Tuesday's Tips~Gettin' By With Help from Our Friends-Colleen G. Brown Pasquale

Today's tips come from Colleen G. (Brown) Pasquale from the Leaves & Branches Blog.

Genealogy Tips

·      Organization is essential. You do not want to spend time researching a family branch just to discover you already did it but could not find your original notes because they were unorganized. Pick a method of organization that works for you and use it faithfully.

·       Whenever possible, go to the places your ancestors lived. I have found more information in libraries and archives than I have on the Internet. Visiting the counties and towns where they once lived gives me a closer connection to those I am researching.

·       Share, share & share! Don’t wait till you have a beautiful, hardcover 200 -page book that is the definitive work on your family. Share your discoveries along the way. Use a blog, a family newsletter, a reunion, social media, a child’s book or any method that will catch their interest.

·       Enjoy your genealogy! Remember, we do this for fun.

 Bio:

Hello! I am Colleen G. (Brown) Pasquale, wife, mother of three grown children, Nana to an adorable toddler & retired elementary school teacher. I love genealogy, photography, quilting & mostly, my family! If you see a lady with a camera around her neck, notebook in hand & cassette recorder in her pocket, that's me.

I am the person in the family who pesters everyone for family stories, memorabilia, and photos. I didn’t realize genealogy existed until about 1990 when I came across and purchased a book titled: ‘Do People Grow on Family Trees? Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners’, by Ira Wolfman. I learned I could discover more about my family than just the stories. I had always thought family history was an oral history; stories told by family members and passed on to new generations. After reading that book I grabbed a notebook and trotted off to the local Family History Library where I learned about microfilm and microfiche. That was just the beginning of many research trips. My research has expanded to turn one of our bedrooms into a library/office with a large bulletin board where I can map out my research plans.

I keep my family informed of my discoveries through my blog & website. I give them yearly family calendars that include birthdays, anniversaries and photos of present and past family members. My husband and I host an annual BBQ and I set up trifold displays of our family’s history. I have made quilts for family members using fabrics once owned by my mother and her mother. On the back of the quilts, I add a fabric label with a short history. I am always looking for new ways to share my discoveries.

I have written two books for my family. ‘The Mark Family Story’ focuses on my father’s mother’s family. ‘Remembrances’ is all about my mother’s family. I am currently writing ‘Our Brown Roots’ that will trace my father’s paternal roots. Have fun with your genealogy & remember to share your discoveries.

 Leaves & Branches (blog):      

 https://leavesnbranches.blogspot.com

Our Leaves & Branches (website):  
 http://www.pasqualefamily.net/web/

Thanks for the suggestions, Colleen!

Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me!
Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!