Save The Box – Family History in 12 Easy Steps
The Mapleton Stake Family History Center is a great resource if you are ready to dig deep into your Family History. But what if your time is limited and this just isn’t your “season” for doing Family History? What if you are just completely overwhelmed?
An initiative by the volunteers at the Center is encouraging all of us to bite off just a piece of this daunting project every month. “Save The Box” is our Stake’s effort to help every family break a big project down into smaller steps. The concept is that every one of us has irreplaceable Family History items right in our own homes that don’t exist elsewhere. Only YOU have access to some of your own personal family history.
Start this month with the simple task of gathering your most important historical items all into the same place. Here are the tasks for January:
Gather the “Stuff”
Search all of your family storage areas, in and out, from top to bottom of the home. Include the attic, storage closets, basements, garage, trunks, safe, deposit boxes, and so forth. The goal is just to gather everything into a single location so you can start to organize from there.
Find a box or a location – A file cabinet, a big drawer in your bedroom, or a closet set aside specifically for gathering Family History items will do.
As you gather, consider some of the following items:
Official Documents
- Certificates of birth, marriage, and death
- Wills, deeds, and property records
- Military service and pension documents
- Passports
- Naturalization documents
- Medical records
- Licenses (business, marriage, fishing, driving)
- School records
Books and Albums
- Family Bibles
- Scrapbooks and albums
- Baby and wedding books
- Books of Remembrance
- Photograph Albums
Personal Writings
- Journals and diaries
- Personal histories and biographies
- Letters and cards
Printed Notices and Announcements
- Newspaper clippings and obituaries
- Announcements of births, weddings, and anniversaries
- Programs (award ceremonies, funerals)
- Family reunion notices and records
Certificates
- Religious records
- Fraternal or society records
- Occupational awards
Family Memorabilia
- Religious artifacts
- Samplers, tapestries, and quilts
- Heirlooms
- Pieces of furniture or household items
- Medals, awards, trophies
- Souvenirs
- Clothing, uniforms
That’s it for January! Next month: Digitizing Your Family Records
For the complete 12-month list of Save the Box ideas, visit http://www.preservingtime.org/uploads/7/5/3/4/7534482/savethebox.pdf
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Gather_Family_Information