Finding our genealogical treasures

They may be stowed away in an old box in the corner of a dusty attic, or in a musty basement.

Perhaps they may be stuffed in the back of a closet.

They could be found in grandma's old dresser or perhaps in a cold trunk in a garage — records of our ancestors may be tucked away in any of these forgotten places.

Sadly, many boxes containing family history treasures somehow find their way to the garbage dumpster or end up being destroyed and forever lost.

Sometimes, the best and greatest amount of records can come only from family.

Some years ago our friend knew that her father had a box containing such records somewhere in his house. She was determined to pull up the floorboards to find it if necessary. She arranged with her father to check the attic and while there, just as she suspected, she found a box filled with old worn photographs and other genealogical records!

She was positively thrilled!

Don't be afraid to offer to help clean out your parents' attic in search for records. Blow off the dust or clean off the dirt from the box and dive into the treasure.

After all, this is the perfect time when people are spring cleaning their attics, basements, garages and closets.

Once this treasure trove has been found, more questions will arise:  Are there any diaries, journals or personal histories? Any old letters, funeral programs, newspaper clippings, any photos? Any church records, birth, marriage or death certificates?

And the list of questions goes on. Each record found helps us put certain pieces of the puzzle together. Doing this helps us obtain information about relatives that fill in the gaps we may have in our own records.

Before going to the Mormon Family History Library in Salt Lake City or any number of its branch libraries to check for records, first see what your relatives may have.

Call them, and if you cannot go to your relatives, ask if they could check these places for you. It's an exciting discovery and well worth the effort!

Sometimes our relatives just don't have anything but they can tell us where such records are and who may have them. There can be a big pay-off by checking with other family members, especially the ones you think least likely to have records. Offer to pay your relatives for the copies of the found documents and photographs.

Combining what documents we have with those records our relatives have can give us a great start to a formidable archive of records about our family history.

One of the first tools we need in doing our investigative work is a pedigree chart. I hear this chart often referred to as the chart with "steps" on it. Starting with yourself, fill in names, dates and places of your parents and grandparents.

Next, write the information out on a family group record showing you, your spouse, and your children. Then, on a separate family group sheet, write in the information for your parents, and then do another for your grandparents.

As we gather and examine the records, our ancestors and relatives become more real to us. They are no longer names and dates on a piece of paper. They had joys and sorrows, disappointments and successes — people who had many of the feelings we experience. They lived, laughed and loved. We are seeking more than records and photographs. We are searching to learn about our ancestors whose traits we possess today.

Understanding these things is what helps us connect and bond with our ancestors and loved ones who have gone before as well as our living relatives. Doing so helps us understand more of ourselves and allows us to catch a glimpse of our potential as children of a great heritage. In short, it is that drive that causes us to seek our family.

As we gather and organize these records we are creating a starting point from which to begin the research.

Russell Bangerter, president of Ancestral Connections Inc., graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in family history/genealogy. After an LDS mission to Scotland, he served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and Idaho National Guard as chaplain's assistant, where he worked with records.

Bangerter researches professionally, writes and compiles family history books, and enjoys lecturing on the subject. He can be contacted at www.ancestralconnect.com or 801-254-9023. He and his wife reside in South Jordan, Utah.