A Month for Family History!

Did you know that October is Family History Month? This is a perfect time to celebrate your favorite pastime/hobby. Embrace your genealogical prowess with pride! This month is also an excellent time to write or collect family stories and memories.

First, Write Some Stories!

You have likely already collected a lot of information from/about your family. Why not create short biographies about your ancestors and/or living relatives? This can be a great way to bring all your research together. You could share drafts with others for feedback or partner with other genealogists in your family to craft larger family narratives. Many times, these stories can be a great way to share your research with folks who may not appear to be interested in family history or genealogy. They can also be a way to break through a brick wall.

Then, Interview Your Relatives!

As the holidays near, you may also find yourself in the presence of many relatives who have precious stories about their lives and memories of your ancestors. Perhaps you already know some of those, so you could begin writing them down this month and share them at your get-togethers. If you do not know many, or if you have questions, you could take this month to prepare some interview questions and/or reach out to relatives who you hope to interview at upcoming family gatherings.

If you choose to interview some relatives, you will want to be prepared with the appropriate equipment, like an audio/video recorder and/or notebook. You will also want to identify what you want to know. When interviewing, it is important to have questions that will prompt stories and memories. You may want to approach the interview as a conversation, and you will want to leave plenty of space for your relatives to share. It is important to have goals and direction, without being too restrictive and focused.

MyHeritage offers other helpful ways to prepare for interviews. Likewise, Family Tree Magazine offers tips to help you before and during an interview. If you are looking for additional interviewing tips as well as some potential questions to ask, check out “Conducting a Family History Interview” at American Ancestors. Finally, Ancestry has a list of questions that may help you get started.

Now What?

Once you have conducted the interview(s), it is important to save your notes and recording(s). If you have time, it is also helpful to transcribe the recording(s). These steps will help to ensure that your work is safe for the future. Plus, capturing voice and video can be a timeless way to memorialize your relatives.

Enjoy the time with family and make the most of your gatherings! May the stories be meaningful.