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36    <td valign="top" width="100%"><div align="center"><!-- #BeginEditable "title" -->
37	 <h1>&nbsp;</h1>
38     <h1>Getting Started</h1>
39	<!-- #EndEditable --></div></td>
40  
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45    <div id="priNav">
46    <ul>
47    <li><a href="/index.htm">Home</a></li>
48    <li><a href="/start.htm">Getting Started</a></li>
49    <li><a href="/lookup.htm">Lookup</a></li>
50    <li><a href="/bbs.htm">Queries</a></li>
51    <li><a href="/sources.htm">Sources</a></li>
52    <li><a href="/refs/index.htm">References</a></li>
53    <li><a href="/links.htm">Links</a></li>
54    <li><a href="/shop.htm">Shop</a></li>
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57    </div>
58    <p>&nbsp;</p>   
59	<!-- #BeginEditable "body" -->
60	<p>&nbsp; </p>
61	<table width="75%" border="2" align="center"
62                        cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" bgcolor="#FFFFCC"
63                        summary="genealogy lament">
64      <tr>
65        <td><span class="italic-note">&quot;When we were
66          young, we weren&#39;t really interested in our
67          roots... but now that we are interested, there
68          is really no one left to ask.&quot;</span> <span class="small-note">- genealogy
69            adage</span> </td>
70      </tr>
71    </table>
72	<p> Everyone has their own reasons for doing genealogy.
73	  Some people like puzzles and consider tracing family
74	  roots as an entertaining pastime. Others do it to
75	  preserve the memories and knowledge of older family
76	  members for future generations. Some people use
77	  genealogy as a means of reestablishing or
78	  reinforcing ties with distant family members. Others
79	  would like to demonstrate their relationship to
80	  famous (or infamous) personages. Some would like to
81	  write a family history. Members of the Church of
82	  Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do it for
83	  religious reasons. </p>
84	<p> No matter what your reasons, doing your family
85	  genealogy will entertain you, bring you personal
86	  rewards and leave a legacy for future generations. </p>
87	<p> How do you get started doing your family&#39;s
88	  genealogy? There are certain basic steps that will
89	  make the process easier, quicker and more rewarding.
90	  These steps will avoid duplication of work, increase
91	  the value of your research, and make doing your
92	  family genealogy more fun. These steps are: </p>
93	<h2>&nbsp; </h2>
94	<h2> 1. Get a genealogical computer program </h2>
95	<p> Using a computer program makes it easy to enter and
96	  organize data. It avoids redrawing charts and
97	  repeating work as you enter additional data. It
98	  makes it easy to get neat reports which you can
99	  distribute immediately to family members to get them
100	  interested in helping <span class=
101                           "underline">you</span>. It facilitates interchange
102	  of data with others in your family that may also be
103	  doing genealogical research. It makes it easy to
104	  determine relationships between family members. It
105	  identifies gaps of information and inconsistencies. </p>
106	<p> A genealogical computer program is, however, merely
107	  a tool for organizing your data. It will not do the
108	  research for you. </p>
109	<p> Genealogical computer programs are continually being
110	  improved and new versions are frequently issued.
111	  Rather than recommending any particular ones, we
112	  have compiled some of the factors that you should
113	  consider in our section on <a href=
114                           "progs.htm">Choosing a Genealogical Computer
115	    Program</a>. </p>
116	<p>&nbsp; </p>
117	<h2> 2. Start With What You Know </h2>
118	<p> Begin with yourself and your immediate family. Enter
119	  your own family group, father, mother, wife, sons
120	  and daughters, in your computer program. This will
121	  familiarize you with the program&#39;s features and
122	  will allow you to explore the different printouts
123	  that can be produced. </p>
124	<p> After entering your immediate family group, enter
125	  your grandparents, aunts and uncles, their children
126	  and so on. Always begin with someone you have
127	  already entered and make connections outwards from
128	  what you know already. </p>
129	<p> As you do the data entry, gather information from
130	  your close family. Search for any documents, such as
131	  birth certificates, marriage licenses, passports,
132	  newspaper clippings, obituaries, scrap books, albums
133	  and family memoirs that your family may have stored
134	  away somewhere. Make Xerox or photocopies of the
135	  documents and return the originals as soon as
136	  possible. Do not keep or handle the original
137	  documents unnecessarily to avoid loss or accidental
138	  damage from mishaps such as spilling coffee on them. </p>
139	<p> When you examine these documents, take advantage of
140	  the fact that Cuban civil and church records are
141	  patterned on the Spanish model and often will
142	  mention not only the parents, but the grandparents
143	  as well. Often these records include information as
144	  to where each of the ancestors was born, whether and
145	  where they were living at the time of the event, and
146	  sometimes even their occupation. </p>
147	<h2>&nbsp; </h2>
148	<h2> 3. Interview Your Family Members </h2>
149	<p> The best sources of information are your older
150	  relatives. Also the children and close friends of
151	  deceased relatives. Grab a notebook (or a small tape
152	  recorder) and ask them about their childhood and
153	  relatives. Do it as soon as possible, don&#39;t
154	  leave it for tomorrow. Accidents and illnesses
155	  happen unexpectedly and the information you want may
156	  be suddenly lost forever. </p>
157	<h3 align="center"> Interview them again and again! </h3>
158	<p> Don&#39;t give up after one interview - older people
159	  frequently will remember one day something they
160	  didn&#39;t remember the week before. Many times a
161	  question you asked will trigger memories that will
162	  surface hours or days later. Learn to listen for
163	  possible clues to family connections. Often,
164	  mentioning these tidbits to other relatives may gain
165	  you additional information. It also pays to engage
166	  your older relatives in conversation about humorous
167	  events (&quot;family legends&quot;) they may have
168	  witnessed or taken part in which they are bound to
169	  remember with pleasure. Above all try to make it fun
170	  for everyone, including yourself. </p>
171	<p> Often you cannot interview relatives in person and
172	  you must use the telephone or mail. When writing
173	  distant or little known family members, mention
174	  where you learned about them and if possible mention
175	  someone known to them that can vouch for you. I find
176	  it essential to start any such correspondence by
177	  giving them a printout of the information you know
178	  about their branch of the family to excite their
179	  interest as well to demonstrate that you are serious
180	  about exchanging information about the family and
181	  that your letter is not just another junk mail
182	  solicitation. Giving them a descendant chart or a 4
183	  generation pedigree chart, greatly increases the
184	  likelihood that they will reply to your inquiries.
