Family Stories
We each have our own recollections of past events, our personal memories of family members, and these are the building blocks for creating and recording our own stories to preserve in our family histories.
I would like to share some tips and tricks for a successful and memorable interview with family members, and how to gather those special family stories that make each of our individual histories so unique.
Family stories help to round out the dates and facts in a family genealogy. A good genealogist will be able to tell you the birth, marriage and death dates for a given ancestor, but a wonderful way to enrich those necessary facts is a family story.
The story may be an account of a family event such as a special anniversary or occasion or may just be a simple recollection of the family member’s childhood, or their days at school.
School Days
When interviewing an older relative ask about their teachers, the name of their school(s), and ask them to recall the names of their classmates.
Military Service
Your family members who served in the military may have some fascinating stories to share of their days in service and historical events that they may have witnessed. These are the stories that enhance and personalize our genealogical dates and documents.
Do you have a family member who served in the war? Ask them to tell you some of their stories and the places that they may have travelled to. What do they recall about the war years? What were the highlights of their days in the military?
Holiday Season
The holiday season is just around the corner and it will be a time when extended families get together to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. Let these occasions be your opportunity to record some of your family stories by conducting interviews with your relatives.
Before the Interview/Event
• Who are your oldest family members? Begin with them.
• Will it be formal or informal?
• One on one, or a group?
• A group will give many different perspectives on the same subject
Prepare for the Interview
• Pen and paper
• Camera / video camera
• a device to record audio
• Bring ‘memory-joggers’ – old photos
• Bring old news clippings
• What local, national or world events happened during their lifetimes?
At the Interview:
• Ask for permission to record/film
• Let them know what you are planning to do with the information
• Are there times during the day when older relatives are more alert?
• Take regular breaks
Skeletons in the Closet
• Every family has them
• Be sensitive about family skeletons
• Move on if a topic makes your relatives uncomfortable
• You may learn something new
• Make sure that you have permission to share the story
A Successful Family Interview
• Have a list of questions prepared but don’t follow it exactly, let the ideas flow
• If your relative is telling a story let them lead the conversation
• Let your relatives share their memories
• Ask if you can follow up with additional questions after the interview
After the Interview
• If you have taken photos or made an audio recording – make copies
• Don’t store the copies in one place. Share one with a relative in case the original is lost.
• While your memory is fresh extract the information and add it to your family tree
• Send a thank-you note and a copy of the updated family history
Get Organized!
In closing – a little organization before and during the interview will help to ensure a successful and enjoyable time for both yourself and your relative.
Remember – What the next generation will value most is not what we owned, but the stories of who we were and the tales of how we lived!
Write your stories and pass them on!
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Arlene Stafford-Wilson
Photos:
1896 photo: from the family collection. My grandfather – Michael ‘Vincent’ Stafford seated on the floor, and my Great-grandfather Thomas Stafford with the white beard, seated across from my Great-grandmother Mary (Carroll) Stafford. Thomas was the youngest son of pioneer settler Tobias Stafford who came from Kilanerin, County Wexford, Ireland and settled on the 11th concession of Drummond Township in 1816. Mary Carroll’s father Patrick Carroll came from County Limerick, Ireland and was killed by a falling tree at age 34. He is buried in Mt. St. Patrick cemetery, Renfrew County.
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S.S. 4 Bathurst 1964 softball champions – FRONT ROW David Scott and Bill Cavanagh MIDDLE ROW Earl Conboy and Ronnie Brown BACK ROW; Arthur Perkins, Roger Stafford Norman Kerr Arnold Perkins Connie Conboy and Mrs Mary Jordan
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arlene stafford wilson 