3.  Keeping Organized

You should formally record the information that you have found. You will need a place to store your documents, pictures and letters. Remember to document your sources. It is also fun and useful to start charting a family tree and using a software program to help you. Although this information can be recorded using notebooks and index cards, computers can really, really help you not only organize the information but also to print out the information in many different reports and fancy charts. We have used and recommend the following software programs:

Family Tree Maker 2006  (our personal favorite)

Personal Ancestral File (PAF) Free to download