Now for the Fun Stuff!

Over the past weeks we have seen why it’s important to know our family’s history.  Now let’s look at how we get started.  The answer may surprise you!

Talk to Your Family

The first place to turn when beginning your family history is … your family!  We often don’t realize what we can learn from our cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.  Even our parents can shed light on their backgrounds.  Just think, they were alive and kicking for twenty years or more before we came along.  You may know where your parents were raised, but is that where they were born?  What was it like for them growing up?  How did they meet?  What high school did they attend?  Did they live in town or on a farm?  These family interview questions and many more like the one’s on this site will start you on the journey of discovering your family history.

One great way to find this information in a very natural way is at family gatherings.  Before you go to that family reunion or grandma’s birthday party download a voice recorder app on your phone.  Make sure and get one that will record all voices and not just the people who are calling you.  When the conversations turn to times past, conduct an impromptu family interview. Ask everyone if you can record the conversation for your family history, hit record and lay the phone in the middle of the table or in the center of the conversation.  I promise you everyone will forget it’s there before long.  Then just let the conversation flow!

Big Return, Little Effort

You might find that by talking to your relatives you might be able to fill in four generations of your family tree without looking at a single record.  The information you get from family stories will be much richer and full of detail than any record you might find. 

Once you get the stories from your relatives, make sure and back those stories up with records from your research.  All our families have legends that are passed down that may or may not be true.  It is true that none of our memories are perfect, and your grandmother’s memories about her parents happened a long time ago.

Getting started is just this easy.  Not only will family interviews with your relatives help build your family’s history, but it will strengthen your relationships with them.  That’s what we call a win win!

Heroes of the Past has helped others build their family histories, whether it’s a detailed family tree, a book about your family, or you want someone to conduct those interviews.  Contact us today to learn more!