Ancestor Cards Step 1: Collect Data

Pack lots of great family history information in a handy, eye-catching card!

Before ancestor cards can be formed into eye-catching images, you will need to gather information about your ancestors. As stated in my intro post, my cards featured:

• my ancestor’s full name
• birth and death date
• FamilySearch ID number
• the country in which they were born
• whether they were an immigrant or served in the military
• a cool fact about their life my children referred to as “flavor text!”

I collected this information in an Excel spreadsheet. Click below to download!

In addition to filling out the spreadsheet with pertinent textual information, take time to see if you have the photos you will want to use. If not, download and save from the “Memories” tab on FamilySearch as you are going along. I suggest creating a new folder on your desktop for this project. (I named mine Ancestor Cards). As you go along saving images, rename the files with the ancestor’s name or the card color and number you are assigning to them, whichever works for you!

Of course, every bit of this process is customizable. Make adjustments and collect the information YOU want most to feature on your cards!

Perhaps you are not interested in special symbols for immigrants or military veterans. Perhaps you have thought of a way to symbolize occupations instead. Add a column to write down occupations then!

If the inclusion of a FamilySearch ID number is not a top priority for you, what else might you write on the bottom of your card? Specific birthplace (town, state, country)? Or nickname? Spouse(s) names? The possibilities are infinite!

Another idea to consider: would you like the making of your ancestor cards to be a family endeavor?

It may be easiest and fastest for one gung-ho genealogist to take on this project solo.

However, there is something to be said for engaging in projects as a family, right? Would member of your immediate or extended family be willing to share the work load? How might you divide up the tasks to be completed?

If you are collaborating with others, I suggest sharing the spreadsheet document on Google Drive or OneDrive and encouraging collaborators to communicate with one another using the “status” column in the spreadsheet. Perhaps they could enter their initial to claim working on specific ancestors?

Admittedly, this part of creating ancestor cards was the most time-consuming and difficult for me and my family. BUT it’s a step that can’t be skipped, and once it’s done, the rest is pretty quick and fun, I promise!

Check in again soon for the template to transform all of your data into card fronts!