Lisa talks about using timelines to discover holes in your research. I'm sure this will become evident with my Eastern European ancestors. Having a document to refer, while trying to move lines forward. Do I have birth, marriage, death and census information? Vital records needed to fill the holes.
A comment from the post that struck a chord:
"one of the best things I ever did for my genealogy research was to organize my genealogy information - the events of my ancestor's lives - on a timeline."
This spoke to my organizational soul. Also, being a visual learner, information laid out in a logical manner.
In the post, Lisa shows several ways to create a timeline. From using good old pen and paper, to spreadsheets. I love spreadsheets! This method had me hooked.
Lisa shares a spreadsheet template. I saved this to my Google Drive. Keeping a blank form, copying tabs for each individual ancestor. I love the idea of having all the information in one place. And, using a dynamic document, that I can change and update.
There is a nice feature to drop in a photograph. Makes the process a little more personal. Using Google Drive, we can add hyperlinks to the document. And, other researchers can access the information. This could become a family project. Or a teaching tool.
Timeline for Rev. C.W. Ruth, husband's grandfather
Here we have Christian Wismer Ruth. He was born September 01, 1865 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He died May 27, 1941 in Jessamine County, Kentucky. Because Christian had a very long and interesting life, I selected him for my first timeline.
I found it interesting to see Christian's life laid out. Discovering where and when he was located, during various events. His age when married, when each child was born and the families move across the country.
By adding historical events, we gain a broader perspective. Did they affect decisions Christian made for him and his family? Did these decisions affect the life you are now living? Food for thought.
So, check out the post. And track the times of your ancestors' lives.
Lisa shares several websites to gather historical information. I discovered additional sites while working on the timeline.
America's Best History
BrainyHistory
On This Day
The People History
Timelines of History
