How to Plan the ULTIMATE Family History Trip

by Shenley Puterbaugh

On my family history trip to England with my husband and 2 children (ages 7 and 8) in 2018, we found my great grandparents grave through much effort. My great grandma’s name was Rose which is my middle name and which is the middle name we gave my daughter. We brought a red (her favorite color) rose to put on her grave.

Do you want to go on a meaningful trip? One that will be fun and exciting? A trip that will change your life and the lives of your children, grandchildren and posterity? If so, then a family history trip is for you! Whether you are traveling by yourself or with other family members you can make it memorable and get the most out of it with these tips for before, during and after your trip!

Before your trip:

Preparing is the key to the success of your trip. If you take the time to plan and prepare, you will make the best use of your time while you are traveling.

I searched on GoogleMaps for the places my ancestors lived, went to church, were buried, worked, etc.

Documents I searched for places I could visit and experiences I could have that would help me learn about my ancestors

  1. Choose an ancestral location

    • Where did most of your ancestors live?

    • Where do you feel most connected?

  2.  Make a list of towns or cities to visit

    • Write down each person or event that is connected to that place. Who was born lived or died in each town or city? 

    • This will help you know where to focus your travel. Focus on the places that have the most ancestors or events that took place there or the places that are most significant to your family.

  3. Be a detective

    • Search all of the records that you have (and even look for more) for information that will help you find places to visit

    • Addresses > census, death records

    • Churches > marriage, christening records, obituaries

    • Cemeteries and burial plots > death certificates, FindAGrave.com, BillionsGraves.com

    • Schools and universities > obituaries, online yearbooks, check the towns where they lived

    • Careers and hobbies > obituaries, census records

  4. Dig Deeper

    • Google Maps - check the addresses of ancestral homes, churches or schools 

    • Historical museums - learn and understand what local events your ancestors experienced and what life may have been like for them

    • Living museums - recreate historical settings and experiences to replicate a period of time when your ancestors were living 

    • Genealogical societies - may have records or information on your family that has not been put online yet

    • Local libraries - books about the area when your ancestors lived there or even books that mention your family

  5. Contact in advance

    • Historical museums, genealogical societies, local libraries, churches, cemeteries, universities, schools

      1. Let them know you are coming and ask them if they have any information on your ancestors

      2. Set up appointments if necessary

      3. Ask if they know any local people with ancestors surnames

      4. Ask if their records have been put online

  6. Get organized

    • Create a document

    • Organize all of the possible places you can visit by location and ancestor

  7. Plan your trip

    • Find out and incorporate the priorities of fellow travelers

    • Make a schedule 

      1. Include time for relaxing, sightseeing and unplanned opportunities

    • Plan generations projects

    • Plan activities for kids

    • Organize 

      • Create a small binder that you take everywhere with you that includes copies of photos, stories, maps and parts of your family tree to look at or share with your family along the way

    • Learn about local history 

      • Knowing as much as you can before will make being there more meaningful

During your trip:

  1. Document your experience

    • Take pictures and videos

    • Journal, blog, social media posts

    • Update family tree with findings

  2. Be flexible

    • Be ready for the unexpected: fatigue, sickness, need for fun, unplanned opportunity

  3. Extras

    • Bring money for local treasures and books you find

    • Make copies or take pictures of everything

      1. Think about bringing a portable scanner or downloading a scanning app on your device

We found the building where my grandparents were married and brought a picture of their wedding day with us.

We met my grandma’s brother (in England) for the first time. The stories I heard from him about my great grandparents (his parents) were completely different from the ones my grandma (his sister) had told me.

After your trip:

  1. Stay in touch with people you meet 

    • Relatives

    • Helpful people that you may want to ask questions in the future

  2. Record your experiences

    • If you didn’t have time on your trip, journal or blog about your experiences

  3. Digitize everything you found

    • Documents, photos and stories

    • Upload to your online family tree

  4. Share what you saw, experienced and learned

    • Get together with family and tell them or do a presentation about your trip

    • Write on a blog or do social media posts about your trip and your findings

How to Interview Your Family

by Shenley Puterbaugh

“A life that is not documented is a life that within a generation or two will largely be lost to memory.… Knowledge of our ancestors shapes and instills within us values that give direction and meaning to our lives.”

