Miele Does Genealogy

So, you've decided to put together your family tree. Where DO you start? Here is the absolute best advice I can give: Start with yourself and work your way back. Either start a word processing document or break out some paper and pencils. Write basics about yourself: Name, place of birth, date of birth, your parents' names--including your mother's maiden name. Once you do this, start another page, this time one for each of your parents. Start these by writing what you know: Full name, birth date, place of birth, their parents' names. Keep working your way back while repeating this process. You can fill out sheets for your spouse, your own children, your siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  Are your parents still alive? Are your grandparents? Your great grandparents? Ask questions! Write down or record the answers. Invest in either a digital voice recorder, or open up the voice recording app on your phone and start interviewing your relatives. Have them re...

It started with a simple scribble on a piece of college ruled paper in 1997. My grandfather, Guillermo, passed away two years before that scribble. My great grandmother, Gaspar, died three years before. My great grandfather, Aparicio died four years before. With each death, I found myself surrounded by people I hadn't seen in years (except for Gaspar's...I didn't make it to Hermosillo, Mexico for that one). Many of whom I didn't recognize or hadn't even known existed. These are people I could have passed on the streets and I would never have known we shared DNA. Yes, a few shared familiar features--the Gamez eyes (big, brown, expressive), Alvarez ears (huge!), a musical ear or artistic talent, similar voices or smiles, the same gait, booming laugh, or vocal quirks. How much of this was chance? How much of this was DNA? I scribbled out a very simple family tree starting with myself and working my way back. It didn't go very far back. Me, my parents, my gr...