Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,432
Registered: ‎05-15-2016

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

[ Edited ]

We've done recordings and video over the years of older family members recounting memories and occurrences over the years. I don't live close to family anymore but I'd like to continue to do it. I need to see if you can record either FaceTime or zoom calls or even just a phone call, with their permission of course.

I'm pretty devastated by my mom dying a few weeks ago and wish I had insisted with her when she was able. 

As far as writing, I have some vignettes that I've written about my family and life on the farm in a small southern town. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,283
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

A couple of years ago, I did an Ancestry family tree for my daughter.  I onlly went back as far as my great grandparents on my side and her fathers grandparents on that side.

 

It's all tucked away in a journal my mother did for her when she was a baby that I periodically updated.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,918
Registered: ‎05-10-2010

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

That's something my daughters and I have talked about.  My mom was our family historian but it was all verbal.  We have talked about creating a book or album with voices of all our family pictures and documents and we will.write down my mom's stories.  I'm retiring soon, when we find our new home and get settled, I'll have the time to start on it.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,898
Registered: ‎05-15-2014

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

@GenXmuse So sorry for your loss.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,898
Registered: ‎05-15-2014

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

It is a good question.  I never really thought about  wrtiting things down or having a diary of any kind.   I guess we just get so wrapped up in our own lives, time just keeps going and before you know it the people that have the answers to the questions your just thinking of now are gone.........The one thing we have a lot of are photos and my mom kept excellent records with a name, date and place on the back of each and every one of them.    She has been gone 10 years on Feb 12 and those photos are all in my brothers storage.   He keeps saying he is going to scan them into his computer and give my sister and I a copy, well it's long overdue.   Recently I was speaking to my DH about trying to retrieve them and doing this project ourselves, as there are many, many stories just in those photos.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,540
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

i wrote what turned out to be a 40 page memoir about my grandparents and parents. I did some research on ancestry.com. My adult and siblings love it. 

i am in the process of writing my autobiography 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,660
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

I'm so sorry too @GenXmuse!

Maybe you could write down some of your mom's endearing things that she did and believed in. Like a tribute to her and you in a pretty journal. Then as thoughts come to your mind, you can write them down.

You could include pictures too.

And only when and if it gives you comfort.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
Honored Contributor
Posts: 43,246
Registered: ‎01-08-2011

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

When I was in high school we had to do a family tree.  I learned some family history then and started asking more direct questions.  I have tried to pass some of the information on to our grandsons.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,846
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?


@qualitygal wrote:

I think we all have stories.  But I think I'd like to leave behind, our family tree.  In fact, I think that's something that before long I'm going to work on.  Too many times we don't ask good family questions (to me) until the powers that be are no longer here.  Those behind me, may never want to know what I want to leave them, but there's stories there.  I don't want to write a book, just a synopsis that I'm aware of.  


I think this is a great thing to do!

 

When my mother passed away back in May she left behind a lot of items, photos and unanswered questions. 

 

One thing that's been on my mind lately is several photos (from the 1930s) of her and a younger girl who looks exactly like her.....who is this other girl?  I can't tell who is my mother they look so much alike.  They are not twins since one is several years older but this has been a mystery.  My brother also has no idea. 

 

We both agree that mom rarely talked about her childhood and she always made a fuss when I would ask to see old family photos.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,660
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Have you or are you writing things down, family-wise for those after you?

@haddon9, that is certainly a mystery!

 

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"