A pedigree chart is a personal road map to your ancestry. The entries recorded are from the research and notes you accumulated for each person. Most pedigree charts show five generations, with the fifth generation showing names only. The first person on the chart would be yourself, the next generation will be your parents, the next your grandparents, then great-grandparents, and the fifth generation will show the names of your great-great-grandparents. This will give a total of thirty one names on the chart. The fifth generation will give you sixteen more pedigree charts to fill out information on. The starting person on each chart will have a reference number to the person on the first chart. Be sure and record this number on each chart.

Guidelines

1. A pedigree chart will give you at a glance the names, dates, births, marriages, and deaths of the four previous generations to the start person. The fifth generation will show the name only; they will be the start person on their own pedigree chart. By doing the entries this way you can extend any family surname back as far as you are able to.
2. Record each person’s full name. If you like, record the surname in all capital letters. This could help you track surnames easily.
3. Record the day, month and year (16 Apr 1858) Give a three letter designation for the month.
4. Record the smallest geographical area, McCook, Red Willow, NE. Use the postal abbreviation for the state, do not abbreviate the town or county name.
5. Any information that is questionable should have a question mark entered for it to show that other research needs to be done.
6. Each person shown will have a source for the information recorded. Be sure and list the source information on the back of the chart.