— Dennis B. Neuenschwander

Interviewing relatives will help stories of our loved ones be remembered and used to bless our posterity. Finding stories is not just limited to asking relatives. You can ask questions to anyone who knew your ancestors while they were alive. Time spent interviewing grandparents or any family member is a beautiful and bonding experience that will create cherished memories for everyone involved. There is so much information and so many stories you can learn from them. Once they pass away, questions that would have been so easy to ask cannot be answered or will take much longer to be answered. The sooner you can do the interview the better because as people get older they may become forgetful or pass away before you get the chance to ask questions. 

To prepare for the interview, contact the person who will be interviewed. Set up a day and time so both participants can be mentally prepared. This will also help ensure that the interviewee is not caught off guard and distracted when you begin asking questions. Follow-up questions are easier to do spontaneously but for the first interview it is best to prepare. I have found that when I ask family members if I can interview them, they may be hesitant because they are uncertain of what it entails. You can explain to them that it is not something to be intimidated by. It will be a discussion consisting of you asking them questions and listening because you want to learn about them and their life. Your relatives will most likely be flattered and become more comfortable as the interview goes on. Most people I have interviewed are slightly uncertain when beginning an interview, but they get comfortable reflecting on their past and sharing it with someone who genuinely cares and is listening attentively.  

The second step is making a list of questions. If children will be doing the interview, encourage them to think about what they already know about the family member they will interview. They may already have questions regarding something they once heard their family member say or something they heard another family member mention. Then have them brainstorm topics they do not know about but would like to know more about. The more they think about and choose questions themselves, the more personal the interview will be. I have provided question ideas at the end of this section. Children should have their list of questions in hand for the interview so they can refer to it.

The third step is deciding how to record the interview. Interviews done in person, by video chat, over the phone or even through email or regular mail accomplish the goal of recording stories. However, in-person interviews are the best option because there is so much communicated through body language and there can be a video of the family member for posterity. Everyone who sees the interview, even after the family member has passed away, will see his or her mannerisms, facial expressions and body language, which is priceless to have and will help viewers get to know their ancestor in a personal way despite the separation of death. There are two challenges I have faced with video recording. The first is having enough space on your recording device. Be prepared and make sure you have enough space ahead of time. The second challenge is some people do not like being recorded. Explaining why you want to do a recording may be helpful and they will be more likely to say yes. If not, then ask for permission to video record a small portion of the interview (for example, anecdotes about meeting his or her spouse) and simply audio record or email questions and answers for the rest of the interview. There are apps and digital recorders available that will help with audio recording. If the interview cannot be done in person, chatting over video or phone are the next best options. Apps are available that allow a phone call to be recorded. Other alternatives are to have the phone or device on speaker and use another device to record or type or write the response. Email or regular mail is another possibility if visual or audio recordings are not an option or if they are not preferred by the interviewee. Questions can be sent and the relative will have time to think about them and respond.  This also may be a good option for family members who do not like to talk much. Some people will give very short answers verbally but if sent an email with questions would answer with lengthy, detailed responses. 

Consider giving a list of questions in advance. Your relative can begin thinking ahead of time and remember more details. However, their responses will not be as candid. When deciding what interview method to use, consider all of these options and think about what would be most comfortable for you and the person you are interviewing and choose accordingly.

With an appointment made, a list of questions compiled and a method of recording chosen, you are almost ready for the interview. Here are some tips for you to remember that will help the interview to be a better experience for all involved:   

- LISTEN. Look your relatives in the eyes and be attentive. Try not to interrupt them. If you find yourself getting tired or notice they are getting tired, continue the interview later when you both can be alert and more engaged. When there is a lull in the conversation, do not be too quick to jump to another question. Sometimes a lull means they are deep in thought and remembering things that they are about to share. Reading their facial expressions will help determine if it's time to move on to another question or if they are ready to share more. If you are uncertain, ask a question such as, "Do you have anything else to share about that?” or “Would you like to move on to the next question?” or “Do you want to share what is on your mind?”

- BE SENSITIVE. If there is a topic the interviewees do not want to discuss, move on to something else. They may be willing to share something that they do not want to be recorded. That is okay. Be respectful of their wishes. Turn the recorder off, then turn it back on when they are finished with that sensitive topic. 

