Suzy A and I were talking about how our families did/did not keep things and what type of things they kept. She told me a darling story about her grandpa' "My grandmother used to send Grandpa out w/things for the burn barrel. Then he'd sneak in the back door of the garage and store them in the garage loft. That's where most of the family things, esp. HIS family things were" Now, both of my grandmother's kept things -- REAL keepers - my Italian grandmother kept lots of Italian memories I have today and pictures of her family, all marked. She also kept a book every years of how much she spent and what she spent it on -- they're so interesting to read and compare the prices. My other grandmother kept literally everything -every paper every everything. A person could learn US history via her clippings - Lindbergh baby, all kinds of murders, she had a touch of the macrabe in her I think. I thank her actually for my interest in genealogy (although my other grandmother contributed to that as well as she'd mesmerize us on her front porch nightly telling tales of the old country) as I loved reading the old obits, deeds, etc (although she didn't write on ANYTHING to tell me who they were when they were but the snoop I am I figured it out:). Now, my mom, her daughter, threw absolutely EVERYTHING away. I have nothing from my childhood, not a paper, a letter, a certificate, nothing. I only have grandmother's things as my aunt gave them to me not long before she died. So, who kept your stuff, how did you get it, etc. HOpefully, this will be a fun, lively discussion on Montgomery listserve :) Let's hear it gang!