5 Simple Steps to Organize Your Genealogy in a 3 Ring Binder

picture from Bowl Full of Lemons website

Wouldn't you love to be this organized! I was on Pinterest the other day and I saw this beautifully organized family history center. When I saw the three ring binders I thought that's what I want my genealogy organization to look like. I know it's going to take some time because I have a lot of information to organize. I know I cannot organize everything at once so I've decided to start with the McIntire's

My goal is to write a family history on my McIntire's so now is the time to get all the stuff I have accumulated on them organized.

I have my research spread out all over the place: on the computer, file drawers and boxes. Just everywhere! I have two family trees for the McIntire's. I have Family Tree Maker which is on my computer hard drive and I also have an Ancestry.com tree. I have photo files of the McIntire's and I have document files for the McIntire's. Some of them are on my hard drive and others are in my file folders.

So it's time to get all the stuff organized!

First I got a three ring binder with dividers. Dividers now come larger than usual so that they stick out beyond page protectors. I love them.

Second I labeled the dividers with the heads of the household starting with my first male McIntire who is Charles J McIntire.

Third I placed the family tree of the McIntire's (the pedigree chart) in the front of the binder.

Forth the first thing in each person's tab is their family group sheet.

Finally I'm going through all of my records and putting them in page protectors and then inserting them behind the correct male McIntire. If a record is only in digital form I am printing it out including photos.
Hopefully when I have this all done I will have a better understanding of what information still needs researching and then ultimately I will be able to write that family history book!

Do you organize with 3 ring binders?  I would love to hear what you have to say about them.  Just let me know in the comment box below.  Thanks.

Until next time, happy hunting!
Kristina

Sunday ScanDay May 18

There is a facebook group called Sunday Scanday created by Caroline Marshall Pointer author of the blog 4YourFamilyStory.com Each Sunday she creates an event on her group page and we all join in for an hour of scanning.  The consistency of an event like this is great to get those endless piles of old family photos, letters or proofs scanned that you have been meaning to get around to.

My grandfather, James Newport King of Portsmouth, VA wrote to my grandmother Thelma Foster almost everyday and sometimes twice a day when he was on business trips back in the 1920's.  I had put these letters in page protectors years ago but now I'd like to have digital copies so my brothers and sister can have copies of the letters too.

James Newport King

b. 19 Feb 1896 d. 7 Dec 1958

Portsmouth, VA

Scanning Mom's Old Baby Book

As the family historian I was given all the old family photos.  I want my brothers and sister to have them as well so I am slowly but surely getting them all digitized with our scanner.

Today I took my mom's baby book and scanned all the pages.

Are you preserving your old family photos for future generations?  I hope so!

Until Next Time
Kristina