family stories

  • Where Were Your Ancestors during a Historic Event?

    Aug 25

    Researching about your ancestors, going back generations is quite exciting and you never know what you will uncover. Of course, it is not just gathering names, dates, and locations, your ancestors experienced so many things during their lives. Trying to find those events and happenings they were directly involved with can be the most difficult ...

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  • Parallel Storyline

    Aug 1

    To make a family story on a family branch or an individual you need to weave into the narrative a special aspect, you need to add some drama to the family story. It can be based on select places, buildings, technology, historical events, famous people, events in a community or new inventions. Basically, you need to add what was developing in...

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  • Telling the Family Story

    May 27

    It does not have to be a massive job to put together an interesting collection of family stories. The key is to start! First, start the work on your storytelling in smaller chunks will make your project seem more manageable. If you can, set aside a few minutes a day or once a week to write, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day �...

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  • Tell a Story Day

    Apr 27

    On this day – April 27 – is 'Tell a Story Day' which celebrates story-telling of all kinds. It doesn't matter if its fiction or non-fiction, a tall tale, or folk lore. Today is a day to tell 'em all. Stories can be from a book, other written material, or from memory. Also, an eerie or spooky story is always fun. Family stories can be the best ...

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  • Writing Ideas about your Ancestors

    Apr 19

    Trying to write a complete – total family history can be quite a bit. If able to do, go for it, that will be treasured by you, present relatives and future generations. But if doing a full and complete family history is too much now, here are some ideas for some shorter family story ideas. Write about some of the family legends or tales and if y...

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  • Coaxing Memories

    Nov 17

    With Thanksgiving and family gatherings over one to 5 days – it is a perfect occasion to start or continue gathering information from family members. Be prepared – have notes, collected dates, names and even photos that need identification. Include a camera, a recorder or video recorder to help get the information down. Before the holiday, sen...

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  • Your Family Story to Submit

    May 1

    It can be quite rewarding to make sure a family story, heirloom, hometown, family tradition, military, immigration or artifact is preserved for future generations. Using the online site 'Your Story' you can easily achieve that goal of preservation as well as sharing a story. As you view the homepage site, there are many categories – clothing, fo...

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  • Interesting Family Stories

    Mar 5

    In Frederick, MD, there is an interesting local historical character known as Barbara Fritchie who during the American Civil War, 1862, defied the Confederate soldiers as they marched into Frederick warning them not to touch the US flag that hung from her roof. She was a Unionist, in 1863 a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier stated Fritchie said to a...

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  • Birth to Death and the Dash in Between

    Jan 21

    The following poem by Linda Ellis provides insight to the placement of a dash between a birth and death dates. “For that dash represents all the time“ that they spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.” This is the reason families need the family tree, the family lineage and not just t...

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  • Family Stories

    Dec 25

    Christmas Day or even a couple days after Christmas when many of the out-of-town relatives are present, spend some evening time retelling family stories. Start with any grandparents or grand aunts/uncles present, the older relatives and have them tell of their Christmas childhoods, the gifts they got or any unusual events. Someone needs to be wri...

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