How do you get started in genealogy? Ask around!
Ask your family about your family. If they are still living, ask your father and mother to tell you about their parents and brothers and sisters. Ask them about their own lives:
What
was it like when they were young?
When
and where were they born?
Where
did they live?
Where
did they go to school?
How
did they meet each other?
Ask them what they remember about their families:
What
were their parents' names?
When
and where were they born?
What
were they like?
Who
were their brothers and sisters?
Did
they get along?
Are
they still living?
If you can't ask your father or mother, ask an aunt or uncle, or your grandparents, or one of your brothers or sisters. Demonstrating your interest will probably bring to life their interest in your family, too.
Getting the names and dates is important, because they help you identify and sort out all of these people. But finding out about the personalities makes the names come alive. You will learn who each person actually was, what he or she had to overcome in his or her lifetime, and how their lives combined to make you what you are.