185	  Often they will point out that you missed someone in
186	  your chart and that may open the path for another
187	  entire branch in your family tree. Don&#39;t forget
188	  to follow up by sending them updated versions of the
189	  charts as you progress in your research. </p>
190	<h2>&nbsp; </h2>
191	<h2> 4. Record Your Sources as You do Your Research </h2>
192	<p> As you collect information, <span class=
193                           "underline">always</span> record where and when you
194	  obtained it (whether from a written document or an
195	  interview) at the time you enter the information .
196	  At the beginning, this may seem like unnecessary
197	  work, and that such sources will be easy to
198	  remember, but when you have gathered several
199	  hundreds or thousands of facts, believe me you
200	  won&#39;t be able to remember exactly the source of
201	  each one. Many times a particular event, such as a
202	  marriage, may have several, sometimes conflicting,
203	  sources. Regard your genealogy work as a legacy that
204	  you will leave for future generations to admire. You
205	  want to document each of the facts that you record
206	  so someone in the future can check your sources and
207	  evaluate the veracity of the information </p>
208	<p> Genealogists divide sources into two basic
209	  categories, Primary and Secondary sources. Primary
210	  sources are those which were generated in close
211	  proximity to the event, for example a baptism entry
212	  in a parish register or a birth certificate.
213	  Secondary sources are those which were compiled by
214	  someone from primary or other sources, for example a
215	  family history or even the date and place of birth
216	  listed on a person&#39;s death certificate, which
217	  might be based on the recollection of someone
218	  present at the latter event. Secondary sources are
219	  more likely to suffer from transcription or research
220	  errors. None are immune, however. My own birth
221	  certificate incorrectly shows as the location of my
222	  birth the home of my parents, rather than
223	  grandfather&#39;s home where I was actually born. In
224	  a case of discrepancies like this, it is even more
225	  important to document the sources, such as eye
226	  witnesses, of the facts that you are recording. </p>
227	<h2>&nbsp; </h2>
228	<h2> 5. Identify Promising Leads </h2>
229	<p> During the course of your initial gathering of
230	  information be alert for leads to other potential
231	  sources. If a relative has served in the military,
232	  been a member of a union or professional
233	  organization, applied for a trade or professional
234	  license, received an academic degree, there is
235	  likely to be a paper trail that may have significant
236	  genealogical information such as date and place of
237	  birth, where he or she was a resident at a
238	  particular date, etc. Be alert to the value of such
239	  information and make notes to follow up later. </p>
240	<h2>&nbsp; </h2>
241	<h2> 6. Search national and LDS data bases to fill gaps
242	  and extend your body of knowledge </h2>
243	<p> Only after you have collected all the information
244	  available from your living relatives and family
245	  documents is it time to start researching other open
246	  sources of information. If you are new to genealogy
247	  you may not be aware of all many the sources
248	  available on your Cuban (or other ethnic) heritage.
