A Priceless Gift for Your Grandchildren/Great-Grandchildren

[genealogynut]

Would you like to leave something behind for your grandchildren or great-grandchildren to cherish long after you are gone?  Try writing your family history and stories, including names, dates, events, places, etc.  down for them, and  put them on a CD, if you choose. (But will the equipment to use a CD be around 50 years from now?)  They may not think too much about it now, but when they get to be middle-aged,or older, they'll start having questions, and no one around to ask.

How I wish my grandparents would have done that!  I remember one of my grandmothers telling me stories about various family members, but I do not recall a single one of them today.

[indygal]

You're absolutely right about this, Lois. Several years ago, my mother sent me her "story" and I treasure all the details she shared about her life growing up. Last summer, I had to write a family history paper for a History class, so I spoke to my dad, uncle and aunt to get info about my grandfather. I learned all sorts of things I didn't know. Once I completed the research and the paper was finished, I made copies for each of them. After reading it, each said they learned some things THEY didn't know!

Yes, it's time consuming but so worth the effort.

[Wilma]

One of my most treasured possessions is the story that one of my uncles wrote about their growing up days.  He included locations and descriptions of the homes they had lived in, besides stories about things they had done.  I found this story in my father's desk after he died.  He had inherited his brother's possessions and I don't know if he had ever read it.  This uncle had also gone to a lot of trouble to record all the births, deaths, places of burial that he could find.  I have a cousin that has done a lot more in the way of tracing the family and she shares with me.  Aren't I the lucky one?

I am working on my own memoirs and some day will have it finished with pictures.

[hhjacobs]

We found a note book that Lucillce had written about her sister dying in a blizzard in Colo. We found it after she was killed in the tornado. We were lucky to find anything!

[Wilma]

That was a terrible loss.  Lucille was one of the best people that I knew in Severy.  I always enjoyed her company.  She was such a lovely lady.