If there is one thing certain in this life it is that we will grow old and, then, fall into the ancestor category. As the family historian, it is your job to gather information from the older folk in your family and leave your own life journal for other researchers. I was able to visit the birthplace of my fourth great grandmother because a distant cousin wrote a book*. Let’s do the same for our extended, future families.
About them
It’s all about them when you interview. So, talk to family members in their environment. They are comfortable and this is where their keepsakes are. Bring along a drink or snack they like. Prepare tea or coffee when you get there. Sit at the table where you can eat, drink and chat. Make it an event.
Establish their date and place of birth, what schools, clubs and religious institutions they attended. Find out if they did military service or were a firefighter. How long were they married (if at all)? Where did they go on their honeymoon? When you can get some of the basic information beforehand, it will open the interview to stories vs. facts. And accurate basics will make it easier to look up further supporting documentation.
Best shot
Gather a picture of them when they were little, as a young adult and as an older adult.
About family
Make this about their family too. Old pictures stir up the best memories. Let them know that you want to see the old photo album before you come so that they can fish it out and have it ready.
Best shot
Get a copy of a picture at a family gathering and note what the occasion was. Write down the names of the people they remember.
About events
What major events did they live through; record breaking snowstorms, great fires, world’s fair? How old were they during these events? Imagine a snowstorm before snow removal equipment and think of related questions. How long were they, or their children, out of school? What games did they play in the snow? Did they run out of food in the house?
Best shot
Not everyone took snapshots yet they may have one. If not, offer to find a newspaper article about the event. They’ll want to read it and, now, you’ve got an invitation for a second interview.
About where they lived
A place molds people’s habits and professions. If you grew up on a farm, Sunday may have been the big day to get together with neighbors. In the suburbs, you ran down the street and knocked on a friends door. In towns and cities, the movie theater would have been a stomping ground. For professions, rural environments need farm equipment mechanics, suburbs need plumbers and cities, draftsmen.
Best shot
There will be more pictures of the house then of the general area where they lived. Use Google maps to virtually visit the neighborhood during the interview. If they are up for a road trip, you’ll get the most information if you take them to visit where they.
My latest book, "Find Your Heritage: Family Member Interviewing Journal with Prompts", is available on Amazon
* NB: John Kelso Jr was the brother of my fourth great grandmother, Sophia Kelso. When I could not find more information on her, I searched for Kelso on the Eastern Shore knowing that part of the family had gone to Onancock. I was rewarded with the book “The Kelso Family of Virginia's Eastern Shore” written by Hugh Kelso, one of the youngest grandchildren of John Kelso, Jr.
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