When conducting family history research, sometimes we find interesting facts or anecdotes that we want to share, but maybe this information does not fit into a pedigree chart or family tree. Writing a short biographical sketch about an ancestor is a good way to keep track of anecdotal or more complex or in-depth genealogical data. You can include almost anything in a biographical sketch, but some typical information to provide is: full name; birth, marriage, death location(s) and dates; names of parents, spouses, and children; residence information; stories or legends; accomplishments; occupation, career, military service, and/or education; etc. Many towns and counties will have a "History and Biography" or "Biographical Sketches" of town leaders or pioneers. These relatively brief life stories can be filled with helpful family history leads!
Below are links to a couple of examples of biographical sketches. Remember that bios do not have a particular narrative style, length, or voice. Try your hand at sketching some family history biographies!
