Tellmea

story

Afamilyhistory

workbook

by

DonnaJ.Weathers

Tellmeastory

Promptsforrecording

yourfamilyhistory

by

DonnaJ.Weathers

Copyright2016DonnaJ.Weathers

LaGrange,Ga

Reproductionofthisebookinit'sentirety

isallowed.Reproductionofpartsorpieces

orindividualimagesisnotallowed.

Authorphotoby

ChristianZubernis,Atlanta,Ga.

WhyBenches?

IneverrealizedhowoftenI

wouldstopandsnappicturesof

emptybenches.Itwasnevera

thingIsetouttodo,but

somethingthatapparently

happenedmoreoftenthanI

realized.Lookingbackthrough

thousandsofimages,thereare

LOTSofemptybenches.Some

wereoddlyperchedonahillside,

sometoooldandwonkytoeven

considersittingon,somefancy

andornateandothersjustplain

andfunctional.Afew,asyouwill

see,werealsonotactually

benches.Buteachonewasacall

tojuststopandsitandbestill

andlisten.Tostoprushing

aroundtowhereverIthoughtI

neededtobejustthenand

appreciatewhereIwasinthat

moment.

Benchesseemedafittingtheme

forgraphicstoaccompanya

workbookaboutcapturingfamily

history.Toooften,ourvisitswith

olderfamilymembersarerushed

andotherwisefocusedona

holidayorcelebration–allgreat

things,butwhenisthelasttime

youjustsatandaskedaquestion,

thenlistenedtotheanswer?Sure,

therewereplentyoftimesIsat

onGrandma'sfrontporchinthe

swingandlistened(ornot)asshe

prattledonandonaboutpeopleI

didn'tknow.Youthisacaptive,

butinattentive,audience.Now

thatI'molderIcravethe

informationandtheconnection.

Everygenealogywebsiteand

familyhistory“how-to”willtell

youthesamething:Askthe

questions.But,let'sfaceit,it’san

awkwardthingto“interview”

yourgrandparentsafterignoring

their“stories”foryears,right?I

don’tliketheideaofaninterview.

Itseemsclinicalandformal.

Myhopeisthisbookcanbeused

asaconversationstarter.There

arethousandsofquestionsyou

canaskandeachresponseisas

importantasthelast.Thereare

nowrongquestions.Printthe

PDFandrecordnotesonthe

pagesprovided,orjustreadthe

questionsanduseavoice

recorderapponyoursmart

phonetocapturetheresponses.

Sitwithaparentorgrandparent

torecordtheirreplies,or

completeityourselfasagiftto

yourchildren.Giveaboundcopy

asagifttoalovedoneandask

themtowriteintheirreplies.Or,

don’tdoanyofthosethings,but

justsitonthefrontporch,orona

parkbench,oratthebusstop,or

onabeachwalkandjustlisten.

Hereareafewadditionaltipsand

suggestions:

·Atthebeginningofthe

recording,askthepersontheir

nameandthedate.Includeyour

nameandrelationshipaswell.

·Asyouaskquestions,include

specificplacepromptsandproper

namestohelpyournoteslater.

·Don’tinterrupt.Jotdownany

questionsyouhaveandsave

themforafteryoursubjectis

doneretellingtheirmemory.

·Lastly,SHAREwhatyoufind.

Usingafamilytreeprogram,an

onlinebookgenerator,orsocial

media–sharethememorieswith

yourfamily.

What'syourfirstmemory?

Who'stheoldestrelativeyouremember(andwhatdoyou

rememberabouthimorher)?

Howdidyourparentsmeet?

Describeyourchildhoodhome.

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Howdidyourfamilycelebrateholidays

whenyouwereachild?

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Whoweresomeofyourchildhoodfriends?

Describeyourfirstjob.

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Whatdidyoudowithyourfirstpaycheck?

Whatwasyourfavoritejobandwhy?

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Howdidyoumeetyourspouse?

Describeyourweddingday.

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Whatdoyourecallaboutthedayyourfirstchildwasborn?

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Whoaresomeofyourheroes?

WherewereyouwhenyouheardthatPresidentKennedy

wasshot?(Orotherimportanthistoricalevents.)

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Howdidyourfamilycelebratespecialmilestonesorevents

suchasbirthdays,awards,oraccomplishments?

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Namesomeofyourfavoritesongs(orbooks,moviesand

televisionshows).

Wherearesomeoftheplaceswhereyou'vebeenhappiest?

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Whatelsewouldyouliketosharethathasn'tbeenasked?

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DonnaWeathershasbeenhunting

deadpeopleforover25years.What

startedasahigh-schoolprojectslowly

evolvedintoalifelongcallingwell-

suitedtoheranalystmindand

wanderlustheart.Shehasdoneon-

locationresearchinNewYork,

Connecticut,MichiganandGeorgia

andhasdevelopedastrongworking

relationshipwithalibraryhistorianin

Bergen,Norway.

Foranecdotesofhertravelsand

genealogyescapadesvisitherblogat

WhereToNow

IfyouwouldlikeDonna'shelpwith

yourownfamilytree,contactbyemail.

Tellmea

story

Afamilyhistory

workbook

by

DonnaJ.Weathers