- COMMUNICATE INTENTIONS. Tell the interviewees whom you plan to share their story with and when. They may want it shared immediately or they may want it shared after they pass away. I learned this the hard way. My grandpa was still alive when I shared his story with family members. There were some parts in his story that I did not consider offensive but other family members were offended by and communicated that to him. I was saddened that he had a negative experience resulting from sharing his life story with me. From this experience I learned the importance of offering to have the interviewees read over the written interview to make sure they are 100 percent okay with it being shared. They can make edits by adding, changing or taking away from their story. If they ask to hold off on sharing it until they pass away, respect that.  

- TIME. Interviews will be different lengths depending on who is doing the interview and who is being interviewed. If the interviewer is an older child, there may be more than one interview because there are so many questions to ask and a whole life story to tell. I have felt that about an hour, with a possible break after the first 30 minutes, is a good amount of time for one sitting. This guideline is flexible though. If the interviewee is really into it and you are not too tired, then you can go longer. But pay attention to the interviewee and try to be aware of how long he or she can handle for one sitting. The interview can be finished another time if it gets too long. That is okay. Even if a shorter interview was planned, there may be follow-up questions you have or information that the interviewee wants to add later.

- NOTEPAD. Carry a notepad to write down additional questions you may think of during the interview. This will help prevent interrupting their train of thought or forgetting the question. You can write it down and come back to it later. It is difficult to remember questions without writing them down because you will be listening to responses. You can also ask for and write down spellings of names of individuals they mention so they can be recorded accurately. 

Now you are ready for the interview! 

The Starting Question: All you need is one question to start. If you are doing an interview to record a life story, the most fitting first question is usually one of the following:

  • Can you tell me what you know about your name?

  • Do you know anything about when you were born?

From there, the interview will most likely flow and the interviewee will talk about his or her earliest memories or family. But if the interviewee does not keep talking, have more questions ready. If it will be a shorter interview, then begin with the question you’re most curious about. Creating a list of the top ten questions you want to ask may help too.

Young Child Alternative: Any child that can talk and ask questions can come up with a question and do a short interview. He or she can even draw the answer if they cannot write. My young children have done interviews to find out relatives’ favorite things. They did it by titling their paper “Grandpa’s Favorites.” They divided the paper into boxes and wrote a label in each box, such as “Food,” “Game,” “Song,” and other categories. They called their grandpa on the phone and quickly asked each favorite and wrote a one-word answer in each square. This was a great interview. They learned so much about their grandpa and even noticed that they had some of the same favorite things. 

Following Up: You may not have had time to ask all of the questions you had planned or you may have thought of more questions afterwards. If this is the case, a follow-up interview may be the next step. 

After the Interview: With the interview completed you may choose to leave it in video or audio form or transcribe it to written form yourself or by hiring someone. Once it is in written form you may decide to send it to the interviewee to add, change, or edit their story.

Although the interview process can take a lot of effort and time, it is worth it. By interviewing members of your family, the life experiences and wisdom of your family members will not be forgotten. The stories you hear and collect help keep their memory alive for generations to come. As Steve Rockwood said, it is our responsibility to “make sure no one is forgotten because everyone deserves to be remembered” (Keynote address, RootsTech, 28 Feb. 2018). 

20 Family History Activities for Your Family Reunion

Family reunions are the perfect place to inspire your family to love family history. Try some of these family history activities at your next family reunion!

  1. Family Tree Gathering

“…(E)veryone would bring existing family histories, stories, and photos, including cherished possessions of grandparents and parents…young people are excited to learn about the lives of family members—where they came from and how they lived…They love the stories and photos, and they have the technological expertise to scan and upload these stories and photos…and connect source documents with ancestors to preserve these for all time.” (idea from Quentin L. Cook)

2. Sources to Stories

Each family or individual picks an ancestor to research before the family reunion. They collect photos, documents and resources, learning as much as they can about their ancestor. At the family reunion each family or individual shares what they learned about the ancestor they researched. 

3. Learn/sing family songs

Families have songs that are significant from weddings, military service, funerals, holidays, childhood, while camping or songs that they just listened to or sang together. Have a song night at your family reunion where you learn or sing songs that were significant in your family. Make a playlist.

4. Poem or Song Contest

Have a poem or song contest at your family reunion. To make it non-competitive make it an ‘open mic night’ where family members read their poem or sing the song they wrote.

5. Map Decoration

Meaningful family reunion decorations are hard to come by but a giant map will be a hit! Put pins in the map of where ancestors’ were from or places that were significant in their lives.

