LET THE KIDS KNOW!
Please take the
time to answer these questions for your family members. Put it on floppy disc or
whatever you have that will keep for future generations.
Writing it in a nice book might be the best thing, even better with some pictures. That way they have your handwriting and things in your own words.
What a wonderful memory for your children and
grandchildren. It could live on and on. It could keep the genealogy
interest in your family growing.
Its lengthy but worth the effort and
will refresh your memory on your life.
Yourself
1. What is the name you were given at
birth?
2. When were you born? Where? Hospital or at home?
3. Were
you named after a relative or family friend? Why was your name chosen?
4.
Have you ever had a nickname? Who gave it to you and why?
5. Did your
parents or siblings like to tell any funny or embarrassing baby stories about
you?
6. What did you want to be when you grew
up?
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Family
7.
What is your mother's name?
8. When and where was she born?
9. Is
she still alive? When did she die?
10. What is your most vivid image of
your mother?
11. What is your father's name?
12. When and where
was he born?
13. Is he still alive? When did he die?
14. What is
your most vivid image of your father?
15. Where did your parents
meet?
16. When and where did they get married?
17. What are your
brothers and sisters names?
18. What is the most enjoyable memory of time
spent with your parents, your family?
19. What are some of the most
valuable lessons your parents taught
you?
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Grandparents
20.
What were the names of your mother's parents?
21. When and where were
they born and where did they live?
22. What did they do for a
living?
23. Do you have personal memories of them? What were they like?
24. What
were the names of your father's parents?
25. When and where were they
born and where did they live?
26. What did they do for a
living?
27. Do you have personal memories of them? What were they like?
28. What was
the most enjoyable time spent with each grandparent?
29. Did they have a
favorite story that you remember them telling?
30. What do you know about
your grandparent's children, other than your parents?
31. What do you
remember hearing about your GREAT-Grandparents?
32. Did you ever meet
them?
33. From what part of the world did your family emigrate? Any
stories told in your family about the crossing? Did they become U.S. citizens?
Do you have any relatives in foreign countries?
34. Where did they settle
in this country? Why?
35. Do you have any relatives who were famous? Or
who took part in well-known historical events?
36. How far back can you
trace your family
tree?
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Childhood
The
family house
37. What type of house did you live in as a child? Other
buildings on the same property?
38. If you moved during your childhood,
tell where and when and what you can remember of each house and the family
circumstances and the reason for the move.
39. In what room did you eat?
Kitchen? Dining room?
40. How was your home heated?
41. Did you
have a fireplace?
42. What kind of kitchen stove did your parents cook
on? What fuel was used?
43. Did you have to buy the fuel or was this a
chore, such as cutting wood, with which you had to help?
44. Did you
always have electricity? If not, when did you get it? Was it a big
deal?
45. Did you ever use candles or kerosene lamps?
46. Did your
family have a cellar? Where did you store food?
47. Where did your family
get water? Was it plentiful? What methods were used to conserve
water?
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Family
relations, responsibilities, conditions
48. What was your position in the
family? Oldest? Youngest?
49. What were your duties as a small child? Did
you have chores?
50. Who cooked the meals? Ironing, cleaning,
etc.?
51. Did you buy or make your own clothing?
52. When did you
learn to cook and who taught you?
53. Did you ever learn to sew? Crochet?
Knit? Embroider? And who taught you?
54. Did you ever learn the mechanics
of a car and who taught you?
55. Did your family keep in touch with
distant family? Do you still keep in touch?
56. Did you visit relatives
often?
57. How did you get your mail?
58. What do you remember
about family pets?
59. Were you especially close to anyone in the family?
Who?
60. How did the family spend its evenings?
61. Did you get an
allowance? How much? What did you spend it on?
62. Do you remember your
family discussing world events and politics? What were some of the topics?
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Family
income and livelihood
63. What did your father do for a
living?
64. Did your mother ever work outside of the home? What did she
do?
65. Did you contribute to the family income? How?
66. When did
you get your first job outside of the family?
67. Did your family have a
garden? Who did the work on the garden?
What kinds of vegetables did you grow?
68. Did your family have
fruit trees? Who did the canning?
69. Did you raise chickens?
70.
What kind of meat did you eat?
71. If you lived on a farm, what crops
were planted? Who did the work? Family? Hired hands? Did you keep a cow for
milk? Did you make your own butter and cheese? Did anyone in the family sell
eggs or
butter?
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Days,
seasons, and special occasions
72. What did Sunday mean to you (family
dinner, etc.)?
73. Did you attend church on Sunday? Where did you attend
church?
74. Were there any other special days of the week?
75. How
did you spend Christmas?
76. What kinds of gifts did you receive at
Christmas?
77. Did your family observe Easter?
78. How and where
did you observe the Fourth of July?
79. Other special
holidays?
80. How was your birthday celebrated? What kinds of gifts did
you receive?
81. Did your family entertain often? When?
82. Did
your family attend picnics? Family reunions? What do you remember about
them?
83. How did you keep cool in the summer?
84. What did you
wear in the winter to keep warm?
85. Do you remember any particular
blizzards or tornadoes or
floods?
