Genealogy- Why start?

Are you thinking about researching your Family?  Most people face this question at the beginning of their search.  Many start after they retire, but for me it began when I turned thirteen years old.  Some people are just curious about there families past.  For others it becomes a search for medical history.

  One of the first steps in preparing for the search is to look to see what you have on hand.  For me it was a large box that was handed to my mother when one of our relatives died.
  Things to look for include obituaries, family bibles, discharge papers, birth announcements, etc. etc.  Much of this information will not make sense in the beginning, but make sure to keep it.  The family bible often given as a gift when a couple got married was the safe in olden times.  Don't just look at the family information on the inside, but leaf through all the pages.  Here if you get lucky you will find funeral cards, obits or military discharge records.
  Make sure to organize this information for later use. One of the largest challenges for any genealogist is keeping things organized.  This should start from the beginning.  The next step is to contact relatives.