Written by Generation Archives. We make a family tree app, and this guide describes how to use any tree for these two jobs. It is practical advice, not a substitute for the wishes of the family or the rules of a newspaper.

Using a family tree for a family reunion or an obituary

Published by Generation Archives on November 5, 2026.

Two occasions send people to their family tree in a hurry. One is a reunion, where someone needs a chart on the wall and a list of who is related to whom. The other is a death, where someone needs an accurate list of names and relationships for an obituary or a funeral program, often within a day or two. The tree helps with both, as long as you treat it as a draft and check it with the family. This guide gives a workflow for each, plus the privacy checks that apply to both.

Part 1: a reunion

Decide what you need

A reunion tree can be one of several things. Choose before you start, since each needs different work.

A wall chart showing the whole family on a poster, so people can find themselves.
A name-tag list with each person's name and which branch they belong to.
A short handout with the tree of one grandparent's descendants.
A "who is who" guide for people who have never met.

Step 1: pick the common ancestor

Reunions usually gather the descendants of one couple. Decide which one, such as "all descendants of Walter and Ruth Whitfield." That decision decides who is on the chart and who is not. Write it at the top of the page.

Step 2: build the descendants first

Most trees are built upward from you, toward ancestors. A reunion needs the opposite: from the common couple down. A family group sheet for each child of the couple, and each of their children, builds a descendant list. In a tree app, you add children, spouses, and grandchildren for each branch.

Ask someone from each branch to check their own family. They know their children's names and spellings better than you do.

Step 3: decide how to treat in-laws and partners

Spouses and partners are part of the gathering. Include them, with the name they use. Decide in advance how to show:

Second marriages and step-children
Partners who are not married
Former spouses who still come to family events
Adopted and foster children

There is no single right answer. See adoptive and step-parents in a family tree for options. Ask the people involved how they would like to be shown.

Step 4: think about living people

A reunion chart is a document that leaves your house, which makes it different from a private tree. Anyone at the event may take a photo of it. Decide what to show:

Names, yes.
Birth years, perhaps.
Full birth dates of children, no.
Addresses and phone numbers, no.

What to record about living people covers this. For children, many families show a first name and a parent, nothing more.

Step 5: make the chart

Export an image of the tree. In Generation Archives, Import / export produces a PDF, PNG, or JPEG of the whole tree, in the layout you arranged. A tree with several named layouts lets you keep a "reunion" layout, with only the descendants of the common couple, separate from your full tree. Print large enough to read from a few feet away. Test one print before you send the whole job to a print shop.

Step 6: bring blanks

Leave room for corrections. Pin a blank chart beside the finished one and a pen. Reunions are where you find out about the cousin nobody listed. Bring a notebook, and collect names and spellings on the day. Afterward, update the tree.

Step 7: after the reunion

Send thanks, and follow up with the people who offered corrections. If you used a private tree, consider inviting interested relatives to view it. How to share a family tree safely has the steps.

Part 2: an obituary or funeral program

Writing an obituary is different from any other family history task. It is done under pressure and in grief, and a mistake is printed. A family tree can help you get the names right.

This section is about the facts and relationships. It does not attempt to tell you what to write, which is a personal choice, and it does not replace the requirements of the newspaper or funeral home.

Step 1: gather the facts first

Write down what you need, and mark each item as confirmed or needs checking:

Full legal name and the name the person was known by
Birth date and place
Death date and place
Parents' names, including mother's maiden name
Spouse or partner, with the name they used
Children, with the names they use
Siblings
Grandchildren, if the family wants them included

Confirmed means you have seen a document, or the immediate family has said so. Everything else needs checking.

Step 2: use the tree as a checklist, not a source

A tree is a good place to find names you might otherwise forget, such as a brother who lives overseas. It is not proof. A date may be wrong, a child missing, or a spelling guessed. Treat each tree entry as a prompt to check with the family. How to cite a photo, letter, or interview explains why it helps to know where a fact came from.

Step 3: decide who is named

Obituaries commonly list survivors and those who died earlier. Decisions to make with the family:

Whether to name every grandchild, or give a number.
Whether to include step-children and partners, and how.
Whether to include an estranged relative. This needs sensitivity. Ask the immediate family, not the tree.
Whether to list a child who died young. Many families want them named.
Whether to list living people's cities, which raises the same privacy questions as any other publication.

Step 4: check spellings and order

Read each name aloud to someone who knows the person. Confirm the spelling of every name, and the order of siblings and children. These are the errors families notice most.

Step 5: have someone else read it

A second reader catches what you cannot. Choose someone who knew the person, not just someone who is good with words.

Step 6: update the tree afterward

Once the obituary is published, add the death date and place to the tree, and save a copy of the text with a note on its source: the newspaper, the date, and who wrote it. Do this when you have had time to rest. A tree entry for a recently deceased person also affects the living family, so consider carefully what to add. Details of illness or the circumstances of a death are usually better left off. See what to record about living people.

A short privacy checklist for both

Who will see what I am making? A wall, a program, a newspaper, and an online post each reach different people.
Have I included anything I would not want repeated?
Have I asked the people who are named?
Have I removed full birth dates and addresses of living people?
Is the version I am sharing a copy, so the private tree stays private?

Tools

Any tree app, a spreadsheet, or a notebook will do. If you want a free tree that is private by default and exports a picture of the whole tree, you can try Generation Archives without signing up. Trees are visible only to you and the relatives you invite, and you can keep several layouts of the same tree, such as a full tree and a reunion version. For a beginner checklist, see how to start a family tree.

Frequently asked questions

How far back should a reunion chart go?

To the couple the reunion is for. Earlier generations can go in a separate handout. A chart that tries to show everyone becomes unreadable.

Should I include everyone in an obituary?

That is for the family to decide. The tree can list who exists. It cannot tell you who should be named.

Can I use a tree to write an obituary quickly?

It can help you remember names and relationships. Check everything with the family before it is published.

What if relatives disagree about the family structure?

Ask the people involved how they want to be described, and follow that. Do not use the tree to settle a family disagreement.

How do I get a large print of the tree?

Export a PDF or image, test a small print, then send the file to a print shop. A tree arranged for the reunion prints better than one arranged for research.

Try the demo Sample tree Create a free account

All guides