading as it provides information about your family tree that really can’t in the traditional method of taking to relatives and searching records.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_17474703

Mapping Humanity’s Past

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Genealogy indeed can be a really exciting and yet can get a little bit boring along the way but it is undeniably really educational and helpful. Curiosity can always be the first reason why a person would get interested on tracing their family tree. Some would also do this for some personal or medical reasons. Sometimes, tracing your roots will also let you know if you are at risk of hereditary type of disorders. There are some disorders that skip generation so it is always better to be sure.

To make things a little bit easier, here are some tricks on how to make this activity effective.

• Start with the people that are near to you. Know your relatives and go on from there.
• Take advantage of the power of internet.
• Look for Genealogy Softwares. There a lot of Family Tree Programs that you can use.
• Create your own Family Tree. You can either use a family tree chart or you can design your own idea of how you want to show the relationship of each person involve in your family tree.
• Share the information you have gathered to all the people that you think would need to know all about this. Who knows, they might be able to add more to what you already have.

You doesn’t really need to spend a fortune on doing your genealogy research and tracing your family tree. Either way we look at it, there are always simple basic tricks out there that we can use and sometimes these simple ones are the most effective to use.

So these are all the basic genealogy tricks that would really be helpful to you as you go along this activity. Have fun gathering data!

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This is a very good time of the year where you can have a nice chance of getting to know your roots or the people that are related to you is. It is because this is the time of the year where families held clan meetings or reunions. Whether the event is just a simple meeting or an extravagant gathering, you should never take this event for granted.

You have to take every chance that you can get to meet people in that party and get to know them. You don’t know, you might be bumping into the cousin of your mother or probably your own cousin. This is a good chance to trace your family tree.

When you are attending this kind of event, one thing that you must do aside from enjoying the food and the party is to have a fun and exciting research. You can also call this as a data gathering task. It might sound like a detective thing but trust me, this is very important and you will never regret it. Just bring something that might help you to remember the data that you have gathered. A pen and a notebook perhaps, will help you remember things out. Just take down some notes and details about the person. You might as well bring a camera and never forget to take a person of the person. The picture will be a good material once you make your own family tree chart later on.

One advice though, don’t let yourself be drown with the data gathering task. You might as well enjoy the party and have fun knowing your relatives! Have a wonderful Christmas!

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What are family tree charts?

Well, it is chart that shows the relationships of everyone in your family. It gives information on how each members of your family or your clan is related to one another. Can you get the picture?

There are  4 known types of family tree charts:

• Traditional

• Graphical

• Medieval

• Heraldic

There are still a lot of different styles family tree charts out there. In fact you can make your own tree charts using some genealogy softwares that are available now in the market.

Tracing your family tree is something that you shouldn’t miss. Trust me, the next generation would certainly thank you if you start creating your family tree now!

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There are some good databases online that will provide you with the obituaries you seek. They are usually updated frequently and are very easy to navigate; this makes your search for obituaries quite easy to perform. Many people from around the world use these databases on a daily basis, whether it would be for personal use or some form of research needed. Also many law enforcement agencies use these databases to find what they need fast.

Not only can you search the obituaries, you can search through many other categories, like, people search records, ancestor records, criminal records, death records and much more. The database I’m referring to, you will receive unlimited access to the search records to use whenever you feel the need to, from the privacy of your own home.

Searching for obituaries has become a pretty easy task thanks to the internet, and you now can get access to the same databases that many people in the use in their line of work, from home, no one needs to know what you are doing. These databases are public records searches, so it is legal for you to use them, no need to worry about that.

So, if it is the obituaries you need to find, take a look at this online database here, search obituaries, and take advantage of the search database today. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention. With this database, you will have to pay a small membership fee to gain access to the search results. This is very cheap, and the results you receive are well worth this tiny joining fee cost. This is great value for money!

