Old family photos, ancestor stories, genealogical documents, and heirlooms reflect your family’s past—and they should be safeguarded for tomorrow’s descendants and researchers. Even if you have no obvious heirs for your genealogy, you can make plans today to protect and share information and items from your family history.

Follow the step-by-step PASS Process: (1) Prepare by organizing your materials, (2) Allocate ownership by curating your collection, (3) Set up a genealogical “will” to designate heirs, and (4) Share family history now.

Updated in second edition: How to approach institutions about artifact donations; saving items from ancestors without descendants; creative ways to share family history today; revised sample forms; new online resources; finding repositories that accept genealogy collections; and more.

“This is an important work that addresses one of the great dilemmas of collectors, researchers, and family members. I am asked weekly by people without any kin, what they can do with their genealogy papers and family stuff. Marian provides some great ideas to help people in this area.” –Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., genealogy columnist for the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Author: Marian Burk Wood

Publication: September, 2021

6 x 9 paperback, 97 pages