Two decades of research sits in my file cabinets and on my PC. In the past I’ve tried fan charts, and a few other ways to display my research, nothing made it to the wall. For the longest while it was because I wanted to find just one more ancestor, my tree was never quite “done”. I then realized I would never really be finished, however I was proud of my work and really wanted to display it in a manner that wouldn’t bore the regular folks. While a fellow genealogist may find my five-year search for the name of my Great-Great Grandmother, most people aren’t interested. I decided finally to look for an esthetically pleasing family tree. The search for an item that would fit into my home took a bit of time, but I finally found the perfect match.
I searched on Etsy.com, a web marketplace for unique and handcrafted items. There were quite a few choices but I settled on the Staker Store. She designs trees out of the names of family members, with leaves indicating place of birth. I was even able to include my stepparents in my display, something a fan chart wouldn’t allow. I’m very happy with my artwork, and couldn’t wait to get it up on the wall. I really should have done it years ago.