Don, I completely agree with you.? I wish I had done this with my aunt, who?will be 91 in a month, a few years ago.??My uncle?(also 90) has Alzheimer's and has gotten much worse the past 2 years.? She refuses to put him in a home and it?really has taken a toll on her.? I can barely have a five minute phone conversation (I live in the Bronx and she?lives in Western New York) to see how she is doing, let alone any family history.? Like you said, I know the names, but she knew the people when they were alive.? It is very sad.? She is the one who actually gave me the family history bug!? Half of her bedroom is full of shelves of her books on our family,?full of information and photos she wants to share with me, but with the situation it is impossible.? I am sure every photo has a story behind it.? The last time I?visited WNY, I could tell that she was not comfortable with me visiting her house because of my uncle.??She never knows what he will do or say.?? I have an uncle who will be 92 on my mom's side of the family.? He has all of his faculties about him, but is losing his eyesight.? I thought about asking him to write a sort of history of what he remembers, but didn't do it before, and now it is not feasible for him to do it with his poor eyesight. I am not sure when I will be able to make it to WNY, so the tape is on hold for now. Christine -----Original Message----- From: Donna <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 8:23 am Subject: Re: [NYERIE] Adding depth to your family history Touche, Don! I'm sorry I lashed out yesterday about all of these recent e-mails. I value this list. I have saved over 2,000 pieces of mail that have helped me as I am fairly new to this hobby. I just can't seem to be able to keep up with my own life sometimes. Donna -----Original Message----- >From: Don W <[email protected]> >Sent: Feb 7, 2008 8:47 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: [NYERIE] Adding depth to your family history > >After reading most if not all of the recent posts it >reminded me of something I said I would do shortly >after my aunt passed away suddenly. She was the last >one in my parents generation. >To often we look at our family genealogy as just >names, dates, and places. >On one of my trips back to Buffalo, I was able to get >my aunt to sit down at a table and using a tape >recorder and movie camera (not facing her) was able to >get her to go through the old photos that she had >saved. >The stories she told that I had never heard and the >family details that I would never find looking at >microfilm, city directories etc helped me by providing >clues that she did not realize she knew. After listing >to her that day and watching the video that night I >wished I had asked more questions about my dad's and >my grandmother's life when they were alive. >My generation does not write letters anymore. The only >letters my family has is just a couple from my dad and >uncle during WWII. I stopped when I married the girl I >was writing. >I hope that some of you will take the time to write >these memories and stories down and add them to your >family history files. >I know I am going to try to start this evening by >opening a word document and try a write a couple of >sentences every night. >Even I have a few stories that my future grandchildren >or great grandchildren might enjoy reading. >I am also going to put into words the stuff I remember >about my dad and grandmother for the future family >historian that go beyond just dates. > >Thanks to everyone who gently reminded me of what I >said to myself several years ago that I was going to >do but everything else got in the way. > >Have a great weekend >Don W > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ >Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. >http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ________________________________________ PeoplePC Online A better way to Internet http://www.peoplepc.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com
Christine: Hope you are able to get to WNY before everyone is gone. If your Aunt has children be sure to let them know about the value of the books and photos and that you are at least interested in photocopying them if they are going to someone else. If she has no children do you know her neighbors/next of kin? If so be sure they have your phone number. So much of this kind of items get tossed after a death or sold at a estate sale. My aunt was also the one who started the family history bug in me. Best of luck. --- [email protected] wrote: > > Don, > > I completely agree with you.? I wish I had done this > with my aunt, who?will be 91 in a month, a few years > ago.??My uncle?(also 90) has Alzheimer's and has > gotten much worse the past 2 years.? She refuses to > put him in a home and it?really has taken a toll on > her.? I can barely have a five minute phone > conversation (I live in the Bronx and she?lives in > Western New York) to see how she is doing, let alone > any family history.? Like you said, I know the > names, but she knew the people when they were > alive.? It is very sad.? She is the one who actually > gave me the family history bug!? Half of her bedroom > is full of shelves of her books on our family,?full > of information and photos she wants to share with > me, but with the situation it is impossible.? I am > sure every photo has a story behind it.? The last > time I?visited WNY, I could tell that she was not > comfortable with me visiting her house because of my > uncle.??She never knows what he will do or say.?? > > I have an uncle who will be 92 on my mom's side of > the family.? He has all of his faculties about him, > but is losing his eyesight.? I thought about asking > him to write a sort of history of what he remembers, > but didn't do it before, and now it is not feasible > for him to do it with his poor eyesight. I am not > sure when I will be able to make it to WNY, so the > tape is on hold for now. > > Christine > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping
Been meaning to reply to this. Don? I'm suprised you didn't hear me shout "YES!" the other day when I read your message. How many times have any of us stood at the tombstone of "one of ours" - or stared into the faces of photographs on those old black pages in a vintage family photo album - done our VR searches - checked the census - moved on to probate, land, military, and most anything else we can lay our hands on - and STILL said "who were you" and "what was your life story"??? We go on to learn more of the local history where our people lived - what "the times" were like in the decades they were here - what inventions they did or didn't likely have during their lifetimes and more. I've recorded several family interviews but there were so many other times I didn't have a recorder or wasn't thinking that way then. Wish I had. There are ancestors I wish I could talk with just to ask questions! Lost all four grandparents before I reached high school way back when - so no ques/ans with them. Lost my dad (born in Niagara Co, NY) back in 1996 - but mom is still here - in not so terrific health at 81, but full of spirit, memories and humor. Been talking about family history for decades and I "still" learn new things each time we talk! These days, as I do my usual genealogical research, I tell mom what I found and we use that as yet another "prompt" for talking about what she remembers. One year, I flew from CA to CT - packed my parents into my rental car - and we did the drive up and over to western NY. We were in Niagara and Erie Counties. We drove to cemeteries. We drove to all the places they used to go when thery were dating before they married. How I wish I had recorded all those conversations as they literally went down memory lane. I asked lots of questions. We visited some relatives. We ate and talked and laughed and talked some more. Little did we know that spring that my dad would die a few days before Thanksgiving that same year.. Adding depth to our family history? Guess you see I can't agree more! Deb (thanks, Don)