Recording the Past for the Future

Presented by Dave Robison of Old Bones Genealogy of New England.

Who would like to sit down and talk with their great-grandparents? Who would like to allow their great-grandchildren to talk with them? Help your great-grandchildren to do just that, long after you’re gone! A typical research trip to one of the relatives is often a matter of getting a list of names, relationships, dates and places. That’s a start.

A better use of your time and your relative’s time is to pull back the curtain on as many relatives as either of you can remember. Names, relationships, dates and places are certainly important and an integral part of anyone’s research. But what did your grandfather do for a living? Did your great grandmother grow up on a farm? Why did your great-grandfather move his family from the “old homestead” to Ohio? Or Canada? Or Michigan?

Scratching below the surface may seem a daunting task, but for most it can be easier than simply firing off question after question. You’ll get bored very quickly. And worse, your “interviewee” will get bored and stop working on remembering many of the interesting family stories, facts, myths, and embellishments that can be the interesting aspect of the effort you and your relative are going to include in the interview.

A carefully planned visit is a successful visit, regardless of the amount of information your relative can pass on to you. We’ll look at the steps involved, one at a time.

This event is free and open to the public.