Genealogy Binder: Update

Back in March, I posted about my new Genealogy Binder. It’s been a lot of fun deciding what to put in the binder and what needed a form to keep track of the information. I’m still going to get some dividers to separate sections of the binder into what I feel I need: Website Lists, Research Tools, Records Information, and Printed Reports. I haven’t fully decided the sections yet, but those are the four I’m thinking about currently.

Contacts List

I receive a lot of emails because of this website. Most of the time I put together a response, but I always let people know that I’ll keep in contact if anything comes up. I’m not as good about this as I should be because once something gets sorted in the “Genealogy” section of my email, I forget it until something makes me remember it. It’s not the most flattering thing for me to say, but it is the truth. I also have to admit that I’m weeks behind in sending out responses to emails currently. Yikes. This list will help though. It has three sections: Name, Common Ancestor, Email. I handwrite all the information and when I get a full page, I type up the information and print out the page. I wait until I have a full page because I’m pretty snobby about having things look non uniform. It’s one of those weird things I’m afflicted with. It must all match! Now when I find something new within a certain section of my family tree, I can email everyone who is listed under the “common ancestor”.

Repository List

The Repository List is a BIG help. I hate having to track down websites and then hunt within websites to find an address to send a records request. So I’m gathering the ones I know I will use and I put them in the Repository List. This one gets typed up because of the length of the addresses. Even with my favorite fine line pen, I have problems fitting some of those addresses into a reasonable amount of space.

Supplies List

The supplies list I keep in the genealogy binder because it is always on top of my desk. That means it’s handy for me when I find out I need something. I’m currently only needing tabbed dividers (for the genealogy binder), 3 ring binders (I’m making a kitchen binder and a household binder for Mom), and a color ink cartridge (reason should be obvious, ha!).

Records to be Ordered List

I’ve learned over the last few years that I easily get behind in records I want to send away for. So I’ve started making a list of the ones I’m hankering to get. I added a price section so that when I get some extra money, I can see right away whether I have any cheaper or more expensive records on my to do list. I haven’t added prices to my New Jersey records yet, because I’m still determining where the records I need are being held.

Records Ordered List

Another thing I’ve learned in the last few years, is that sometimes records can take a long time to come. So you either forget about them or it seems like it takes longer then it actually does. Well, I wonder no more because this list tells me exactly what was ordered and when. So I know I received my Grandmother’s birth certificate (and in record time) and I’m still waiting for William H Moore‘s death certificate (if they find it this time).

Cemetery Lists

This is the most recent addition to my binder. I’ve started to make cemetery lists. We’re hoping to make a genealogy trip this summer (last summers got postponed), so I want to have this information handy if we make it to these places. The last time I wasn’t at all prepared and I’m certainly not dragging my laptop with me. I can just print reports straight from Family Tree Maker, but I like this because I can keep families grouped together. I know from the last time I went to Kentucky that most of the cemetery lots are family lots. For that reason, I want to keep my lists organized by families as opposed to alphabetical.

Blog Ideas

Lastly, I have an updated blog ideas list. Most times my ideas need to be written so that I can remember exactly what I wanted when the idea came to me. For example: “A Tale of Many Sisters: Finding Emma Carter’s Mother”. I know exactly what that post is going to be. On the other hand, I don’t remember exactly what I was thinking when I wrote: “I’m a handwriting snob”. Except for the fact that I’ve always been obsessed with good penmanship. So that idea will probably be scrapped.

 

One thought on “Genealogy Binder: Update

  1. Kevin Elliott says:

    Thanks for this! It has given me lots of ideas for my own genealogy binder. I’m quickly outgrowing my boxes, and am in desperate need of organization for my physical assets. My digital trees on FamilySearch and Ancestry are looking clean and orderly, but since I care to have all the hard copies I can, it’s just as important to make those orderly too.

    Thanks again!

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