6. Skit Night

Have a skit night and perform ancestor stories. Skits can be prepared by individual families before the family reunion or you can break everyone into groups at the reunion to create the skit there. If ancestor stories are widely known then each group or family can choose their own. If stories are not widely known, assign a story to each group that they can turn into a skit. Record the skits. Keep the scripts so they can be performed again.

7. Make Christmas Ornaments

What You Will Need:

  • A copy of a photo of each of your ancestors’ faces

  • The same number of canning lids as photos

  • A pencil or pen

  • Scissors

  • Decoupage

  • A paint brush

  • A nail

  • A hammer

  • Thin ribbon or string

  • A permanent marker

Instructions:

  1. Use a canning lid to trace a circle on one of the copied photos, around the face of your ancestor.

  2. Cut out the circles slightly smaller than the traced circle so the photo will fit inside the ridge of the lid.

  3. Use the paint brush to spread decoupage on the lid.

  4. With the photo-side facing you, press the photo gently in the center of the lid.

  5. Paint decoupage on top of the photo and over the edge of the photo to seal it onto the lid. Set the lid aside to dry.

  6. Repeat with each lid and photo.

  7. When the decoupage is dried, use the nail and hammer to make a hole in the top of each ornament.

  8. On the back of the canning lid, use a permanent marker to write information, such as your ancestor’s name, birth and death dates, where he or she lived, relation to you, or any other details you want to remember.

  9. Put a piece of ribbon or string through the hole and tie it in a bow.

  10. The ornament is now ready to hang!

8. Family T-Shirts with Family Crest

If your family has a family crest, use it on your family reunion shirt. If not, have a family crest drawing contest before the reunion and let family members submit designs for a family crest. Use the winner’s design on your family reunion shirt. 

9. Family Interviews

Each person at your family reunion, both young and old, can interview another family member in attendance. Have each person draw another family member’s name out of a hat and interview whoever they chose. You can share a list of ideas for interview questions if desired. Young children can participate too. The questions for them can be simple and they can draw the answers (example: What is your favorite game? food? book from childhood? etc). Compile or share what is learned about each family member. 

10. Ancestor Bingo

Game nights at your family reunion are sure to be a hit, especially when it is meaningful and especially when there are prizes! Give each player a blank bingo card. Distribute multiple copies of the branch of your family tree that those at your reunion have in common. Have participants write one name from the tree on each square of their blank bingo card. Write each ancestor on the family tree’s name on a small piece of paper and put in a bowl. The leader will pick an ancestor’s name out of the bowl and players can use any small object to mark that name on their card. It is nice to have interesting facts about some of the ancestors that can be shared throughout the game. Have simple prizes on a table for winners to choose from. (Young children can participate by teaming up with a parent.)

11. Family and Ancestor Playlist

Background music at your family reunion is a must! Make a playlist of each person’s favorite song . Ask older relatives about the music that their parents and grandparents listened to and add those too. They may know specific songs or they may just remember a genre of music. To add even more songs, go further back on your tree and find out what music was popular in the homeland of your ancestors while they were alive.

12. Create a Family Cookbook

Before the family reunion ask everyone to contribute ancestor’s recipes as well as their favorite family recipes. Compile before the reunion and distribute them at the reunion.

13. Generations Project

A generations project is an experience that you have or project that you do that helps you connect with an ancestor. It can be learning a skill that an ancestor had, going to a place where they would go (or a place similar), doing a tradition or making a recipe. While doing the project, share about the ancestor and discus what can be learned about them from the experience. (idea based on the BYUTV show ‘Generations Project’)

14. Scavenger Hunt

(idea from Lynette Cummings - best for a family reunion close to where ancestors lived)

Before you begin, assign points to each of the items on your scavenger hunt list (more points for longer activities). Decide how long it will last and where you will meet at the end. Divide into groups and give each group a list of tasks to earn points. Decide on requiring photos, videos or signatures to prove the task was accomplished. At the end of the allotted time, teams should be at the meeting place. The team who has earned the most points wins, but really you all win because you have learned about your family along the way. 

