Did you know that October is National Family History Month? As we close out October, I thought I would share a few simple ways to gather family history and collect those stories.
There are many different lists on the internet of questions to ask family members when researching and documenting your family history. These are great and very thorough. While I think it is important to schedule these interview times, that does not mean that you can gather information from all the other times you gather together. Here are my tips for gathering the most information out of any family gathering.
Listening
My first tip is to listen. It is amazing some of the tidbits of information you can gather when listening, especially when you have not been together for an extended period of time.
When we went to Michigan for my Grandpa Green’s funeral we all gathered at a cousin’s house. After we ate all the cousins sat around talking. The conversation road is a roller coaster of emotions from tears to laughs to anger and back to laughs. They talked about the snake in the outhouse to Great Grandpa’s razor strap. They also talked about the trip to Mississippi to visit family in the late 50’s. As a child, I sat there soaking up the stories. Many around the circle I had never met before. From listening I learned so much and I never asked one question.
When you do start asking questions be sure to ask questions that lead to more than a Yes or No answer. Also, have follow-up questions ready that will help pull more details out. Be ready for anything and go with the flow.
A simple question that can generate a lot of conversation is “Share one memory about your childhood.” 9 times out of 10 another family member will jump in and share their version. Remember if there are 3 siblings, each sibling will have a different account of the story. Each version is important. Do not stop the story, even if you have heard it before. Each time a person tells a story they often provide additional details.
During the meal prep consider hanging out in the kitchen. Many families have stories connected to food. Recipes should be documented and if you can, gather a couple of stories that go along with the recipe.
My Grandma Green was not a cook but I do have one recipe that is in her handwriting. It is for a cony sauce that is well known around Flint. When I posted it on Facebook my dad’s cousin shared some stories about the sauce and the hot dogs that when with it. This was fascinating for me because even decades after my grandmother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, she knew if she was eating a Koegels hot dog vs any other hot dog.
Consider asking about furniture or collectibles. My grandma Betty had 100’s of bells but if you asked her about any one of them she could tell you how she acquired it. That often leads to another story or memory.
When gathering be sure to document the gathering with photos. If you have a family tradition of gathering for epic game nights, be sure to take a picture of those gathered together. My cousins live in various states but were recently all together. Over the years I have heard about their game nights and even seen them post about carrying on the tradition with their family and friends. They took a photo of the “Original 6”. This was a great way to document where it all began.
Speaking of photos, if you see a photo around the room. Seek out information about the individuals in the photo but look past what you see. Ask about who else was present and who took the snapshot. If there are buildings in the photo ask about them. Ask about the street it is on, and who were their neighbors. If it is a house ask how many rooms, if there is indoor plumbing. Though be prepared you may just get a story about a snake in the outhouse.
Simple Leading Questions
Here are some simple leading questions that can provide a lot of information. Select one or two and ask when gathered together next. This holiday season is a perfect time to get started. When you document include where you gathered the information, who was there, and the date.
Who were the oldest members of your family that you knew personally?
Did your parents talk about any of their ancestors when you were growing up
Did other family members live in the area? If so, who?
What was your house or apartment like? How many rooms were in it?
What kinds of amenities did your home have? (indoor plumbing, electricity or gas, phone, television)Do any items or rooms from the house stand out in your mind as favorites?
What was your neighborhood like?
Where did you go to church?
Where did you go to school?
What level of education do you have?
What was your favorite subject in school?
Did you have any special interests when you were growing up?
What kind of games did you play?
What was your favorite toy?
What did you do for fun?
Did your family ever take trips or go on vacations?
Did you have family reunions?
Did your family have any traditions?
Can you remember any stories that were told to you as a child (fictional, folklore, or real life)?
What events stand out to you from your childhood?
Did anyone in your family serve in the military?
Did anyone in your family play a musical instrument?
What was your favorite song?
What were your family’s favorite meals? Are there any special family recipes?
What stories did you tell your children when they were growing up?
There are many different ways to go about documenting your family history. Hopefully, these tips help you observe and gather information keeping the process simple so that you do not miss out on the enjoyment of the moment you are in, while being fruitful in your research.
Simply~ Jess