Heritage Project Getting Started Interviewing Family

Ideas for Interviewing Relatives Video tape the interview Ease into the interview by asking the person how long they have lived at their house. Begin with the family shoe box of old photographs, certificates, and documents to be used as a memory jogger.

Interviewing Relatives Keep the questions going Be prepared to make up questions as you go to keep the flow going. Photographs help, if you have them. Ask only a few questions to start. You may have to save some for another time so as not to overwhelm the interviewee. If the person being interviewed can't remember an answer, move on to the next question and come back to the unanswered question later. Rephrase the question to see if that helps better trigger memory.

Interviewing Questions 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 parents 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?

Interviewing Questions What are your great-grandparents (all 8) full names, places of birth, dates of death and cemetery? If any were born in a different county, did they describe their travel here? What was their reason for immigrating? Was it difficult to get used to a new way of life? 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?

Interviewing Questions 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?

Interviewing Questions Who is the oldest family person you personally knew? Tell me about this person. Does your family have any heirlooms, objects of sentimental or monetary value, that have been handed down? What are they? Are there stories connected with them? (Take photos.)

Recording your Interview Answers Use the Family Group Record handout to track your family interviews. This is a downloadable file found at m/webpages/RPetrilak/news.cfm?s ubpage= m/webpages/RPetrilak/news.cfm?s ubpage= See next slide to view the worksheet.

Citations "Ideas for interviewing relatives." Search for Ancestors. N.p., Web. 7 Sep "Family Group Sheet." Ancestory.com. N.p., Web. 7 Sep