Tags
family, family historian, genealogy, genealoygy, history, Research, stories, writing
This is by far one of my favorite tricks to get organized.
Inspired by the hall trays in Victorian homes for calling cards, I came up with Character Cards. Whenever I “add” a new relative to a family branch, I make up my own little version of a collectible edition trading card. I call them my Character Cards.
Each family has their own ever-expanding “Deck.” The Decks only get larger, because unlike real live families, no one gets discarded (buried). In most cases, I have figuratively dug them up 
.
I have a specific list of info that I want to chase for each Character. These are the same old things one puts on an ancestry chart : dates and places of major life events, occupations, spouses, a parentage note etc. I also include on my hunting and collecting list an “image.” I really like having pictures. So, in some cases where none is (yet) available, I will opt for some other image to represent the person and their statistics. It can be anything I can connect to the real person. For one uncle I have a scan of a lock of hair found wrapped in tissue paper marked “Tommy’s first hair cut.” Eventually, I hope to find a photo, but until then he is represented as a little yellow curl.
I do not put original items on my cards. I only use scanned images and I simply tape them on with cellophane tape. I can pop a whole collection into my purse and head off to the cemetery, history center, or out to do drive- by house photos.
My family has a big laugh with this…they have always insisted that I don’t quite play with a full deck, and now, well…they have it in writing
Congratulations, I have nominated you for the Leibster Award! You’re linked on the post I just published; go there for details. Thanks for your blog; it’s a great thought starter for me as I confront my own research and tellling those stories.
Henry!
I am floored! I never expected to be nominated for an award. I am still in awe that real people are reading this, thanks so much for your kindness
What a fantastic idea, I had thoughts on doing something along these lines but didn’t know how to go about it
Love your idea. I scan and laminate photos of family members long gone and hang them on the Christmas tree. We call it “lets “hang” a relative night.”
Love that! I hope you’re being a good little Elf and marking them with names too….I admit I will be Totally stealing this idea for our Christmas Eve party
Thanks for sharing Suzy !
What a great idea – and so meaningful! Very neat…
Great idea. What a conversation starter that could be at family gatherings, just leave them in a bowl on the table and let everyone browse and communicate!
Mrs P, I like the way you think darlin
Monday Morning Mentions from the Armchair Genealogist Blog send me your way. I am so glad that Lynn shared your blog. This is a wonderful idea that I am going to start on today. My cousin and I are planning a girl’s week out road trip to Missouri and Tennessee to find out more about our family. With all the cemeteries and addresses, tracking them has been difficult. Using cards would make them easy to sort and make the planning so much easier. Thanks for the great idea!
Ann, you and your cousin sound like my kinda gals! Who needs shopping when you can road trip for the past. So nice of you to stop by. Let me know if you ” dig” up any surprises
What a great idea! This sounds like a great project to help me organize genealogy “stuff” and also to help me focus my research. Thanks!
Maryann,
Mom
So glad to hear this was helpful. Take it easy though…its addictive, and dangerous. Everytime my kids catch me talking to my own Character Cards they threaten to bring in the “net”