The Family Tree
By Terence L. Day
Terence L. Day, genealogist and journalist, is on the Washington State University faculty. He welcomes e-mail at genealogy@moscow.com, or regular mail in care of the Tri-City Herald City newsroom, P.O. Box 2608, Tri-Cities, WA 99302-2608.
TV show likely to spark new interest in genealogy
This story was published Dec. 22, 1996
Ancestors may be the greatest boon to genealogy since Roots, the television series based on Alex Haley's 1976 historical novel that traced the author's roots to an African village in 1750 and sent interest in genealogy into orbit.
Twenty years later, the genealogical world is bracing for a tidal wave of new interest in genealogical research that could be triggered by a new Public Broadcasting System series scheduled for release to 351 member stations across the country in January.
Ancestors is a series of 10 KBYU-TV programs about genealogy and family history. In it, experts follow powerful stories of people whose lives have been changed through family history research. Practical instruction is incorporated on how viewers can begin searching for their roots.
Amateur genealogists Jim and Terry Willard, of Turner, Maine, are hosts for the series and introduce the topic of each 30-minute episode. Since high school, the couple have pursued their love for each other - and for genealogy.
They have traced their families back 15 generations on both sides. Jim has found ancestors who fought on opposite sides of the French and Indian War, and both found they are sixth cousins through their French-Canadian heritage.
Each episode has two components, a "mini-documentary" and a "how-to" segment, with the exception of the 10th episode, Leaving a Legacy. It has three mini-documentaries and no how-to segment.
Ancestors goes on location to visit with family historians of various social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. The purpose is to find out why they began a search for family histories, and how the search has affected their lives.
These are the episodes:
One: Getting Started explores the simple and universal question, "Who am I?" It includes tips on how to start a search for roots, including how to fill out a pedigree chart, and why successful research means starting with yourself.
Two: Looking at Home shows that genealogists should start their research at home to find clues to their ancestors and pieces of the past.
Three: Gathering Family Stories is about mining the memories of older family members. It includes tips for interviewing family members, including how to help older family members "open up," how to ask thought-provoking questions and how to record the interviews.
Four: The Paper Trail shows how ancestors "come alive" through the records they left behind. Viewers will learn how to search records to fill in the blanks on pedigree charts and family group records. Special emphasis is given to compiled vs. original records and basic research strategies.
Five: Libraries and Archives helps take the fear out of library and archive research. Join Jim and Terry in the largest genealogical library in the world, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Six: Census and Military Records are explored as a rich source of biographical information.
Seven: African-American Research explores often difficult ethnic challenges.
Eight: Your Medical Heritage has lifesaving potential through family medical pedigrees. Viewers will see how a medical pedigree differs from a standard pedigree chart. Issues that naturally arise when individuals seek to learn their genetic history are discussed.
Nine: High-Tech Help explores new technologies, including computers, that have revolutionized the family history process.
Ten: Leaving a Legacy explores the provocative question: "One hundred years from now, will anyone know who you were?"
Whether you're new to genealogy or an expert, you won't want to miss this series. For more information, visit the Ancestors home page on the World Wide Web. It's a nifty site. Among other things, it describes the content of each program in greater detail. Point your browser to: http:// www.kbyu.byu.edu/ancestors/ to get to the site.
The Tri-Cities' KTNW will broadcast the first episode at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11.
Subsequent installments will air at the same time on nine consecutive Saturdays.
If you can't watch it, slip a cassette in the VCR and record it. That might not be a bad idea in any event.