>Hi, > >I found this on the internet, and thought I might pass it along to all of you, >so that you can make whatever use of it that might make sense. > >Happy spring, > >Dick Shoemaker >******************** > > Guide for Interviewing Family Members > > >The purpose of this questionaire is to guide you in >recording the life experiences of a member of your family. >The information you record will become an important link >between you and your descendants. > >At the top of a sheet of paper write: the full name, and the >date and place of birth of yourself, your mother (maiden >name), your father, your brothers and sisters, your spouse, >and your children: and the date and place of marriage for >yourself, your brothers and sisters (with spouse's names), >and your children (with spouse's names). > >Write your thoughts on sheets of good quality paper, >numbering each answer to correspond to the appropriate >question. Write your name on each sheet, too, and leave >room to add new thoughts later. > >Grandparents > > 1. What were the names of your mother's parents? > 2. When and where were they born and where did they > live? > 3. What did they do for a living? > 4. Do you have personal memories of them? > 5. What were the names of your father's parents? > 6. When and where were they born and where did they > live? > 7. What did they do for a living? > 8. Do you have personal memories of them? > 9. Did you know your grandparents well? > 10. What do you remember hearing about your GREAT- > Grandparents? > 11. Did you ever meet them? > 12. Did your great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents > come to the US from a foreign country? Any stories > told in your family about the crossing? Do you have > any relatives in foreign countries? > 13. What traditions are still practiced in your family? > >Childhood > >The family house > > 14. What type of house did you live in as a child? > 15. Other buildings on the same property? > 16. If you moved during your childhood, tell where and > when and what you can remember of each house and the > family circumstances and the reason for the move. > 17. In what room did you eat? Kitch? Dining room? > 18. How was your home heated? > 19. Did you have a fireplace? > 20. What kind of kitchen stove did your parents cook on? > 21. What fuel was used? > 22. Did you have to buy the fuel or was this a chore, > such as cutting wood, with which you had to help? > 23. Did you always have electricity? If not, when did > you get it? > 24. Did you ever use candles or kerosene lamps? > 25. Did your family have a cellar? Where did you store > food? > 26. Where did your family get water? Was it plentiful? > What methods were used to conserve water? > >Family relations, responsibilities, conditions > > 27. What was your position in the family? Oldest? > Youngest? > 28. What were your duties as a small child? > 29. Who cooked the meals? Who did the ironing? > 30. Did you buy or make your own clothing? > 31. When did you learn to cook and who taught you? > 32. Did you ever learn to sew? Crochet? Knit? > Embroider? And who taught you? > 33. Did you ever learn the mechanics of a car and who > taught you? > 34. Did your family keep in touch with distant family? > 35. Did you visit relatives often? > 36. How did you get your mail? > 37. What do you remember about family pets? > 38. Were you especially close to anyone in the family? > 39. How did the family spend its evenings? > >Family income and livelihood > > 40. What did your father do for a living? > 41. Did your mother ever work outside of the home? > 42. Did you contribute to the family income? > 43. When did you get your first job outside of the > family? > 44. Did your family have a garden? > 45. Who did the work on the garden? > 46. What kinds of vegetables did you grow? > 47. Did your family have fruit trees? > 48. Who did the canning? > 49. Did you raise chickens? > 50. What kind of meat did you eat? > 51. Did you keep a cow for milk? > 52. Did you make your own butter and cheese? > 53. Did anyone in the family sell eggs or butter? > 54. If you lived on a farm, what crops were planted? > 55. Who did the work? Family? Hired hands? > >Days, seasons, and special occasions > > 56. What did Saturday mean to you? > 57. What did Sunday mean to you? > 58. Did you attend church on Sunday? > 59. Where did you attend church? > 60. How did you spend Christmas? > 61. What kinds of gifts did you receive at Christmas? > 62. Did your family observe Easter? > 63. How and where did you observe the Fourth of July? > 64. How was your birthday celebrated? > 65. What kinds of gifts did you receive on your birthday? > 66. Did your family entertain often? When? > 67. Did your family attend picnics? Family reunions? > What do you remember about them? > 68. How did you keep cool in the summer? > 69. What did you wear in the winter to keep warm? > 70. Do you remember any blizzards or tornadoes or floods? > >Friends and Games > > 71. What did you do for recreation? > 72. Did you or your brothers or sisters have any hobbies? > 73. Who was your best friend? > 74. What did you and your friends do when you got > together? > 75. Did you and your playmates play any organized games? > 76. Did you ever learn to swim? > 77. Did you participate in youth organizations? > >School > > 78. Where did you go to school? > 79. Did you ever attend a one-room schoolhouse? > 80. How did you get to school? If you walked, how far? > 81. What do you remember about these walks? Did you walk > alone or with friends? > 82. Were these walks a hardship in winter? > >Transportation and surroundings > > 83. Describe the size of the town where you lived or > shopped. > 84. Where did your parents shop? > 85. How large or small were the stores? > 86. If you lived in a small town or on the farm, did you > ever go into the city to shop? > 87. What was the largest town you remember visiting when > you were young? > 88. Did you ever travel on a train while you were young? > 89. Did you or your family own a horse and buggy? > 90. When did your family acquire its first car? What > make? How much did it cost? > 91. When did you learn to drive a car? > 92. Where did your family go on vacation? > >Outlook > > 93. Whom did you admire most when you were young? > 94. When you were small, what did you hope to do when you > grew up? > >Higher Education and Career > > 95. What education did you get past high school? Did you > study in your adult years? > 96. Did your family support, oppose, or encourage you? > 97. Who influenced you most and helped you to develop > your skills? > 98. Would you choose the same career if you had it to do > over? > >Marriage and Later Life > > 99. When and where did you meet your husband or wife? > 100. How and when did you get engaged? > 101. When and where did you marry? > 102. Did you go on a honeymoon? > 103. Where was your first home? > 104. What is your spouse's occupation? > 105. Where and when were your children born? > 106. Did you or your spouse go into military service? > 107. If your husband went into service, what did you do > while he was away? > 108. What memories do you have of war years? > 109. To what organizations have you belonged? > 110. Have you been politically active during your > lifetime? > 111. Which presidents have you voted for? > >Philosophy and Outlook > > 112. Do you have a philosopy of life to share with your > descendants? > 113. Do you have a favorite philosopher, teacher, or > writer who best expresses your philosophy? > 114. Do you have religious leanings or strong religious > beliefs? > 115. In your opinion, which have been the greatest > advances or inventions of all? > 116. What things have given you the most pleasure or > satisfaction? > 117. Is there anything that has caused you perpetual > concern? What events or trends have disturbed you > most in your lifetime? > 118. What has been your experience in regard to the > following? > a. Answers to prayers? > b. Necessity and power of love? > c. Will power as opposed to being ruled by one's > feelings? > 119. What do you consider to be your most important > achievements? > > >Abstracted from Virginia Allee's "A Family History >Questionaire" in October 1978 FAMILY HERITAGE MAGAZINE. >. >