How to Use Microsoft Word to Create a Family Tree

Microsoft Word is a versatile program that can be used for much more than just typing up documents.

Did you know that you can also use it to help with your genealogy research?

In this blog post, I'll show you how to use Microsoft Word to make your genealogy research easier.

Create a Family Tree

One of the first things you'll want to do when you start researching your family history is to create a family tree.

You can easily do this in Microsoft Word by using the shapes tool.

• First, open a new document in Word and select the "Insert" tab.
• Then, click on the "Shapes" button.
• From there, you will see a variety of different shapes that you can use to create your family tree.
• Simply click and drag the shape you want to use onto your document, and then type in the name of the person who goes in that spot on the family tree.

Repeat this process until you have created your entire family tree.

Export Your Family Tree from FamilySearch

If you've been doing your genealogy research on FamilySearch, you can export your family tree into a Microsoft Word document.

• First, log into your FamilySearch account and go to the "Family Tree" tab.
• Then, click on the menu icon in the top-right corner of the page and select "Export."
• On the next page, select "Word Document" as the file type you want to export as.
• After that, choose whether or not you want to include media in your exported file, and then click on the "Export" button.
• Your exported file will then be downloaded as a .docx file, which can be opened and edited in Microsoft Word.

Add Source Citations to Your Document

Once you have exported your family tree from FamilySearch (or if you have manually created one in Microsoft Word), you will want to add source citations for each person in your tree.

This is important so that you can keep track of where you found each piece of information, and it will also be helpful if you ever need to go back and check or update your sources.

• To add source citations in Microsoft Word, simply click on the spot in your document where you want to add a citation and then select the "References" tab.
• From there, click on the "Insert Citation" button and choose whether you want to add a footnote or an endnote.
• After that, type in the relevant source information and click on the "Insert" button.

Your source citation will now be added to your document!

Final Thoughts ...

In Summary, Microsoft Word is a powerful program that can be used for much more than just word processing.

As demonstrated above, it can also be used for tasks related to genealogy research.

So next time you're working on your family history, be sure to give some of these tips a try!

Download my FREE GUIDE below to help you get started!