My interest in genealogy started when I was a child. My dad's mom use to tell me that the family history book had been burned in a fire, but she knew we were related to Daniel Boone. I never forgot that, nor have I ever found the connection haha. Along with doing genealogy I spend a lot of my time doing photo restorations, namely for victims of Sandy through Care for Sandy, and also of family photos that I add to the books I write on our family history.
16 November 2006
Christmas Blog
10 November 2006
Storybooking Grandparents
Never put this off! You never know when it'll be to late to records their stories and life. I have no grandparents left, and my husband only has the one. So I will start with her, but then I will quickly interview our parents. I want their stories preserved for my children. There is nothing I can do about the ancestors before us. All I can do is ask for the stories and photos that all the family members have of them, but their life as they knew it is lost.
When interviewing a parent, grandparent, or, if you're lucky, a great grandparent, start by creating a timeline of their life. I posted how to do a timeline before. Cindy's List here has a few great software programs that will help you create a time line or you can use my example here. This will tell you what major world events they would have experienced in their life time.
Then create a series of questions that ask them about each decade of their life. Make sure to cover each major event during their life such as the Depression, WWII, Assassination of Kennedy, Korean War, Vietnam, etc. If they served in any of the wars ask them to share their experience. Don't forget their childhood such as the places their family lived, schools they attended, their toys, entertainment, and talk to them about their parents and siblings. Their parents may not be alive for you to interview and get a first hand account, but what you can get through your grandparents interview about their parents will be more than you will uncover just researching them.
Interviews can be useful in research so that you know where to look for another piece of the puzzle, but the real treasure is in the stories and photos. But don't just gather all of this information, publish their story for you family. There will be no book more precious to your children then those written about their grandparents, parents, and even themselves.
So get started with your interviews and gathering photo. Then outline the stories you want to write. When you're ready to write your story go here to begin writhing and publish your stories.
09 November 2006
Three more Weeks
Call toady and get your books ordered so you still have time to create them as wonderful gifts for your family!
208-777-4312 or go to my website to check out your options at www.untangledfamilyroots.com.
04 November 2006
Christmas Gift from the Heart
- Record you memoir or entire life for your children or grandchildren
- Rewrite the stories in your family, but for a 6-10 grade reading level for your children
- Delight a friend with a "Best Friends Book"
- "I Love you Because...." A gift for grandparents, with a page from each grandchild, including photo and quote about what they love about their grandma and grandpa.
- "Just Like Dad" - pictures and stories of Father and Son doing similar things.
- For the soldier who is now deployed and will miss Christmas with their family. Write a special "Love You and Miss You" book to update them and share photos of what is happening while they are away.
- For the immigrant in your family. Write a book about their life
- For the joking co-worker or friend publish a book of all your favorite jokes and anecdotes.
- For the spiritual friend a book a favorite quotes and prayers.
- Compose a "Grandma Brag Book" of her grandchildren.
- Celebrate siblings with a "Sisters Book" of "Brothers Book"
- Do a "Mother and Daughter" book. She won't be able to hold back the tears.
- Do a "From Daddy's Little Girl" book, and watch him melt.
- Write you own children's story for your child to cherish.
- Mother's publish a cook book of your favorite recipes for your daughters and daughter-in-laws. They will forever cherish those recipes.
- A poster for your child of their favorite hero.
- A Timeless Calendar
The ideas are endless, and rather inexpensive. But the love and joy you will receive when you give them is priceless.
The Christmas deadline is November 30th, so call me today (208)777-4312! Don't miss out on this wonderful idea for your loved ones. Your Heritage Makers Independant Consultant.