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
Don: Yes, this is excellent advice. I did something similar with my 101 year old grandmother and her brother, and as you say, it only makes you wish you had done more. At the risk of promoting Ancestry.com to much, they now permit you to upload videos attached to your people, and a system for recording phone interviews directly to the profiles. Kind of nifty. Mak On Feb 8, 2008 10:47 AM, Don W <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > -- +1(310) 856-9885 skype: mcintire.allen
Mak: Thanks for the tip. I have a USA subscription to Ancestry until May or June. I will look into this feature. Don --- "S. McIntire ALLEN" <[email protected]> wrote: > Don: > > Yes, this is excellent advice. I did something > similar with my 101 year old > grandmother and her brother, and as you say, it only > makes you wish you had > done more. At the risk of promoting Ancestry.com to > much, they now permit > you to upload videos attached to your people, and a > system for recording > phone interviews directly to the profiles. Kind of > nifty. > > Mak > > On Feb 8, 2008 10:47 AM, Don W > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > 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 > > > > > > -- > +1(310) 856-9885 > skype: mcintire.allen > > ------------------------------- > 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 > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