Interview family to research your family history
Your first family history goldmine is often a close relative. You may never have thought of asking members of your family about their lives or what they remember of the generations that came before them. Very few people have these discussions, at least not of any real depth.For many people, the opportunity to ask these questions has passed and they will never have the chance again. Now is the time to make chatting with your family a priority. Interviewing your relatives is an important step in your genealogical research process.
Your great-grandmother may no longer be alive, but you may have parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, all of whom can be good sources of information about recent generations of your family. These family members can all be excellent sources of names, locations, dates, diaries, photos, and gossip. These family members might have suggestions of other people you could interview about your departed relatives. And, of course, they may have copies of primary source material to contribute to your genealogical file. Imagine how much information you could potentially get by interviewing your relatives.
It’s best to do this interviews in person whenever possible. Some people could be put off by receiving an impersonal questionnaire in their mailbox or inbox. Some information they have to share might be closely guarded because its very personal or even evocative. Undoubtedly, you will learn much more if you conduct these interviews in person and assure your relatives your intentions are good while showing real interest in what they’re sharing.
Never misuse the information you uncover, and always remain discreet. Remember, the information you are gathering involves living relatives or relatives that lived within recent memory. In an effort to encourage relatives to talk to you, let them know that you won’t broadcast any sensitive information to the entire family. Be sure they understand that you consider any data to be important to your family’s history. For your relatives the information is a lifetime of valued memories – to treat it with profound respect.
When your relatives are comfortable with your motives, they may provide all kinds of detail that you never dreamed they knew. Your genuine interest might just spark more memories or lead to unexpected revelations. Be sure you schedule ample time for these important interviews. After all who knows how long Aunty Doris will talk for when you get her going?
By the way, another great tool for gathering information from your family members is Mundia.com. This is a free family history website that allows you to collaborate with your family members to make your family tree online. I strongly encourage you to check it out if you want to trace your family history.
