Before the advent of pen and paper, all we knew of history were the oral traditions passed down from one generation to the next. Stories were changed or details were lost.

Oftentimes in our own families, all we know about who did what and when it happened is passed down from the generation or two before us -- and it's not the whole story.

For various reasons, some people have deep desires to learn more about their families and are willing to put in the time and effort to learn as much of the details of their lineage as possible. Call it a labor of love or a passion for history -- whatever the case, tracing one's genealogy can be tedious and rewarding.

Bob Fout's great-grandmother's house was like a second home to him. Fout grew up hearing the stories of his family's life in Frederick from a woman with a phenomenal memory. She told the tales of family dating back to the 1800s.

"For me, it was the spark that got me going," he said.

Fout was "foolish enough not to record" the stories, but was fortunate in that his great-uncle lived for 10 years after his great-grandmother's death at age 96. Fout recorded family stories on cassette tape and eventually on his camcorder. He has since had to move the information to newer technology to preserve the memories.

HELPS OTHERS SEARCH

Bob Fout, a professional genealogy researcher, has not only traced branches of his own family tree back to the 1500s, but also helps others find out the details of their own ancestors.

Now a professional genealogy researcher, Fout has not only tracedbranches of his own family tree back tothe 1500s, but also helps others find out the details of their own ancestors.

His first offer of advice to someone starting out: Talk to as many members of your immediate family as possible. Several versions of the same story may be floating around, and it may take some time and patience to sort through what is true and what is embellishment. Second key bit of advice: Cite the sources of information. "If I hadn't, I would have recorded a lot of information and not done too well on who told me what, when and where."