To create a family photo history, collect photos, record personal histories and share what you discover.
First, collect photographs
Take pictures:
- of parents; if you are parents, take a picture of yourselves
- of children If you are children, take a picture of yourselves and of your parents
- Of grandparents and great grandparents; if they are alive, they will most likely have photos of their parents
- in this digital age, take pictures of old family photographs to upload onto your family tree. It is fast and easy.
Second, share the information
Find out from your family members about last names, nationalities, and the countries they came from. Do this before jumping on websites like "Dead Fred" or other ancestry sites that charge you a fee for your search.
If you travel to your ancestor's home country, most churches have the names of people that lived and died in that specific region. Rarely, the post office can be a little help also.
Third, time is of the essence
Once you have started taking pictures, you can share them with other family members, friends and neighbors on a site called, myheritage.com (the basic plan is free, private and secure). It is a simple site to get started and guides you through step by step.
Four years ago, I went to Vilnius, Lithuania to search for my ancestors that lived in that country over 100 years ago. They left with the first wave of Lithuanian immigrants to the U.S.A. I ended up falling in love and marrying my translator. Now, since we are planning dual citizenship, it is important to keep track of these records. The only thing I wish is that my grandparents were still alive today. So, if your grandparents are alive, pick their brains about the past. It is amazing what you will find out.
I have tried this family photo history and it works. If you have not talked with relatives in a while, this is a great gift to share with others in your family and with those around the world you know and love. You may find relatives that you don't know you have, living in exciting places around the world. Also, it may turn out to be the biggest family reunion celebration in your family history!
Free photo history website
This is a fun and exciting way to trace your family history down through the generations. www.Myheritage.com is a free site that allows you to upload photos and send emails to all of your family members. You can even share with friends and others. Try it, you might get hooked on your history.
Daniel Kazel - Kazel produces Stress-Free Living TV shows for Discoverhelp, Inc. and cooking food recipes for NY Times website About.com. He lectures ...
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