Interviewing Relatives
by Susan Petersen
It’s never too soon to start interviewing relatives about your family history. Family reunions and holidays offer an excellent opportunity to learn more about family – stories, traditions and memories.
At a minimum, take notes as you interview your family members. Record the interview on tape or a digital recorder. If you have access to a video camera, use it to record your interviews.
Use old family photographs, documents or mementoes to help jog the person’s memory. Very often, detailed stories will emerge from just looking at a photograph. If using this technique, use only one item at a time. Your subject may become overwhelmed if too much is presented all at once.
Use as few or as many interview questions as you choose. If possible, you may want to do several shorter interviews over a period of time, rather than conducting an interview that lasts several hours. Some family members may get tired, or the questions may evoke emotional memories.
Here are some sample questions to help you get started.
Most of all, have fun interviewing your relatives. If something jogs their memory, let them tell their complete story, in their own way, even if it may not be part of your “script.” You never know what wonderful stories might emerge.
It’s never too soon to start interviewing relatives about your family history. Family reunions and holidays offer an excellent opportunity to learn more about family – stories, traditions and memories.
At a minimum, take notes as you interview your family members. Record the interview on tape or a digital recorder. If you have access to a video camera, use it to record your interviews.
Use old family photographs, documents or mementoes to help jog the person’s memory. Very often, detailed stories will emerge from just looking at a photograph. If using this technique, use only one item at a time. Your subject may become overwhelmed if too much is presented all at once.
Use as few or as many interview questions as you choose. If possible, you may want to do several shorter interviews over a period of time, rather than conducting an interview that lasts several hours. Some family members may get tired, or the questions may evoke emotional memories.
Here are some sample questions to help you get started.
- What is your full name, date and place of birth?
- Were you born at home or at a hospital?
- How was your name chosen?
- What are your parent’s full names, dates and places of birth, dates of death and cemetery?
- What are your grandparents (all 4) full names, places of birth, dates of death and cemetery?
- What are your great-grandparents (all 8) full names, places of birth, dates of death and cemetery? Continue as far back as you know.
- How did your parents, grandparents, and other relatives meet and marry? Are there family stories of lost love, jilted brides, unusual courtships, arranged marriages, or elopements?
- What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors? How have these relatives described their lives to you? What have you learned from them about their childhood, adolescence, schooling, marriage, work, religion, political activity, recreation?
- Who is the oldest family person you personally knew? Tell me about this person.
- Who is the family historian? Do they have photographs, movies, slides?
- Tell me about your childhood home.
- Describe the city / town in which you grew up.
- What kinds of chores did you have as a child? Before school? After school?
- What was your favorite thing to do?
- What is your favorite holiday memory?
- What schools did you attend?
- When did you first drive a car? Officially and unofficially?
- What church did your family attend?
- What were the best times spent with your grandparents?
- Did you attend family reunions? Who would attend? Are the reunions still being held?
Most of all, have fun interviewing your relatives. If something jogs their memory, let them tell their complete story, in their own way, even if it may not be part of your “script.” You never know what wonderful stories might emerge.
copyright 2011 Susan Petersen
