presenting your family to others

[dasher]

Hello everyone,
I have read the replies given by other list members about which genealogy programs to use and how to keep notes but I am afraid nothing seems to work for me. I am  unfortunately one of those people who buy every book on family history and still cant get my head around the best way to keep and present your notes.
Like a lot of people I follow the maternal and paternal line each generation. As a result I have a lot of A4 folders which are frankly just a mess with bits of paper and things to do sticking out of them. What I am looking for is a system where if one of my kids ( some chance!) picked up the file they could understand and follow the generations.

[Paul E]

Hi dasher

As a newcomer I'm already grappling with this problem.  Its one thing to give my mother (73) and her mother (100) a list of births, deaths and marriages, but quite another to get them to interpret them!

I'm working on family narratives at the moment, starting with my mother's direct male ancestors and my grandmother's direct male ancestors.  I find they appreciate it if I give a little bit of information about the places the family was living in at the time (population, photos if available, maps etc) and anything to do with occupations where this is available too.  The narrative is broken up into sections on the key direct ancestors, with relevant census data included, moving from generation to generation.

Not got very far with it yet, but at least my mam seems to like it!

cheers

Paul

[suttontrust]

I agree with Paul, that's how I did it.  Keep all the evidence, the cerificates, census print-outs etc. in files - someone will need it all in the future - but write it up as a narrative with photos and other images.  And print out the charts.

[dasher]

Hi Paul E and Suttontrust,
Thanks for the advice. I think it will look beeter in book form.

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Dasher,

I collected some RootsChat topics on presenting family history and put them (as links) here:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,45251.0.html

have a browse, the threads cover web-sites and printed presentations.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse more,
Bob

[rachelwilliams]

I am glad to hear Im not the only one getting into a mess with all my paperwork and struggling as you said to present the information!

Rachx

[dasher]

Hi Berlin-bob,
Thanks for the links. Some good advice there.
                                                                    Dasher