Remember your Genealogy Records in your Will
Hello friends and welcome back to the blog! For, the majority of our time together we usually discuss different processes, sources, and techniques that can uncover genealogical discoveries. Though these actions are the foundations of building our family trees and learning about our ancestors, sometimes it can obscure the importance of the present moment. Remember that your present will become part of your family’s past. As a genealogist you know how difficult it can be to locate sources that document an ancestor’s life. A great project that might allow you step away from what can sometimes become frustrating research, is a genealogy will or in other words, a genealogist’s time capsule.
If you have ever made a time capsule you may have thrown a random object or two into a metal container, a small note, sealed it up and called it good. A genealogy will or genealogist’s time capsule is a matured version of this same concept. Though many people think to put their affairs in order via wills, trusts, funeral plans, etc. not many realize that photos, documents and artifacts you have gathered will be grouped under personal property. Unless you have specified where these things are to go, they can be overlooked by your predecessors. The first step in safeguarding these precious materials that you have worked so hard to gather as family genealogists is to take an inventory. Make sure that as you are taking inventory, you are keeping in mind any information or property held in the digital realm. I suggest keeping either a physical notebook filled with a catalogue of the information or a excel sheet. I would suggest you layout your will catalogue as follows: I’ve put a few titles you fill out for what works for you.
| Item Name | Location | Person to receive | |||||
Some tips and tricks to make sure your account for the many aspects of your digital information is to keep track of URLs for logins, your username and password information, whether or not you would like the information relocated, subscriptions and payment options, and how to maintain your backup servers. This is but a short list of the many things you may have to consider depending upon your reliance on the digital space. If you have a lot of information stored digitally and are an avid user of the Google Suite keep in mind that the tech company allows you to set up an inactive account manager. You could use this feature to turn over your Google account to your next of kin. Other digitally based corporations offer similar next of kin features to their users.
I hope that this blog has opened your eyes to the importance of not just gathering your family’s information, but your own. Doing so may make your next family’s avid genealogist happy beyond measure and allow your family to benefit from your research and life story for lifetimes to come. If you need any help beginning this process, please reach out to get your questions answered. My contact information can be found at the top left-hand corner of this website. I also produce webinars which can be found on this same website that dive into further detail concerning this topic and many others if you would like to learn more. Happy researching and archiving!
Winona I Laird, The Genealogy Granny
Htps://genealogyeducationcenter.com
