Tool · Family history

Family history booklet: their stories, in their words

Sit down with a parent or grandparent, type what they tell you, add your family tree and a few photos, then print it as a booklet or save a PDF. A gift that will be read for generations. It stays on this device.

1 · The cover

TitleMemories of

Collected byYear

A few words for the first page (optional)

2 · The family tree

The booklet uses the tree you fill in with the family tree maker on this device.

Fill in or change the family tree

3 · Their story, in their words

Answer any questions you like, in any order. Only the ones you answer go into the booklet.

Childhood and home

Where were you born, and did your family say why there?What was the address or street of the first home you remember?Who lived in the house with you when you were small?Which church did your family attend, and in what town?Did your family ever move when you were young? From where to where, and about what year?Who were your nearest neighbors, and were any of them relatives?

Parents and grandparents

What were your parents' full names, including your mother's maiden name?Where did your grandparents live when you were small?What did your parents and grandparents do for a living?Do you know where and when your parents married?When and where did your grandparents die, and where are they buried?Did any grandparent or great-grandparent live with your family?Which older relatives did you visit, and where did they live?

Names and nicknames

Who were you named after?Did anyone in the family go by a nickname or a middle name instead of a first name?Were names ever spelled differently, or changed, and do you know why?Which first names were passed down in the family, and who carried them?Did any relatives use a different name at work, in church or in the old country?

School

Which schools did you attend, and in what towns?What years did you start and finish school?Did your parents go to school, and how far did they go?Do you remember a teacher's name or a classmate who was also a cousin?Are there any yearbooks, report cards or diplomas still in the family?

Work

What was your first paying job, and who was your employer?Did you belong to a union, a lodge or a trade association? Which one, and in what town?Did the family run a farm, a shop or a business? Where was it?What jobs did your father and mother hold, and for which companies?Did anyone in the family work for the railroad, a mine, a mill or the government?Did anyone move to another town or state for work? When?

Military service

Did you or anyone in the family serve in the military? In which branch?Were they drafted, or did they volunteer, and about what year?Where did they train and where did they serve?Did anyone receive a military pension or a medal, or is anyone buried in a national cemetery? Who, and where?Are there any discharge papers, letters home or photographs in uniform?Did anyone join a veterans' group, such as the American Legion or the VFW?

Moving and immigration

Which side of the family came to this country, and from what town or region?About what year did they arrive, and through which port?Did they ever become citizens? Do you remember about when?Who came first, and who followed later?Did the family keep any letters, passports or papers from the old country?Where did they settle first, and why there?

Marriage and family

Where and when did you marry, and who performed the ceremony?How did you meet your spouse, and where was their family from?If you feel comfortable saying, were any relatives married more than once? Do you remember the other spouse's name?Were there babies or children in the family who died young? Do you remember their names, or where they are buried?Who were your godparents, and who stood as witnesses at your wedding?Is there a family Bible, a baby book or a wedding album?

Holidays and food

Where did the family gather for holidays when you were young, and at whose house?Which relatives always came, and which ones traveled far?What dish did your mother or grandmother always make, and where did the recipe come from?Were there any holiday customs from the old country?Do you remember a holiday when the whole family was together? About what year was it, and who was there?

Photos and heirlooms

Who is in this photo, and about when and where was it taken?Who owned this object before you, and how did it come to you?Are there any old letters, postcards or diaries in a closet or attic?Is there a family tree, a funeral card or an obituary someone saved?Who else in the family might have old photos or papers?

4 · Photos

Up to 6. They are made smaller and kept only in this browser.

Add a photoWho, where, when

Good to know

Everything stays in this browser on this device. Clearing your browser data erases it, so print or save the PDF when you are done.
Record the conversation on a phone too, with permission. The booklet is the part people will pass around.
Write their words the way they said them. Dates and spellings can be checked later against records.

The questions on paper

The same questions as a printed handout, to bring to the visit.

Next step

Check the stories against records

Born in 1931 in Ohio? See which census, draft card and records to look for.