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Friends
and Games
86. Did you have a favorite toy?
87. What were your
favorite foods? What did you hate?
88. What did you do for
recreation?
89. What kind of books did you read?
90. Did you or
your brothers or sisters have any hobbies?
91. Who was your best
friend?
92. What did you and your friends do when you got
together?
93. Did you and your playmates play any organized
games?
94. Did you ever learn to swim? Who taught you?
95. Did you
participate in youth organizations?
96. What was the most mischievous
thing you did as a youngster?
97. Whom did you admire most when you were
young?
98. Has there ever been anyone in your life that you considered to
be your "soul mate"? Who was it and why did you feel that way?
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School
99.
Where did you go to school? Did you ever attend a one-room
schoolhouse?
100. What were your favorite subjects?
Least-favorite?
101. Who was your favorite teacher, and why?
102.
Do you still know anyone that you went to school with? In what grade did you
meet?
103. How did you get to school? If you walked, how far? What do you remember about these walks?
Did you walk alone or with friends? Were these walks a hardship in
winter?
104. Did you ever miss a long stretch of school because of
illness? If so, what did you do to pass the time?
105. What did you do
during summer vacations?
106. In high school, were you involved in
sports? What were some of the
highlights?
107. Were you in the school band? What instrument(s)? Did you
continue to play into adulthood?
108. What songs and dances were popular
then?
109. What was some of the slang when you were a
teenager?
110. What was your first date like? How old were you? What did
you do?
111. What was your proudest achievement in school?
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Transportation
and surroundings
112. Describe the size of the town where you lived or
shopped.
113. Where did your parents shop?
114. How large or small
were the stores?
115. If you lived in a small town or on the farm, did
you ever go into the city to shop?
116. What was the largest town you
remember visiting when you were young?
117. Did you ever travel on a
train while you were young?
118. Did you or your family own a horse and
buggy?
119. When did your family acquire its first car? What make? How
much did it cost?
120. When did you learn to drive a car? Did someone teach you?
121. Where
did your family go on
vacation?
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Traditions
122.
What family traditions are still practiced in your family?
123. Can you
briefly tell one or more your family's best stories or "tall tales"?
124.
Do you recall any family members that were "characters"? What earned them their
reputation?
125. What personal traits or characteristics seemed to "run
in the family"?
126. What stories did you share with your children? Which
ones didn't you share?
127. Is there an enduring piece of advise or
wisdom that's been passed down from generation to generation in your
family?
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Higher
Education and Career
128. How old were you when you left home? Where to
and why did you leave? How did it feel to be on your own?
129. How many
years of school did you attend? Did you study in your adult years?
130.
What was your first job? Do you remember how much your pay was?
131. Who
influenced you most and helped you to develop your skills?
132. What
careers have you had? How long at each?
133. Would you choose the same
career if you had it to do
over?
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Marriage
and Later Life
134. When and where did you meet your husband or
wife?
135. How and when did you get engaged? Who proposed? How long were
you engaged?
136. When and where did you marry? How old were you and your
spouse?
137. Did you go on a honeymoon? Where?
138. Where was your
first home? Did you move around?
139. What is your spouse's
occupation?
140. After living together for a time, what surprised you the
most about your spouse?
141. How would you describe your spouse? What do
you admire most about him/her?
142. What's your favorite story about your
spouse?
143. Did you or your spouse go into military service?
144.
If your spouse went into service, what did you do while he/she was
away?
145. What memories do you have of war years?
146. To what
organizations have you belonged?
147. Have you been politically active
during your lifetime?
148. Which presidents have you voted
for?
149. Where and when were your children born? What are their
names?
150. Do any stories come to mind about their births?
151.
What were some of the family hardships you faced?
152. What were some of
the most enjoyable family activities you shared?
153. What were some of
the family rules?
154. What's the most important lesson you hope your
children learned from you?
155. What caused you to say "Just wait until
you have children of your
own!"?
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Philosophy
and Outlook
156. Do you have a philosophy of life to share with your descendants? What is
it?
157. Do you have a favorite philosopher, teacher, or writer who best
expresses your philosophy?
158. Do you have religious leanings or strong
religious beliefs?
159. In your opinion, which have been the greatest
advances or inventions during your lifetime?
160. What things have given
you the most pleasure or satisfaction?
161. Is there anything that has
caused you perpetual concern?
What events or trends have disturbed you most
in your lifetime?
162. What has been your experience in regard to the
following? Answers to prayers?
Necessity and power of love? Will power as
opposed to being ruled by one's feelings?
163. What do you consider to be
your most important achievements? What one thing are you most proud
of?
164. What would you say is the funniest thing that's ever happened to
you?
165. Most embarrassing?
166. What has been your favorite time
of life?
167. Which person most influenced your life and why?
168.
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
169. Did you travel? Which
places were most interesting and why? Where did you never get to
visit?
170. Have you ever made a sacrifice that's made a lasting
impression on you?
171. What was your wisest decision?
172. What
wasn't your wisest decision?
173. What makes your family truly
unique?
174. What single piece of advice do you want to leave your
children and grandchildren?
175. Any other things that are important to
you?