Becoming the Family Historian

The word "history", for many, conjures up long hours spent in the classroom, studying dates and places soon to be forgotten. If you were lucky, you had teachers who brought historical characters to life, or you read books about past events that captured your imagination. But what, you may be wondering, does history have to do with my family?

The word history can be broken down into two words: his + story. Emphasize the word "story", and put in front of it the words "my", or "Grandma's", or "Dad's". When viewed this way, history attains a personal dimension. It isn't just names, dates, and places "out there", but the stories of people and places around you. It is yours, and your family's. And it is important.

The idea of becoming the family historian may seem a bit daunting at first. Why me? you might ask. Can't someone else keep track of all of this information? Chances are, someone else isn't, and even if someone was, every family's history can become more alive and vibrant with more people participating in its development.

But where do I start? This is the most common question, because many see the task as so monumental, that they never begin. The problem is that you may be seeing the end product--a published memoir, a completed genealogical tree, or a carefully planned reunion--rather than a process of information gathering. Begin with yourself. Yes, your story is worth telling, and will serve as the launching pad for the rest of your work as family historian. Ask yourself simple questions, and write down your answers. Where were you born? When? Where did you live? Where did you go to school? Who were your neighbors? Then start thinking of events that went on during your life. Were you alive during a war? Try to remember how you felt about the events going on. Were friends or family drafted? As you ask (and answer) these questions, you will start to see a story unfold. This is the beginning of your family history. You will go through the same process with relatives as well. This is just the beginning.

As you start obtaining information for your family history, you will see how important it is to share it with the rest of your family. You may now start thinking about writing a family newsletter, or organizing a family reunion. You may also find that dates and places are pivotal as well, and may find yourself poring over oddly written documents in the county library. All of these things play a role in telling your family's story, and in celebrating your family's existence.

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