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Connie Lenzen, CG |
One Bite at a TimeBy Connie LenzenAn article published in the 6 May 2004 issue of the Vancouver Columbian. |
One Bite At A Time
"How should I write up all this material that I collected while we were in Salt Lake City?" my daughter Jen asked as she looked at piles of papers. For a glorious week, she had collected information on her husband's Hilgenberg and Walter families. Now she was faced with doing something with the materials.
The Hilgenbergs were Germans who lived in Volga Russia. The Walters were Germans who lived in the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. The economic and political history of these countries impacted their lives. The Russian and Czechoslovakian monarchs invited the Germans into their countries. Several generations later, the Germans were disposed and evicted from their homes.
Jen started to input the data into her genealogy program, but the historical background didn't fit into the fields. The reason is simple. She is writing a story, and she needs something besides a genealogy program.
In addition, she wants to include information about other Hilgenbergs from the same village. Chances are high that they are related.
Columbian readers have asked similar "how-to" questions. They want more than a chart that shows names, dates, and places. They want to include historical background, family stories, and all of the bits and pieces of data they have collected.
I'm reminded of the question about "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is, "One bite at a time." While that is a grisly thought, the answer applies to this situation. You attack the problem one bite at a time.
The key is to use your genealogy program as a file cabinet. Consider it a place to store information.
Begin by entering a family group into the software. The next step is to begin transcribing the materials you have on hand into a word processing document. Include the historical information and family stories. If you have questions about the accuracy of a document, put in your comments.
After typing all of this, do some editing and include source citations.
The next step is to print out the file and place it in a file folder or a three-ring binder, along with the documents. Then, copy and paste the word processing document into the notes field of the genealogy program. This way, the material is stored in a paper copy and a digital form.
To mimic the elephant image, after you are finished with one family group, repeat the process with another family group. Before you know it, the heaps and piles will be worked down to manageable bits.
© 2004–2009
Connie Lenzen, CG
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