249	  I have compiled a list of sources <a href=
250                           "sources.htm">where to find information</a> relevant
251	  to Cuban genealogy. </p>
252	<p> Reading a book on the subject may help you focus
253	  your research and avoid false starts. I have tried
254	  to compile a list of the most relevant <a href=
255                           "refs/index.htm">Published References on Cuban
256	    Genealogy</a> to help you get started. Also be sure
257	  to check on our on-line <a href="jaruco.htm">Index
258	    to <b><i>Historias de Familias Cubanas</i></b></a> to see if the history of your family has been
259	  compiled in this work. </p>
260	<p>&nbsp; </p>
261	<h2> 7. Contact Others Doing Similar Research </h2>
262	<p> Since the publication of the book and TV program
263	  &quot;Roots&quot;, genealogy has become a very
264	  popular hobby in the United States. It is very
265	  probable that one or more genealogical societies
266	  exist in your local area. In it you will find other
267	  members who will range in experience from the raw
268	  beginner to the professional genealogist. They are
269	  generally always glad to help out beginners in the
270	  field. Such organizations are of great help in
271	  identifying and guiding you to local sources of
272	  genealogical information. </p>
273	<p> In addition to local genealogical societies, most of
274	  the larger on-line services such as CompuServe, AOL
275	  and Prodigy have active sections where members get
276	  together in &quot;virtual communities&quot; and
277	  exchange tips and information. Be aware that the
278	  more narrow and specific your question the more
279	  likely it is to receive an answer. Don&#39;t expect
280	  others to do your research for you and always be
281	  courteous. </p>
282	<p> On the Internet, there are several newsgroups and
283	  many web sites dedicated to genealogy. Check out our
284	  list of <a href="links.htm">On-line Sources</a> related to Cuban Genealogy and related topics. </p>
285	<p><a href="https://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/english/issues/2006-AS/06AS_gene.html">Solving Family Mysteries</a> will take you to an interesting article by Roger Hernandez, published in  AARP <em>Segunda Juventud </em>magazine, describing the search for his ancestors.</p>
286	<h2 align="center"> <i>Good Luck!</i> </h2>
287	<p>&nbsp; </p>
288	<!-- #EndEditable --></td>
289  </tr>
290  <tr>
291    <td colspan="2"><p align="center" class="bottom-bar">| <a href="/index.htm" class="bottom-bar">CubaGenWeb
292          Home</a> | <a href="/start.htm" class="bottom-bar">Getting Started</a> | <a href="/lookup.htm" class="bottom-bar">Lookup</a> | <a href="/bbs.htm" class="bottom-bar">Queries</a> | <a href="/sources.htm" class="bottom-bar">Sources</a> | <a href="/refs/index.htm" class="bottom-bar">References</a> | <a href="/links.htm" class="bottom-bar">Links</a> | <a href="/shop.htm" class="bottom-bar">Shop</a> |</p>
293        <hr width="75%" size="5" align="center" noshade="noshade" />
294        <!-- #BeginEditable "rev" -->
295        <div align="center" class="small-note">Getting Started - Updated
296          <!-- #BeginDate format:En2 -->10-Jul-2007<!-- #EndDate -->
297        </div>
298        <!-- #EndEditable -->
299    <p align="center" class="small-note">Copyright &copy; 2007-2013 - Ed Elizondo
300      
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343          <option value="3,Alabama">AL</option>
344          <option value="4,Alaska">AK</option>
345          <option value="5,Arizona">AZ</option>
346          <option value="6,Arkansas">AR</option>
347          <option value="7,California">CA</option>
348          <option value="8,Colorado">CO</option>
349          <option value="9,Connecticut">CT</option>
350          <option value="10,Delaware">DE</option>
351          <option value="11,District of Columbia">DC</option>
352          <option value="12,Florida">FL</option>
353          <option value="13,Georgia">GA</option>
354          <option value="14,Hawaii">HI</option>
355          <option value="15,Idaho">ID</option>
356          <option value="16,Illinois">IL</option>
357          <option value="17,Indiana">IN</option>
358          <option value="18,Iowa">IA</option>
359          <option value="19,Kansas">KS</option>
360          <option value="20,Kentucky">KY</option>
361          <option value="21,Louisiana">LA</option>
362          <option value="22,Maine">ME</option>
363          <option value="23,Maryland">MD</option>
364          <option value="24,Massachusetts">MA</option>
365          <option value="25,Michigan">MI</option>
366          <option value="26,Minnesota">MN</option>
367          <option value="27,Mississippi">MS</option>
368          <option value="28,Missouri">MO</option>
369          <option value="29,Montana">MT</option>
370          <option value="30,Nebraska">NE</option>
371          <option value="31,Nevada">NV</option>
372          <option value="32,New Hampshire">NH</option>
373          <option value="33,New Jersey">NJ</option>
374          <option value="34,New Mexico">NM</option>
375          <option value="35,New York">NY</option>
376          <option value="36,North Carolina">NC</option>
377          <option value="37,North Dakota">ND</option>
378          <option value="38,Ohio">OH</option>
379          <option value="39,Oklahoma">OK</option>
380          <option value="40,Oregon">OR</option>
381          <option value="41,Pennsylvania">PA</option>
382          <option value="42,Rhode Island">RI</option>
383          <option value="43,South Carolina">SC</option>
384          <option value="44,South Dakota">SD</option>
385          <option value="45,Tennessee">TN</option>
386          <option value="46,Texas">TX</option>
387          <option value="47,Utah">UT</option>
388          <option value="48,Vermont">VT</option>
389          <option value="49,Virginia">VA</option>
390          <option value="50,Washington">WA</option>
391          <option value="51,West Virginia">WV</option>
392          <option value="52,Wisconsin">WI</option>
393          <option value="53,Wyoming">WY</option>
394          <option value="3256,Non-US">INTL</option>
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396        <p style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-weight: bold">LOCALITY</p></td>
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402    <tr>
403    <td>&nbsp;</td>
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405  </table>
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