I understand that when a loved one passes away, it’s a busy and emotional time in our life to deal with. The obituaries may be the last thing on your mind that you want to do. Although it is good to know that you can get the obituaries when things settle down in this hard time and you are past the grieving stage. You may also find the many other search categories inside very useful to you.

The obituaries database that I have mentioned is updated constantly, so the information is correct . This is also a very user friendly site to navigate; you don’t need a science degree to use it. I wish you and your family all the best; here is the database again if you wish to view it, search obituaries.

Bloggers that are searching the Internet for more information about the topic of parenting classes, then please make sure to visit the website which is quoted in this passage.

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A family is the smallest unit in the society. But the family has the greatest impact in our lives. They, together with our branched relatives are the important people in our lives and as much as possible we want to stay in touch with them. We always try to make a bond with them. But how can we do that when we do not know who they are? When in times of needing help, who else should we call aside from our nearest family? Now is the time to trace our family tree. But how do we trace our family tree? Where should we start? Here are some steps to help you trace your family tree.

Start with the closest branch in the tree, your biological family. To have an effective tracing, do it in backwards process. Start with the recent generation back to the earliest. Ask mom and dad anything that can give you information in tracing your ancestors. Ask about the most basic questions like, where they lived, where they were born, how was life back then, what grandparents do and who are the relatives they have met. Ask them to share some of the most memorable experiences they had. This can also be a moment to cherish as a bond between your parents. You may also ask your grandparents if luckily they are still alive. This way, you can have a first- hand information about the older generation. Then with the help of some remembrances, captured moments, and looms you can also get some information. Revive the past by digging to your antique stuffs in the attic or in the basement. This can be the key to knowing how your ancestors lived in the past.

The next thing to know your relatives is by looking at the telephone directory. Search for family names that are relates to yours. If you find one, ask mom and dad if they know who this family could be. If they do, you can call them and introduce yourself. Maybe they are looking for you too. Just make sure you don’t sound scary, and do not ever do prank calls. You may ask them to meet with you personally. Then inquire more about the family’s ancestors. This could widen your family tree now and a new family tie is knotted well. And you have someone to call to when in need.

Internet – they just don’t offer mere entertainment and education. They can also help us trace our family tree. There are many websites which are built mainly for tracing the family tree. We also have the social networking sites where we can search long lost or unacknowledged existence of relatives. When you have the chance to get in touch with them, you can ask for more inquiries about the other branches of the family.

Now, you have few basic steps in tracing the family tree. There are still some other ways to trace them. Just be informative. And do not stop, for there is still a long way to go.

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You have nothing to do during weekends? Why won’t you spare an hour or two tracing your family tree? Start asking from people on your home since they are the closest to you. Tracing the family free is better if you do it backwards. Start from the most recent generation going to the founding generation. Ask mom and dad who their parents and grandparents are (if unluckily you weren’t still born while they were alive), when they were born, where they originally live and other relevant information. Ask your parents to story tell their lives when they were still young, who are the people they met and what life was back then. In this scenario, you have your first step tracing your family tree and at the same time a moment of bonding with family, laughing and teasing each other. You may also want some time alone, but to make it more productive you can reopen and relive your antique treasure boxes, old photo albums, documents, letters, and family heirlooms while isolating yourself in the attic, basement or in your bedroom.

You will surely still find some useful information that will help you take to the next step of tracing the family tree. Holidays, summer vacations are the most suitable days to organize a family reunion. Be active and participate in organizing this event. In this, you will have the chance to meet your nth degree relatives and befriend them. For sure, you will gather vast branches on your tree. And oh, don’t you ever forget to snap some photos with them. This will be a great help too for the future generations if they want to trace the family tree.

Facebook. Who does not have an account? Even my 51-year old mom has facebook and she knows how to use it. Through facebook, you can reconnect to your long lost childhood friends and classmates; More so, with your relatives whom you had almost forgotten. This can also be the start rebuilding the family’s long lost family ties.

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http://www.familyhistoryfun.com/

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