Genealogy Correspondence Sheets: How Do I Get Started?

Over the last couple of weeks I have introduced you to two worksheets that are commonly used when doing family research, Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets. Continuing with the How Do I Get Started? series, let’s take a look at another helpful worksheet, Genealogy Correspondence Sheets.

What is the purpose of the worksheet?

The whole idea behind the correspondence sheet is to keep track of the people you have come in contact with while researching your family tree. Once you step out beyond your immediate family and really start digging, keeping track of who’s who can get confusing. You forget who you contacted and why you contacted them, you forget if they were helpful and you lose track of how to keep in contact. Here is one solution for staying organized.

Have a look at the Genealogy Correspondence Sheet below…

Correspondance sheet 1For the most part, I believe this sheet is pretty self-explanatory but let’s give it a walk through just in case!

Surname: In this spot I write in a surname… let’s say I write in “Williams” this means every contact on this sheet will connect to me through a shared Williams ancestor. I could have another sheet for “Leslie”, another for “Cantelli” and so on. The point is-everyone listed as a contact on the sheet has a connection to the surname it is assigned to.

Contact Date: When did you first reach out to the contact you are about to list in the (next) name column?

Name: What is the name of this newly found contact? Be polite-know their name. Save the “Hey Cuz” greeting for when you actually get to know them.

Address/Email/Phone: Make note of their contact details so you know how to make contact with them again. Also, which is the best way to reach them? Some people prefer email over phone, others prefer phone over email and some still like to send copies by mail rather than scans.

Purpose: What was the purpose for reaching out to them? In this space it might be worth making note of the common ancestor you share, then a reminder of why you reached out to them in the first place.

Reply Date: Writing down the date you reached out to your new contact and the date they responded is helpful. With a quick glance at this sheet you can tell if it’s been 2 days since you reached out to them or two months. If it has been awhile and you still haven’t heard back-it might be time to try again.

Result: Were they helpful? Were they able to provide answers for your questions? Do they plan to send/scan documents? Did they not have information to provide but sent the contact info of someone who might? Did they receive your request for help warmly… or did they tell you in a round about way to go to hell?

Were they a contact that made big promises to help if you sent them your work first-then didn’t follow through after you sent everything you have? Trust me-I have run into more than one genealogy hoarder-glad to receive whatever you send but have no intention to share what they have. Write in “Hoarder” and move on!

Whatever the response, leave yourself a note saying whether or not they were helpful, how they were helpful, how you might be able to help them and whether or not you should stay in touch or avoid them at all costs.

Staying Organized

I cannot stress enough how important staying organized and up to date is when researching your family. With genealogy, you are going to meet so many new people you really want to do your best to keep them all straight and the last thing you want to do is lose a good contact!

If the worksheets aren’t your style, make use of a notebook or create a similar document on your computer. Be sure to record all the same information (surname, contact date, name, address/email/phone, purpose, reply date and result) and anything else you might find helpful.

The Pleasantly, Unexpected Surprise…

Be prepared to meet people (total strangers) that become closer to you than some of your immediate family. The friendships I have made with distant cousins over the past 20 years has been one of the most unexpected, surprising and best parts.

Until Next Week

Get cracking on those pedigree charts and family group sheets and start making use of the Genealogy Correspondence Sheet! If you guys have any questions or comments-don’t be shy! Please post them in the comments below and I’ll get to them asap!

Good Luck and happy hunting!