Ideas for Week 2: Connect with your ancestors (Click HERE for printer friendly version)
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” —Marcus Garvey
Family Search Activities
Password please: Create a free account on FamilySearch.org (use your church id and password). Once you’ve logged on, take a look at your family tree. Choose an ancestor: can you upload 1-3 of the following: photos, memories, articles or stories to complete the profile of one of your ancestors?
If there’s no family tree data there for your family, talk to a parent or a family history consultant about how to start entering in the basic information for your parents and grandparents. They can also help you get the information you need to set up an account. See if you can create your family tree going back 4 generations.
Fan the Flame! Login to Family Search and look at the Fan Chart for your family. Switch the display between Ordinances, Photos, Stories, and Birth Country to learn more about your ancestors.
Check your sources: Search for an article or a piece of unique information about your ancestors- you might find them using a web browser like Google or programs like FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com. You could look for newspaper articles (marriage/birth/death announcements, village parties or notable accomplishments); military records; school records; census information; or workplace registers. Share what you’ve learned!
Who was first? Look at your family tree and try to discover who the first person was on each line to join the church. Can you find out their story?
Look at a memory - Look at the “Memories” section for one of your ancestors. Can you learn anything about them?
Do your chores. Complete one of the suggested tasks on your Family Search account.
Do some indexing to help others in their research
Get to Know your Ancestors Activities outside of Family Search
“You look just like her!” Post a side-by-side picture of you and one of your ancestors on Instagram- let people comment on the similarities between you and this ancestor. In your post, include a short story, a memory of them, or a personality trait you have in common.
Get nosy with Aunt Rosie! Interview a living relative about an ancestor you’re curious about. Record the interview and create a family interview compilation. Here are some questions and tips to get you started.
Wedding bells! Create a virtual wedding day photo album of as many of your ancestors as you can. See how many generations or pictures you can find. You can share a favorite picture using #weddingwednesday (a few East Coast temples are encouraging the sharing of old wedding day photos using this hashtag).
Food, folks and fun! Was Grandma famous for her homemade bread, or did Great Aunt Patty make unforgettable tamales? Find and make an ancestor’s renowned recipe. If you can’t find a specific recipe, then make a recipe from an ancestor’s home country. Ask family members about the traditions surrounding that food (was it a daily recipe, or something for special occasions?). Deliver the goods to a friend, or post a picture of the final product online along with a story about your ancestor.
Road trip! Visit the hometown or favorite place of an ancestor. Photograph yourself there. Notice what is the same and what has changed from the original photos, and document that. Take closeup pictures of notable details like street signs, foods, shops, trees, sunsets or gates. Note old family photos for angles you’d like to recreate so you’ll have a “then and now” photo album of that location. Find out what family stories are connected with the place.
Trip Advisor: If you can’t visit the hometown or favorite spot of an ancestor, plan a future visit OR research that country- food, language, culture and history. Look at family photos or historical online pictures of that place or country. How do they compare with what GoogleEarth shows you right now?
Family Bingo! Maybe you’re related to queens, warriors, generals or presidents. Use FamilySearch and find a famous ancestor! Or, find an ancestor with a story you relate to. Or, find an ancestor who died young and figure out why. Or, read three stories about your ancestors on FamilySearch. Or, find out where your ancestors were living when the Titanic sank.
Graveyard shift: Visit a cemetery where one of your relatives is buried. Take a photo of the headstone or if appropriate, do a headstone rubbing; tidy the area near the headstone (pull weeds, clear away leaves); or leave flowers. Do you know how this person died? Is their birth and death information in FamilySearch? If you wish, share a photo with friends online and on your family text chain.
Bookworm? Check out qqlme short article from the New York Times for some additional ideas on getting started on getting to know the history of your family: Why You Should Dig Up Your Family’s History — and How to Do It. Another awesome article about The Stories That Bind Us describes how the knowledge of your family history and stories makes a family stronger, more resilient and united. If you like one of these articles, share it with your family on your next zoom call or a family text chain.
Suggested reflection question at the end of week 2: What strength have I gained this week as I have learned about my ancestors?