Do you know who you really are? Or, that researching your family history can be done form the safety and comfort of your homes – for no or low cost? Bucks County Genealogical Society wants you to know!
In this time of year when resolutions are made to better our lives, it’s a great time to resolve to dig into what has made us who we are today. The pandemic prevented BucksGen from the many wonderful outdoor community festivals where they would help guests face-to-face get started in building their family trees. They are a dedicated group of genealogy enthusiasts sharing their passion for researching family history especially in, but not limited to, Bucks County.
The resources, tools and guidance you need to get started are available for free on their website bucksgen.org. Their beginners page offers a quick video and pedigree charts to fill out. Simply start with what you know about yourself and work backwards. To fill in your blanks, there are links to the records you need to find the missing information, such as through the popular Ancestry.com. While it is a paid subscription site, it is accessible for free at our Bucks County libraries!
But it is not the only place to search. FamilySearch.org is free to search for vital records, census records and more! It is hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints. The Mormons have scoured the world for records which they offer free on their site, since they believe in humankind as part of one big family. Imagine finding your ancestor’s birth record from Europe hundreds of years ago to view right on your computer screen!
If you “give a spit” you could also dig into your DNA to find your ethnicity predictions, cousin matches, and even traits and health information. Popular companies are AncestryDNA, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage and many more. BucksGen itself offers, through low-cost membership, monthly programs via Zoom with expert speakers on a variety of topics to help genealogists.
Jan. 9 kicks off the year with a tutorial on using the computer program Family Tree Maker which pairs well with Ancestry.com. It is presented by the delightful “Cousin” Russ Worthington. February’s program explains the onestep genealogy webpages by Steve Morse. Handouts from past programs are also available to members.
BucksGen hopes to encourage families to embrace their family roots and include this special and rewarding journey in their New Year’s resolutions. Decorate your family tree and find out who YOU really are!
