I started looking up my family history stuff back about 2003. My father had been given a history that was incomplete. He asked me to check it out. Along about this time, I was given a copy of my mother's family tree. Thus began my journey.
I have since discovered several sites online, repositories, stories told to me by family members and others. I've been given documents, pictures, and copies of newspaper articles. I read a lot of information about doing genealogies, have contributed in one way or another to making records easier to access, or by transcribing. Even in the few years I've done this, there have been quite a few changes.
I finally visited the Chicago office of the National Archives and Records Administration. A volunteer helped me understand that I have amassed a bit of knowledge. She trained to help Native Americans researching their lineage. The clerk told her I knew what I was doing. That bit of knowledge combined with research techniques learned in high school was all I needed to get this far.
I took the course that the Board for Certification of Genealogists has for certification. I wanted to make sure I was following standards that would pass if a professional looked at my work. I'd like to pass on some of my knowledge. Like the old days, there are few enough people to pass on knowledge to. I, at least, have the option of writing it down.
