Interviewing For Genealogical Research
You've just started creating a family history and beyond your own parents, you not sure where to turn.
You know instinctively the best place to start a solid historical study is with living relatives. But how many relatives should you interview, and what procedures, if any, should you follow?
The best bet for the most complete picture is to interview personally as many as you can. This means siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and so on. Record as much information as you can about what they remember and compare notes.
It might seem a little odd at first, but if you look at yourself as a journalist on the trail of a hot story, the flow of questions and how to handle the answers will soon become second nature. Allow your relatives to "ramble" about the past and their family members. Guide them back at the end of the interview to answer important details they may have missed, such as full names, dates and places.
As you get started, here are some ideas on what to ask to help you fill in the blanks in your family's history:
* Ask each relative to help you create a family tree. Get names, dates of birth, birthplaces, marriages and births. Compare the results after you've interviewed all your relatives and try to get originals or copies of records that help verify the verbal history.
* Find out what each relative remembers about the people they name. Anecdotal stories are a fine way to flesh out a written history. What family members remember about long gone relatives can help bring their stories to life.
* Ask for photographs if they have them. Even copies are great additions to a well-collected family history library.
Once you've gathered your information, the verbal history should give you a trail to follow to fill in the blanks. The birthplaces of your ancestors, military records, travel records and more should also help.
Treasure any documents you manage to get your hands on and don't be afraid to call back your own relatives for more information. The only question that's silly is the one that never gets asked.
If you run into problems trying to fill in the blanks beyond what your family remembers, don't be afraid to seek out the experts. Most local libraries and historical societies have experts available to offer advice.
