People are often prompted to create a family tree when they find out an interesting story or fact about an ancestor.
Freddy's family were intrigued when an elderly aunt told them about their great grandfather living out his days in a log cabin on a property near the little New South Wales town of Wauchope. His wife had passed away and his children had moved to Sydney to follow their careers, but he preferred spending time in his own company and catching up with the occasional neighbour rather than moving closer to town.
From the contents of a little biscuit tin the aunt had kept after Freddy passed away, the family found out that 'Freddy' was short for Alfred, not Frederick as they’d always presumed. He had also Anglicised his surname, like many German migrants did following the Second World War.
They still had many questions though. What was life like before Freddy left Germany in the 1930s? Why did he leave his homeland? Who were his ancestors? What happened to the rest of his family during WWII? Are any of the family descendants still living in Germany? Now that they knew Freddy’s real family name and place of birth, they could do more searches and add more detail.
Cheryl Venables from Create Your Family Tree short course at Macquarie Community College says that it always helps to have someone guide you when you’re starting a family tree or when you hit a bit of a brick wall in your research. “I have always had a passion for genealogy and love helping people," she says. "Join me in an exploration and adventure to find and acquaint yourself with your ancestors."
Receiving early guidance helps you avoid rookie mistakes that make other people give up and file their incomplete research in a back drawer or on a computer hard drive, never to see the light of day again.
There are some important considerations to consider:
1. Do I want to create a handwritten or digital tree?
2. How do I store this information for generations to come?
3. What’s the best way to document as I go?
4. What differences are there between the genealogy sites?
5. What about privacy?
6. How do I search for information at zero or minimal cost?
7. Are there organisations out there that will help me with this? Especially if I’m seeking information from another country?
Macquarie College's six hour course will help you sniff out your family origins and won’t leave you barking up the wrong tree! Contact us on 1300 845 888, enrol online in a current course or place your name on a waiting list.