Tappan Genealogy Assistance: Climbing the Family Tree

A "Family Tree" Diagram is a convenient way of VISUALLY showing SOME of the information you have gathered in a way that shows how two or more persons are related (and relation does not just mean family or blood). There is NO single "correct" method as long as you are consistent (many people prefer time to move down or left -to-right) and YOU can make sense of it:

• Trees can start with an individual and show his or her ancestry.
• Trees can start with the individual and show their descendants.
• Trees can start with an individual and show BOTH
• Trees can show all members of a family or selected members
• Trees can be plain text or have a graphic framework
  
• Tree "boxes" can show names, dates, relationships, genders, occupations, notes or descriptions, pictures
• Tree Boxes and text can use their size, color, bold or italic to highlight prominent individuals,
• Lines between boxes can be straight, angled or curved.  

These are all Family Trees!