Here are some ideas of things you can do on your hunt:

  • Find a grave in a cemetery and make a rubbing or read a story about that person

  • Put together a puzzle with a family photo or ancestor face on it (you can order specialized puzzles online or make your own)

  • Do something that your ancestors would have done (lasso a sawhorse, change a cloth diaper, haul buckets of water or wash clothes and hang them on a clothesline)

  • Tell someone you don’t know a story about one of your ancestors

  • Find a house that an ancestor lived in (using only a photo and maybe a hint about where to look if it’s a large area) then read a story or listen to a CD that tells a story of the people who lived there

  • Do something your family did when you were kids

  • Dress up in old fashioned clothes and take a photo

  • Sing a song or read a poem that was important to an ancestor

  • If you are doing this at an extended family reunion add the following:

    • Find someone who knew a certain ancestor

    • Find someone who has lived in that town for at least 30 years

    • Meet 5 people you don’t know

15. Story Time

Story time can be for any age. At your family reunion, have a time designated for family members to share stories of ancestors. It will probably be best to give each person a time limit. If the story time is for children, bring props and keep it simple and digestible.   

16. Item Box

Collect items that represent a specific ancestor and put them in a box. These items can be mentioned in stories or journals of that ancestor. Let kids take turns picking an item and tell the story that is related to the item.

17. Quiz Night

Create a trivia game, in the form of Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit, with facts about your ancestors. Break your family into teams and play! 

18. Family Field Trip

If your family reunion is being held in or near a place where ancestors lived, a family field trip would be a must! Plan an outing to an old church, cemetery, old house, historical museum, living museum or any place that would be interesting for your family to visit. 

19. Homeland Game

Look up games that were played in the homeland of your ancestors and play one.  

20. Ancestor Celebration

Choose an ancestral country or ancestral family to highlight. Plan food and activities that will hightlight that country or family.

Family History Lessons from Moana

Guest Post by Miyamoto Loretta Jensen,

The Polynesian Genealogist

 
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I remember watching the Disney movie Moana for the first time and I could not hold back the tears. This movie displayed my Pasifika culture and ancestry in ways that I have never seen on the big screen before! But I think what really struck me was the overarching themes and lessons of genealogy.

As a professional genealogist, I am always looking for mentions of family history anywhere I look. And this movie beautifully shared the cultural and spiritual aspects of family history with the world! Moana got me thinking about how this movie can be a powerful tool to teach children the power of knowing who their ancestors are.

Below are a few lessons, takeaways, and applications parents can emphasize to their children as they watch the movie Moana. There are many more mentioned and shared in the movie, but I hope that the below mentioned can encourage all of us to look for the other hidden gems within the movie:

Lesson 1: Follow your heart

Since Moana was a little girl, her heart longed to be one with the Ocean. Her father recognized this since her infancy because he was just like his daughter. After all, Moana means “ocean” in the indigenous languages of Oceania.

As we see in the movie, Moana’s father strongly opposed her suggestion that her people go beyond the reef to find fish and resources to save their island. With the support of her mother and grandma, Grandma Tala (my favorite character in the entire movie), Moana listens to her heart and fulfills her calling.

Can you imagine if she didn’t follow her heart? What do you think would have happened? All I know is that she did the right thing, even when her father said no.

Takeaway: Not everything that we do will be in line with our families. And that is okay. Sometimes, we are the ones that need to break barriers, stereotypes, stigmas, and fear that is held within ourselves and families so that we can grow and rise together.

Application: Share stories with your children about how their ancestors, living relatives, or yourselves, have followed their hearts. What became of it? What lessons were learned? How has their  (and your) decisions affected your family relationships?

Lesson 2: Knowing the stories of your family can change the way you view yourself

Moana had no idea that her ancestors were voyagers until she learned this from Grandma Tala. Learning her ancestors’ history validated Moana’s desire to go beyond the reef and save her people. You could visibly see the joy in her eyes as she discovered not only the truth of her ancestors but of the understanding of where her love for the Ocean comes from.

This changed the way Moana saw herself and because of this, she was able to save her people. You see? Moana may not have gone on her journey and fulfilled her destiny if she didn’t know who her ancestors were. She saw their resiliency and the legacy they left behind. She then knew that she could do what was deemed impossible: going beyond the reef.

Takeaway: Learn the stories of your ancestors. You’ll discover patterns from their lives that may be similar to yours. You’ll also see shared characteristics, desires, dreams, and hopes within yourself that have existed in your family for generations.

Application: Share family stories with your children. It can be as simple as telling your children how you met your spouse, what your favorite food was as a child, your best childhood memories, your dreams, what made you laugh today, etc. Maybe you know stories of your family’s ancestors. Share those stories, too! If you don’t know any, ask around in your family. It’s that simple. And take the time to ask your children how these stories change their views of themselves. Ask yourself that question, too.

Lesson 3: Your ancestors are there for you.

When Moana was about to give up on her journey to return the heart of Tafiti, the spirit of her ancestors, specifically Grandma Tala, came to give her strength. This scene still makes me weep each time I see it.

Moana’s ancestors knew who she really was and what she was meant to do even before Moana did. They helped her recover, recuperate, and refocus on the task ahead. They were with her every step of the way.

I don’t know how else to say this, but I know that this is true for us. Our ancestors are there to walk with us, talk with us, and show us the way. All we need to do is learn about them to know how they are assisting us along our journey in life.

Takeaway: You are never alone. You have the love and guidance of your ancestors to help you in any and every circumstance. Look to them for help whenever you need it!

Application: Teach this lesson to your children. Help them understand that they are not alone. Their ancestors are with them every step of the way. You can tell them that even if they can’t see their ancestors, they are all around us in love. Sharing pictures of who their ancestors are can also make the lesson more real and applicable to them.

All in all, there is so much knowledge and truth in the movie Moana. You don’t have to be Polynesian to see that these lessons are applicable to everyone. My hope is that as you take the time to point out these truths to your children that there will be added healing and joy in your life and in the lives of your loved ones.

 
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In the last two years, Miya has presented at multiple genealogical conferences, including RootsTech, the National Genealogical Society conference, and the Association of Professional Genealogists' Professional Management Conference. Miya currently is FamilySearch's Pacific Islands records and oral genealogies analyst. On social media, Miya is known as "The Polynesian Genealogist."

Miyamoto Loretta Jensen is of Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Swedish, and English ancestry. In 2018, Miya became the first Pacific Islander to graduate from BYU’s genealogy program, with an emphasis on Polynesian family history. She has been an intern in the Family History Library, Church History Department, and Hawaii State Archives.

You can find Miya on Facebook and Instagram @thepolynesiangenealogist and check out ThePolynesianGenealogist.com.

Family History Helps Us Heal

 
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As a genealogist who specializes in African American research, the work I do digging into the past is difficult and heart breaking. Ninety percent of African Americans were enslaved. Many of the families I research are lost prior to the 1870 federal census, which was the first to document enslaved (Black) people as human beings.

When I started researching, there were no personal computers, no internet, and no cellphones. Social media did not exist. That was more than 50 years ago. Yikes! That makes me feel “older than dirt”, which is an expression I learned from my grandma. 

The fact of my being so dedicated for so many years (half a century!) means that I know quite a bit about how family research is done. I created Our Black Ancestry to share my knowledge with others and to inspire them to apply their research in ways that can be meaningful in their lives today.


My Ancestors Were Enslaved

Ancestors on both sides of my family were enslaved. The laws of the time considered them “chattel” = property, not people. Records for them are found in property transactions, wills, deeds, insurance, and other financial instruments.

Here are three of the dozens of my ancestors who were born into slavery and denied their God given right to existence as full human beings.

My father’s grandparents -- Tom & Rhody Leslie (pictured above)-- were enslaved in Lowndes County, Alabama. Both were fathered by the white men who owned their mothers. As a baby, Rhody was attacked in an outburst of anger against the progeny of her slaveholding husband. After the attack, Rhody and her mother Easter were sold away.

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My mother’s great grandmother -- Bettie Warfe/Gavin -- was enslaved in Noxubee County, Mississippi. She was sold at age nine and transported to “the land of cotton.” Her mother and grandmother were left behind. She later bore 17 children with the nephew of her Mississippi owner. 

As I discovered the stories of their lives, my heart was filled with sadness…. anger... and despair.

My feelings were even more poignant when I realized that I had met my great grandmother Rhody Leslie in person when I was a toddler. I was two. She was 100 years plus. I had no idea who she was because I was so small. I was an adult when my father revealed she had been enslaved. Learning that rocked my world. It meant that memories of slavery were alive and well in my lifetime.

Here is Grandma Rhody with her son Tommie Joe Leslie and grandson Frank Leslie (my father’s brother). The photo was taken in Chicago, Illinois when I was about one year old.

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How Does Family History Help Us Heal?

There is so much from America’s past that needs to be addressed and healed. First, there was Native American genocide. Then, there was African slavery. These combined “sins” made America the economic powerhouse it is today where “stars & stripes” fly over the most influential democracy in world history.

On my own personal path, I eventually realized that knowledge of the past can be a source of inspiration rather than despair. By revisiting the horror of what happened, it is possible to find a place of peace. We can learn to channel our feelings into productive (rather than destructive) action in today’s world. 

I can barely imagine the suffering my ancestors endured. But one thing is for sure: If not for them, we would not be. I take pride in standing on their shoulders and fulfilling the dreams they surely had. They were the dreamers. I am the dream. 

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Here is my immediate family – me with my one son, his wife and their two children.

I want them to know from whence they came and be inspired by the stories of our family. Our forebears endured insufferable conditions that paved the way to the privileged lives they enjoy. They are blessed with an intact family -- two parents, grandparents, and a community of friends and relations who cherish them.

When my grandkids complain about small household tasks I require them to do, I remind them of how lucky they are! Had they been born during slavery times they could have been sold away from us. They could be wearing rags and picking cotton from “‘fo day to can’t see.” If they complain about the food I cook, I tell them they could be going to bed hungry. They get the message and are enthusiastic helpers in my garden and kitchen.

I do not want to sound negative here. I more often tell them about the good things – stories of ancestors who defied the odds and made “a way out of no way.”

I am hopeful that young people will take up my baton. Researching family is not as boring as one might think. In reconstructing your family history, you are filling in the gaps of stories that need to be told…. life stories of people who made you who you are…. strong, self-confident, self-determined, resilient.

In the end, we are all one BIG human family! Regardless of nationalities, ethnicities, religion, and sexual orientation -- We are ALL EQUAL and must treat one another with respect.

 
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Sharon Leslie Morgan is a writer and genealogist. She is the founder of Our Black Ancestry (OBA), an online community dedicated to providing resources for African American genealogical research, preserving historic materials and properties, and promoting healing of wounds that are the legacy of slavery. 

Morgan is the co-author of Gather at the Table: The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade (Beacon Press, 2012). She is also a contributor to Slavery’s Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race & Reconciliation (Rutgers University Press, 2019) and The Little Book of Racial Healing: Coming to the Table for Truth-Telling, Liberation, and Transformation (Good Books, 2019).

In 2019, Morgan received the James Dent Walker Award from the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society (AAHGS). It is the highest award that can be bestowed “upon a person who has exhibited distinguished accomplishments through a significant and measurable contribution to the research, documentation, and/or preservation of African American history.”

A staunch advocate of racial justice, Morgan has taken STAR (Stategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) training at Eastern Mennonite University and is actively involved with Coming to the Table, an organization that promotes linkages between descendants of people who were enslaved and descendants of the families that enslaved them for the purpose of healing from the trauma of slavery.

After a long career as a marketing communications consultant, which enabled her to live and work around the world, Morgan currently resides in her ancestral home place in Noxubee County, Mississippi where she is writing a book about her ancestors.

Want your kids to interview their grandparents?

Guest Post by Dawn M. Roode

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“It’s so important to focus on creating relationships across generations. But don’t do it in an eat-your-broccoli kind of way. Do it because it’s one of the surest routes to happiness in our longer lives,” says Marc Freedman, author of How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations.

Yes! Getting our kids and our parents to interact meaningfully—to spend quality time together, and to share stories—is a surefire way to bring smiles all around. And you know what else? It’s good for their health, too.

Studies show that emotional closeness between grandparents and grandchildren can protect against depression, boost brain function, and lead to a longer life for the elder. And that same close relationship can lead to benefits for the grandchild, too, including fewer emotional and behavioral problems and fewer difficulties with peers.

One of the best ways to jumpstart such a close relationship between the generations is to encourage your child(ren) to interview their grandparents. Grandparents are often a source of unconditional love for grandkids—and they are a vital repository of heritage and family history.

4 Ideas for Intergenerational Family History Interviews

Depending upon the age of your child, you may want to sit down together to come up with some questions they can ask their grandparents.

You can also download this free guide , which includes 45 themed questions designed specifically for a grandchild to ask their grandparents (along with bonus family history activities,tips for recording the interview, and a helpful history timeline). Colorfully designed and geared directly to your kids, this guide also helps set a tone that this is an enjoyable endeavor, not homework!

In the meantime, here are four helpful ideas to inspire interview questions for the grandparents:

  1. Ask questions that invite laughter. Consider: “Grandma, tell me a secret.” “Pop-Pop, have you ever played a practical joke on someone?” “What’s the funniest thing my mom did when she was a little kid?” These questions are fun, and help establish a rapport and positive feeling around story sharing.

