Family history work seems to run in cycles during the year. When the holidays are over and fresh New Years resolutions have begun, family history centers are busy as people feel the need to fulfill their obligation to their ancestors.
Then springtime comes. The snow melts and family history gets placed back a little so that gardens may be planted. This is followed by Summer with its family vacations and kids all around. Fall comes. The garden is harvested, children return to school, and family history centers are open full time as we start to have more time for family history.
With the Holidays starting, we turn our thoughts to family gatherings, gift giving, and the birth of Jesus Christ.
So how can we maintain that spirit of family history while enjoying the holidays and spending more time with our family?
* Give an ancestor a gift by taking their name to the temple.
* If you visit with extended family members, ask them about their families. Record any additions and marriages that may have taken place since you last updated your records on their branch.
* If there are older family members present ask them questions and give them the opportunity to tell you or your children about their life and memories of others that may now be gone. You can record these to refer to later. I learned many things about my father’s childhood when he was talking to my children that I never knew about him before. They asked questions that I had not thought to ask and my father was more than willing to talk to them about his life and family.
* If you travel and are close to areas where there is a heritage for you family. Learn what you can about your heritage. Share this with your children and other family members. Take picture of your family home or areas that you or your ancestors lived and grew up in.
* Create a family heritage gift.
o This could be a book with recipes from the family and ancestors. We did this one year and put family pictures in with the recipes. It was a hit with the children in the family as well as the adults. It sparked interest in great grand parents because of the unique recipes that were part of their heritage.
o A calendar with photos and ancestors birth dates and other events.
o A family history CD to share with family members. You can include photos, stories, a family history database and more. Passage Express and Heritage Collector Suite can help in the creation of these projects.
o Write your personal history or a history of one of your ancestors to share with children and other relatives. Personal Historian has a wonderful set of questions to jar your memory and tools to help you organize and create a history. There are also questions to spark your memory on our FHC page .
* Share your joy of Family History by giving your time to help someone else get started. (a wonderful yet low cost gift idea)
With new FamilySearch becoming available to more areas, FamilySearch Record Search and the new tools that are now available to help. it will be easier to do a bit of family history here and there without taking hours at a time. You can continue the work while enjoying the holidays too.
Whatever you do, please enjoy this time and season as one that truly brings families closer together.
~Paula Vilburn~
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