![\"Photo:](\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/photo-0408-2024-small-group-of-photos.jpg\")
Photo credit: https:\/\/depositphotos.com\/home.html<\/a><\/p>\n Week 1: Conduct a 4-Generation Audit<\/strong><\/p>\n Even those of us who have been researching for a long time have some mistakes and omissions in our family tree, including factual errors, missing documents, and records that need to be acquired. Not wanting to bite off more than I can chew, I\u2019m going to look at my four generations and make sure that I have all the documents and relevant facts that I should on my family tree.<\/p>\n For this week, I want to concentrate on basic records such as the U.S. Census, vital records, and newspapers. As I look at my family tree I\u2019ll be asking:<\/p>\n Week 2: Create a Timeline<\/strong><\/p>\n A timeline is an important genealogy tool that too few of us use. A timeline can help you keep track of what you know about an ancestor, what you are missing, and historical events they lived through. Later, a timeline can be used to help you write a story or track what is missing, and figure out what research you still need to do.<\/p>\n I recognize that creating or adding timelines for 23 people might be too much for me this week. So, I\u2019m going to concentrate on one ancestor and add another should I have time.<\/p>\n Week 3: What Am I Missing?<\/strong><\/p>\n For this week I will look at my ancestor I created a timeline for and analyze it for what records or history is missing. I\u2019ll do some of this in the first week but for this third week I want to go more in-depth into my ancestor\u2019s life. For example, a great-grandfather served in the military \u2013 do I have all the records I should have to document this? I\u2019ll go through each generation and note anything I am missing that I need to look for.<\/p>\n Week 4: Write a Short Narrative About One Ancestor<\/strong><\/p>\n Genealogy can be overwhelming and there\u2019s no doubt that research is more fun than writing it all down to share. Instead of thinking about writing a book or an ancestor\u2019s story, I\u2019m going to choose one event and write up something that I can then add images to and share with my family. Having done my audit, created a timeline, and identified what is missing, this step should be easier than starting from scratch.<\/p>\n Happy Family History Month!<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s Family History Month. Don\u2019t let this opportunity pass you by. Join me as we make sure we have everything we need for at least our first four generations in our family tree. Join me each week and share your experiences in the comments below.<\/p>\n\n