Unk Hiram's
Beginning Genealogy Lessons
Lesson #2
Lesson Two: Talking to Your Kin
Now you have written down and sourced everything you know about your family, it's time to spread your young genealogy wings and fly to the next step ---talking to your family.
The first thing you need to do is sit down and figure out what you are going to ask these folks. Set up a "questionnaire" to use as a guide. Now you ain't gonna have them fill out the questionnaire, it's just to make sure you don't forget any of the questions you need to ask.
Your questions should fill in the blanks with the information that you couldn't remember and will extend your research.
You want to start with the vital data:
Full Name / Birth Date / Marriage / Divorce / Death
Then move on to the personal facts:
Military / High School / College / Awards
Then ask about interesting facts:
Nicknames / Religion / Personal Stories
Unless you write a lot faster than I do, you need to take one of the small tape recorders with you so that you can get everything they tell you. I don't recommend taking a camcorder because it tends to make folks nervous, they "perform" for the camera instead of relaxing and telling you stories.
There are a few specific areas you want to make sure you touch on.
- Take a photo of them. I would suggest if you have a digital camera you take a photo with it and also a regular camera. Make sure you put in your notes the frame number of the photo you took, and their name.
- Don't tell them what you already know. Let them tell you what they know about the family.
- Ask to see their photo albums. You do this for two reasons. The photos will spark their memories and they might have some extra photos they will give you.
- When they go off on a tangent, DON'T try to return them to the subject. You will learn more about your family from these sparked memories than you ever will from a scripted Q&A session.
- Ask them for all the family addresses in their address book. The reason for this will become obvious in a later lesson.
When you get home from your visit to your family, make sure you enter all the info. Make sure you list your source, here is an example:
Personal Interview with (insert name)
Date_______________________________________
Location____________________________________
Q & A Section:
- What type of info should you ask your family for?
- Vital data, personal facts & interesting facts.
- Vital data, recipes & interesting facts.
- Vital data, personal facts & sports scores.
- Pertinent facts about Maine.
- What type of photos (if possible) should you take?
- Digital and conventional.
- Photos of them with their dog.
- Photos off their walls when they aren't looking.
- None
- When you get home do you need to "Cite your Sources" for the info you just got?
- Always
- No--you will remember
- Only if the relative is real old
- Only if the relative is from Maine.
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