Once you have completed your Pedigree Chart, you will want to start filling in your Family Group Sheet. Start with yourself at the top of the sheet and write in "#1" and then your (full) name. Remember, your surname should be in capital letters. Fill in the rest of the sheet as listed. On your next sheet, start with your father at the top of the sheet and write in "#2". Your mother will be listed as "#3" on the same sheet. In the event, that an individual has more than one spouse, fill out a separate sheet listing that individual again along with the other spouse. Using a separate page for children, fill in each child's name with the oldest one first.

    As you fill out the Family Group Sheet, you will notice that every entry is followed by a line for "source." The "source" is where you found the information. This is very important because as you proceed in your research, you will a collect a huge amount of information and you won't remember where you got it! So, write it down under source. If "Great Aunt Mary" is the source, write her name down and the date you received the information. If you find the information in a book or newspaper, write the name and date of the publication along with the page number it can be found on.

    You should immediately start with a filing system for your information. If you have a computer, get a Genealogy program (we recommend Family Tree Maker). This will make life and research much easier. If you don't have a computer, go buy a small file box and some file folders. Keep one file for each male ancestor (or, if unknown, female spouse) you list on your Pedigree Chart.

    Using your Pedigree Chart & Family Group Sheets, fill out what you can with information from your immediate family. Start with the basics and add details as you go. Remember you will never know EVERYTHING about anyone, so gather what you can to get you started. It's easy to get bogged down with one ancestor and become discouraged.

    Pay special attention to dates and places. You will need to know these things when you start to research deeper into your tree. Census records and birth/death certificates are invaluable to a researcher but you won't know where to find them without some idea of a date and place. Keep a list of notes. Often times a relative will say, "I think grandma came from Kansas..." Now this is hardly proof of where grandma was from, but that one little bit of information may prove true further into your research. It's a clue, but not fact!

    Hopefully by now, you have a basic outline of your tree and can see where you tie into the Philbrick-Philbrook family. Don't worry if you don't immediately connect on up the tree to Thomas the Emigrant. Once you did your initial research, you may have come across several things that gave you clues or answers to your origins. Listed below are good beginning sources to check:

#1. Family Photo Albums or Scrapbooks First the good news. You'll finally be happy that mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc. saved all those pictures in a box somewhere. Now the bad news. They didn't date any of them nor bother to write down who all those people are! This is very common, but don't despair. Start looking for clues on the photos. Are any of them dated? Anything in the photographs look familiar? (Monuments, famous places, old cars, etc.) Some old photographs may have the location of the photographer's business embossed on it. This will give you a clue as to where it was taken.

    Start looking for groups of people who seem to match your information. Group them together even if you are not sure who they are. By watching for clues in and on the photographs, you will begin to get some idea about what you are looking at. Don't forget to get your family involved! Somebody knows something or a least they might be able to give you a clue.

#2. Family Bibles Jackpot! This common form of "family history" will often list birth and death dates of your ancestors. Examine the handwriting and compare it to other writing you find on photographs, letters, etc.

#3. Personal Effects Letters, silverware, diaries, etc. may contain dates or details that will help you in your research.

    As you continue on your search, you will eventually have to "leave the nest" and research outside your family circle. In my case, I knew my grandfather came from St. Elmo, Illinois. First, I got a Rand McNally Road Atlas and found St. Elmo on a map of Illinois. From there, I called information and asked for the St. Elmo Library. (Libraries are a great place to start any research.) I asked the librarian for information on any local historical societies and she referred me to the Fayette County Genealogical Society. Before too long, I was able to compare local history records to what I had from my family and found much of it matched! Of course with the more information I found, the more questions arose. Such is the nature of genealogy.

    When contacting people, be as specific as possible about what you are looking for. Tell them you are doing family research and be very, very polite, you'll be amazed at how helpful they can be. Always, thank them for their assistance and offer to leave your name and number in the event that they should come across anything else that might help you.

    Bureaucracy is your friend! Yes that's right, you'll be happy now that "Big Brother" has kept tabs on all of us for so long and thus generated quite a bit of paperwork which they never threw out. The following types of government records will contain valuable information as you search your roots:

#1. Vital Records These will be birth, death & marriage records.

#2. Probate Records A legal document listing the disposal of property, often to family heirs.

#3. Military Records Especially pension records which often list spouses and children of ancestors who served in the military.

#4. Census Records Since 1790, families have been counted every ten years. As time passed, the government added more details to their census listings such as occupation and location of birth (State/Country).

#5. Passenger Lists & Naturalization Records These records will primarily help you with your other ancestors, but may contain information on your Philbrick-Philbrook ancestors travels.

    In Genealogy, you always want "hard evidence" for proof on a family fact. Nothing better than a gravestone in a cemetery. It's unlikely that the dates will be wrong or that the family forgot what the correct spelling of the family name. Graveyards are a favorite spot for genealogists. Here may be the last and only physical item documenting the life of a person. You may find family members buried near by or even an epitaph may provide you with a clue to your research. Carefully transcribe anything found on the stone and photograph it several times if at all possible. Keep an eye out for other gravestones bearing the names of other family members who might be related.

    This page is designed to give you a basic start on your genealogy. We recommend you visit your local library and check to see if they have a genealogical section (most do.) Spend some time looking at the books available and learning more about researching your family tree.