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Page 8
FAMILY
STORIES
by Donna Stramella
EVERY
FAMILY HAS A STORY.
My grandfather Walter and grandmother Josephine emigrated
from Poland as teenagers. After they met and married,
they opened a confectionery store and later a corner
grocery. Most of their customers were factory workers who
lived from paycheck to paycheck. Food was often purchased
on credit. My aunt tells a story of her father's
generosity: One of the store's customers was consistently
late in paying his bill. Although his current tally was
unusually high, he wanted to make a purchase for dinner.
"Give him our meat," my grandfather said in his
thick European accent, as he wrapped the beef meant for
his own family's meal. "We can do without for one
night. He works hard in the factory all day and needs the
nourishment." That simple story of kindness has
inspired me on many occasions. And there are many more of
these historical treasures just waiting to be discovered
in your own family.
PERSONALIZED
HISTORY
The term "family values" means many different
things to many different people. What does it mean to
you? The history of your family is a living, growing,
continual history. Some chapters of your story will be
uplifting, motivating--Aunt Clare taking in a neighboring
family when the father lost his job. Another chapter may
be funny--Grandpop's car breaking down on the way to his
wedding. There will be painful remembrances as
well--ancestors who were forced to America on slave ships
or distant cousins who died in concentration camps. These
stories are not just important for today. They are
important for tomorrow--for ancestors who are yet to
come.
As plotting family genealogy trees becomes increasingly
popular, people search data banks for evidence of the
past. Documents provide names and dates, but not the
personal stories behind the facts. Unfortunately, many of
our elderly relatives' stories exist only in their minds,
and once they are gone, so is their vault of memories.
Author Alex Haley once said, "When an old person
dies, it is like a library burning." So how do we
unlock these treasure chests before it's too late?
HARVESTING
THE PAST
Talking with grandparents is a good place to start. In
their book, LET'S MAKE A MEMORY, authors Gloria Gaither
and Shirley Dobson suggest planning a special evening to
unlock the past. "Plan a visit to each set of
grandparents, prearranging that the theme of the visit
will be to have the grandparents share their
reminiscences of earlier years and their information
about family background." The authors suggest using
a tape recorder or video camera to make a permanent
record.
"Most children have very little knowledge of their
grandparents' earlier years," they write, "yet
this background offers one of the richest sources of
tradition and identity within a family." While most
grandparents will delight in sharing information from
their childhood, others will need a little coaxing. And
grandparents are certainly not the only source. Aunts,
uncles and cousins all hold their own sagas. There's a
real connection to history here--rationing during the
depression, marching for civil rights, moving from the
city to the suburbs in the 1950s. American history books
just can't compete with your own family's story.
The book UNPUZZLING YOUR PAST by Emily Anne Croom offers
a series of questions to ask family members. "There
are hundreds of questions you can ask about each
generation," she writes. "Each answer may
suggest new questions ... Some pieces of information are
more important than others. Some are more interesting.
Historians seek any pertinent information, but the family
historian will want to be careful not to pull out of the
closet skeletons which might cause harm or embarrassment.
Family histories must be truthful, but families may
prefer to leave some chapters closed where it is
unnecessary to mention the information at all." The
book also suggests using a form (and provides an example
of one) to gather information from relatives who live out
of state.
Anne Arundel Community College is offering a continuing
education class this spring called "Family Reunions
and Histories." The class teaches how to record
family history through a writing project at your next
family reunion.
A
PERMANENT RECORD
Putting pen to paper, or hands to keyboard, is the next
step. First, decide what type of format you will use to
display your story. Options range from a simple binder to
a soft bound book to a hard bound record. Office stores
offer a wide range of binding styles.
The story should also be categorized. While most family
histories are presented chronologically, others are
divided with individual chapters for each author. If
you're computer literate, there are plenty of software
choices to help organize the project.
Photos add an important dimension to your story. If you
do not have the capability to scan photos into your
computer, reproduce them on a standard or color copy
machine. Ask relatives for copies of their best candid
shots from the past--Uncle Bill holding up the fish that
didn't get away, Aunt Susan riding her first horse. Most
families have passed down copies of formal photos, such
as weddings and graduations. The more casual shots seem
to disappear over the years. Other "extras" you
may want to add include favorite family recipes, portions
of old letters, newspaper clippings, pages from a diary,
copy of a yearbook page, sketches of an old home, short
prose and poetry.
If you'd like to take an easier route, companies exist
that create personal biographies for families. Once
you've gathered all the information, the company takes
over and produces the hard copy. On such company is
Future Treasures (www.grailquest.com), but an
Internet search on keywords "family history"
will produce plenty of choices. If you are not quite
ready to tackle such a big project, but are anxious to
get your own story on paper, consider a logbook. These
books differ from plain journals in that each page offers
a writing prompt. REFLECTIONS FROM A MOTHER'S HEART is
pretty, rose-trimmed version from Word Publishing. The
book is divided by month and asks questions like
"Who was your favorite teacher and why?" and
"Describe your first kiss." Weightier
topics--such as prayer and learning about sex--are also
explored. The book allows plenty of space to write your
reply.
INVOLVING
CHILDREN
Children are naturally curious. They are great
interviewers, and grandparents may be less intimidated
when grandchildren ask the questions. Involve the kids
with organizing information and deciding what photos make
the final cut. The project will not only give them a more
complete picture of their own family, it will help them
understand the dynamics of family life overall.
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