Step Three: How to Fill Out Your Pedigree Chart

Sorry about that last post. It was quite long.

I hope you did print off a Pedigree chart from www.familysearch.org (Go to the site and on that home page, on the right, the 4th line down from
Get Started on Your Family History, you'll see some words..find the word Forms. Click on it. Then look at the list and find
Pedigree Chart Forms. Click on the words PDF.)

Then print it.

Now take it in your hands. This is a pedigree chart. It also looks like a tree if you hold it with the increasing number of "branches" towards the top of the page.
Hence the term: Family Tree.

Put yourself as number one.

Here are the basic rules of a pedigree chart:

1. The dads are always on top.

2. The moms always are listed as their MAIDEN NAME. Always.

3. Date are to be written like 23 July 1879 not July 23, 1879. It is date - month - year.

4. For United States locations, you should always try to have a city, county, state.
Example Chicago, Cook, Illinois. (Chicago is in Cook county)


Can you fill out your ancestors names on this pedigree chart from memory?

Spend some time filling this sheet out. Call older relatives for more info. Use a pencil..this is a work sheet for you. It is easier to erase with pencil.

Look at the names, dates, places carefully.
Are there any discrepancies? Does the information jive?

If there is a different name to the spelling, include it in parentheses. For example...My Great Grandpa spelled his name Anton Cyra for most of his life, then in 1930's, he changed it to Anton Cera. So I write Anton Cyra (Cera).