Ok, continuing the organizational theme, I'm going to talk about the second of those basic genealogy forms that you will want to have on hand to keep your records on track: pedigree charts.
The family group sheets from last week, organize your information as a series of family groups.
On the other hand, a pedigree chart focuses more on your direct ancestral line, and looks like a "typical" family tree, with pairs of branches leading from the central individual. Siblings, cousins and other children are not listed, only each person's mother and father. Different chart designs allow for various other information, usually birth, death and marriage dates. Sometimes more details can be added.
You can get several pedigree charts for free online. You'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader (also free from Adobe). Just print out the form you prefer and fill in your family data. Some sheets are more detailed than others, so take a look at all 4 styles to see which one will suit your needs. You'll find that most forms have space for 3-5 generations, at which point you reference the next chart.
Even if you are using a software program, you can use these pedigree forms to have an at-your-fingertips record of your ancestors. It's easy to see which branches need more work this way. You can also integrate these forms with your collection of paper records to help keep your documents in order.
