As genealogists, we dedicate years to uncovering our family’s past — but few of us plan for what happens to that work when we are gone. A Genealogical Will ensures your research, photographs, and documents are preserved by someone who will cherish them as you do.
On this page: The storyteller’s calling • Why a genealogical will? • What to include • Choosing your successor • Questions to ask yourself
The storyteller’s calling
In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors — to put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story. To us, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.
It goes beyond documenting facts. It speaks to who we are and why we do the things we do — seeing a cemetery about to be lost to weeds and indifference and saying we cannot let this happen. The bones here are bones of our bone and flesh of our flesh. It goes to pride in what our ancestors accomplished and how they contributed to what we are today.
Detailing and respecting their hardships, their losses, and their resoluteness to go on — understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do, with love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us.
It is up to the one called in the next generation to take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That is why we do our family genealogies — and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones.
Why a genealogical will?
We make provisions for property, money, stocks, and bonds — but if you are a family historian, what will happen to your years of work? Will it be discarded into the next day’s trash? Will it sit on a shelf, never to be held by loving hands again? Will it be sent to a library who will at least preserve it? Or will you hand it to someone who will cherish the family you have discovered as much as you do?
A Genealogical Will is a written statement — separate from your legal will — that documents your wishes for your research materials. It can ensure your files, photographs, documents, and digital records go to someone who will lovingly gaze upon an old photograph, and squeal with delight when they find the key that unlocks the next door.
What to include in your genealogical will
- A complete inventory of your research materials — binders, file cabinets, external drives, and cloud storage accounts
- Login credentials and passwords for genealogy accounts (Ancestry, FamilySearch, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage, etc.), stored securely and referenced by location in your will
- Instructions for physical items — original photographs, documents, heirlooms, and where each should go
- The name and contact details of your chosen genealogical heir
- Any wishes for donating materials to a library, archive, or the DFA if no family member wishes to continue the work
- Guidance on your digital family tree — whether to keep it private, make it public, or transfer ownership to another researcher
DFA tip: The DFA Library and Archive accepts donations of Dillman family research materials. If you wish to ensure your Dillman research is preserved for future researchers, contact us at editor@dillmanfamilyassociation.org to discuss a planned donation.
Choosing your genealogical successor
Your genealogical heir does not have to be a family member — it can be anyone who has shown a genuine interest in your research and the skills to continue it. Consider who asks the most questions at family gatherings, who has helped with your research, or who has expressed enthusiasm for the family story. A conversation now is far better than leaving the decision to chance.
Questions to ask yourself
- Who will treasure my family history as much as I do?
- Will this person appreciate the years of research contained in my files, notebooks, and folders?
- Can they preserve my photographs, documents, and letters with the love and dignity they deserve?
- Who will be my family’s next storyteller?
Ready to discuss your genealogical legacy? The DFA is happy to help.