Genealogy Organization Week Three

Now the fun starts...
1. Buy tons of top loading sheet protectors. You can buy a box at Sam's Club or Office Depot. I just bought 200 protectors at Office Depot which are a lighter weight, but I got them at a reasonable price.

2 Take a deep breath

3. Now start to put all the important documents (from the "to be filed" pile - week one) in these page protectors. File everything away in the notebook for each surname. If necessary make photocopies to place in more than one family member surname notebook.

I like to put copies of the wedding certificate right after the family group sheet where the couple is listed as the father and mother in the family. I can put copies of awards received, favorite copies of pictures of the family (when we get to the photos), copies of diary entries or letters, death certificates and obituary at the end of that family member. Be imaginative this is your family story. Perhaps have a recipe in the the family member's handwriting. What a piece of historical treasure this will be in the future! I include copies of the census so it shows where they lived at different times.

This way each family history notebook makes a GREAT coffee table book. Everything is there when I want to share it with a family member. I file either an extra or original copy of each certificate, original awards, etc., in a file cabinet under person's name in case anything ever happens to my notebook. When our copies are right there in the notebook with the correct family group sheet, it is so easy to photocopy and forward to a newly found cousin I've met on the Internet.

Once again this will be an on going process, as your family research grows so does your family notebook.