🌱 Getting Started

What is the Genealogy Group?

We're a friendly monthly gathering of SIR members who share a fascination with family history. Each meeting we talk through research methods, the computer programs that help organize a family tree, and the many sources for tracking down information about our ancestors.

Whether you've been researching for years or have never drawn a single branch, you'll find company here. As the old saying goes, "to forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root."

The one golden rule for beginners

Start with what you already know, and work backward — one generation at a time. Begin with yourself, then your parents, then your grandparents. Always move from the known to the unknown; never try to leap straight to a distant ancestor you've heard stories about.

Write down names, dates, and places for each person, and note where each fact came from. That habit of recording your sources is what separates a family tree you can trust from a pile of guesses.

Your first three steps

1. 1Write down what you know — full names, birth/marriage/death dates and places — for yourself, your parents, and your grandparents.
2. 2Gather "home sources": certificates, the family Bible, old letters, photos (check the backs!), and obituaries. Then interview your oldest relatives — that knowledge is irreplaceable.
3. 3Create a free account at FamilySearch.org and start entering your tree. Then come to a meeting with your questions — someone has almost certainly solved the same puzzle.

Explore the Hub

Everything here is free, always available, and built for our members. Start wherever your curiosity leads: