| As you build your family tree, you may find that | | | | - Do you remember hearing how they travelled |
| all you have are names, dates, and places along | | | | across Canada to BC in 1914? |
| with a few documents to prove each detail. | | | | - Who in the family has been in touch with any of |
| However, this simply gives you the bare bones of | | | | the relatives who stayed in England? |
| your line of descent from ancestors. To enrich | | | | - How did your parents and/or grandparents |
| the family history of your relatives and your | | | | celebrate holidays or birthdays? |
| ancestors, you will need more details and stories. | | | | - What kinds of jobs did our grandparents (and/or |
| Here are some ideas on how to find stories and | | | | their parents) do when they were young, when |
| other treasure which will give you more of a | | | | they were older? |
| picture of your ancestors' lives and times. | | | | - Did anyone in the family like to play pranks on |
| Start by looking at your basic family tree and | | | | others? or tell jokes? or love to tell stories? |
| identify several gaps or very limited information | | | | - Do you know if anyone in the family loved to |
| on individuals. For instance, you see that you | | | | dance or sing, or play an instrument? |
| know very little about your grandparents and | | | | - What did they do in the evenings together? |
| their brothers and sisters. If you have their birth | | | | What card games or other things did they do? |
| dates and birth places, where they lived when | | | | - What was it like growing up in that time? What |
| growing up, you could ask questions of any of the | | | | were the days like? the weekends? the holidays? |
| older living relatives. Not sure if they would be | | | | - I saw on the censuses that the family lived in |
| interested in answering your questions? You might | | | | one town for over 20 years - did they own |
| find that relatives will be happy to cooperate and | | | | property there? |
| are interested in what you are doing. And, glad | | | | - What do you remember about the area, the |
| that someone else is doing this research! | | | | town? |
| At any time when relatives get together, use the | | | | - Where did the kids play, and what kinds of |
| opportunity to ask questions. Some of these | | | | games did they like to play? |
| questions may be about clarifying data you have: | | | | - What did your parents or grandparents die of - |
| such as occupations, residence moves, | | | | do you remember? |
| immigration, engagements and marriages, burial | | | | - Was anything special handed down from one |
| places. But here are some other questions that | | | | person to another in the family? |
| could bring out more stories, and may encourage | | | | - What did you and your best friends do during |
| your relatives to bring out their old photo albums | | | | the days, the weekends, the summers? |
| and other genealogy treasure! | | | | - What do you remember about getting sick, |
| Mail a list of some of the following questions for | | | | about what your parents did about illnesses? |
| your relatives before you go to visit, or telephone | | | | - Were there any funny sayings or things one |
| them. Don't overwhelm them with too many | | | | parent said a lot that you remember? |
| questions! Then, go over these and other | | | | - Do you know if anyone got divorced? and how |
| questions with your Aunt Ethel or your | | | | that was done? how other relatives felt about |
| Great-Uncle Hal over a cup of tea. You may find | | | | that? Have you found that one line of family |
| it helpful to bring a recorder as well as a few | | | | relatives seem quite cool to the idea and not very |
| photos of the older relatives. | | | | helpful? Other researchers have found that one |
| - Did Grandma and Grandpa ever talk about their | | | | can get some cooperation by asking very politely |
| engagement or wedding? Or about other relatives' | | | | for "corrections" to the family history and details, |
| weddings? | | | | and deliberately make a few errors in dates! |
| - Do you remember if anyone in our family joined | | | | Sneaky, but effective! |
| the military, fighting in WWI or WWII, or other | | | | Bring a few older photographs out of your photo |
| battles? | | | | albums, if you have any. You could also bring a 4 |
| - Did anyone in the family die in the battles? | | | | or 5 generation family sheet, with a few family |
| buried where? any medals given? | | | | group records as well, that they may be able to |
| - Those who did not join the military, what did | | | | look at and fill in a few gaps or give you some |
| they do at home? | | | | stories. Sometimes it just takes a photograph and |
| - Do you know why Grandma and Grandpa | | | | a question to start the details flowing. Happy |
| moved from Ireland to England, or when? | | | | searching! |