Genealogy Activities
 Starting a Genealogy |  Sample Genealogical Records |
 Useful Area Resources | |
 Useful Websites |
You may be interested in helping your students begin a genealogical study of their families (or other families, in the event that they are unable or do not wish to pursue their own lineage). Undertaking such a study can be exciting and exasperating. It is a time-consuming job, so you cannot expect students to complete large chunks of research within a single term. However, you can acquaint them with basic search processes, resources, and types of records that
may be useful.
Our team expert on genealogical studies, Tammy Roberts, has provided the following information to help you get some idea what to expect from such an undertaking.
Steps in Starting Genealogy Research
Beginning research on your family history can be exciting and sometimes, frustrating. It can be a never-ending task, so be prepared to spend a lot of time on this project. The following are some basic guidelines to help you get started on your own family's history.
1. Write down information that you already know. You should use some sort of pedigree/family tree chart to fill out the information you already have.
2. Identify specific things you want to investigate. You should choose a specific person and then research his/her date and place of birth, date and place of marriage, parents, children, date and place of death, and place of burial.
3. Begin your search of records. In your research you should first search the records compiled by others. For example, if someone in your family has already begun a search of the family history, talk to him or her. There is no need to redo what has already been started. After you get the information from other family members and you still have questions, begin your search of original records such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, cemetery records, and census records. Do not forget to look at family bibles for information.
4. Analyze the information you have found. Make sure the new information is not in conflict with other information. Once you obtain the information, continue to fil1 out the pedigree or family tree chart and to file any copies of original records and photos. There are several good computer programs that will help you with the organization of this information such as Generations Family Tree. This program is easy to use and allows you to enter information as well as photos and other records.
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The following list of resource rooms is not exhaustive; there are other places in the county that might also be helpful. Nevertheless, these places have materials that might be useful to your students. If you have a small group of students, perhaps you could arrange field trips to some of these places. But don't go before you have helped students define specific research questions. Otherwise, they won't really have a context for the relevance of source materials.
Lyons Memorial Library, College of the Ozarks
The Ozarkiana Room, located on the second level of the Lyons Memorial Library, College of the Ozark, Point Lookout, Missouri, has many wonderful resources about natives of the Ozarks. Here you will find some original manuscript notes, photos, books, maps, and newspaper clippings.
Ozarks Mountaineer
The Ozarks Mountaineer is a monthly magazine dedicated to the preservation of the history and culture of the Ozarks. The Mountaineer Bookshop is located next to the Post Office in Kirbyville, Missouri. The Bookshop is open to the general public and here you will find books, video tapes, and back issues of The Ozarks Mountaineer for sale. Barbara Wehrman is the owner and publisher; she and her staff are always willing to help anyone with questions about the Ozarks.
Springfield-Greene County LibraryShepard Room
The local history section of the Springfield-Greene County Library has many resources and much of the information is available via the internet. Here you can find the S.C. Turnbo Manuscripts, White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Ozarks Watch magazine, Bittersweet, Greene County Court Records, as well as several other records.
Forsyth Library
You can visit the genealogy section of the Forsyth Library, located in Forsyth, Missouri, and research the census records, marriage records, family histories, and cemetery records of Taney County. Some of the information is in print form, and other information is available on microfiche. Also in the library's genealogy section are many books, some no longer in print, such as The Land of Taney by Elmo Ingenthron. These records may not be checked out. lf you are unable to visit the library, you can e-mail Bob Miley, the head of the genealogy department, at bmiley@tri-lakes.com.
White River Valley Historical Society
This historical organization was established in 1961 to help preserve the history of the Ozarks. The White River Valley Historical Society is housed in the old Taney County Jail in Shadow Rock Park in Forsyth, Missouri. They have many records, including copies of all publications of the White River Valley Historical Quarterly, pictures, and other memorabilia. The Quarterly contains marriage records, cemetery records, as well as family stories and interviews. The Quarterly can be accessed on-line through the Springfield-Greene County Library in the Shepard Room.
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