  2. Ask questions that may illuminate lessons learned or family values. “Have you ever failed at something, Nonna? How did you deal with it?” “Zaydee, did you feel different after your bar mitzvah?” Or go the direct route: “What’s the most important lesson you have learned in your life, Nanny?” The idea here is to encourage stories that show the grandparent overcoming or dealing with something challenging—so that when their grandchild one day experiences something similar, they have real-life examples of resilience to reference. Encourage your child to ask follow-up questions that help get to the heart of the story—“and then what happened?” and “but WHY did you do that?” And encourage your parents to be open and to share specific stories from their life. (I bet things come up that even you’ve never heard!)

  3. Get the grandparents talking about their feelings for their grandkids. Some questions your child might ask: “Do you have any funny stories about me from when I was a baby?” “What is your dream for me?” “Why do you love me?” What a gift you are giving both generations by encouraging such adoration to be shared!

  4. Pull out some old photos to get the memories flowing. Dig around in your attic boxes or family albums and pull out a few strategic pictures that should prompt memories for your parents, then give them to your child before the interview. Whether their conversation happens in person or via Zoom, they can show their grandparent a picture to spark stories. Some ideas: a photo of your childhood home, of an old car, or of your parent doing something your child might not expect (such as playing a sport or dancing at a party).

Remember: This isn’t a mandatory project or school assignment. If you frame it as a fun way for your child to get to know their grandparent, he or she will be more eager to dive in.

You may even want to ask your parent to be the one initiating the conversation. They might say: “Hey, I got this really cool Kid Kit from a friend and would love if you use it to interview me!”

The biggest sign of success, in my opinion? When the first conversation goes off-track and multiple stories are shared around one or two questions only—that means there was plenty of back-and-forth, that stories were flowing, and that there are LOTS more questions for further conversations of the same nature. Imagine that?!

 
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Dawn M. Roode is founder of Modern Heirloom Books , where as chief personal historian she interviews people to capture their stories in one-of-a-kind coffee table books. She strives to create “living heirlooms” that people engage with often—books that, rather than collecting dust on a shelf, are pulled out often to encourage ongoing story sharing and connection.

How to Prepare for RootsTech Connect 2021

by Shenley Puterbaugh

For the first time ever, RootsTech Connect is 100% virtual and 100% free! In past years, this conference has been the largest family history and genealogical conference in the world with around 30,000 attendees. As of February 9, 2021, 264,000 people had registered for RootsTech Connect from over 219 countries and territories. Because it is virtual, people from all over the world, who would not otherwise attend are getting the opportunity to participate. 11 languages are being offered including English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Korean, Chinese, and Russian.

If you have not registered yet, register here,

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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RootsTech Connect has advertised that it will be held from Thursday, February 25 to Saturday, February 27th. In reality, it will be starting at 9pm MST on Wednesday February 24th because it will be the 25th on the other side of the world. 4 hours earlier, at 5pm MST on the 24th, the online Expo Hall will be open. Over 150 classes will be available 24/7 for the entire conference and for days after. You will have the opportunity to chat with presenters about their topics and presentations. Keynote speakers will be the only live session and will include Nick Vujicic, Lorena Ochoa, Francesco Lotoro, Sharon Leslie Morgan, Sunetra Sarker, Erick Avari, Diego Lugano, bless4, Astrid Tuminez, Nick Barratt, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Bruna Benites, Tita and Will Hopoate.

HOW TO PREPARE

If you have already registered, then you are probably wondering, what next!? Here are some tips on preparing for RootsTech Connect 2021:

  1. Decide what topics you are most interested in learning more about. When RootsTech Connect begins, you will be able to search for classes based on topic, speaker, etc.

  2. Branch out by watching classes on subjects you have never learned about or thought of.

  3. Dive in by taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. You will be surprised by the ways you will be able to connect with other family historians and genealogists virtually. For example, Let’s Do Good Together is a component of RootsTech Connect that will allow people to come together and find family history projects and volunteer opportunities.

  4. Clear your schedule and get comfy! Get your comfy clothes and a blanket, find a cozy spot and get snacks that you love. There are so many speakers and presentations! You won’t want to stop watching!

*Don’t forget to watch “Studies that Prove the Benefits of Family History” presented by Shenley Puterbaugh of Inspire Family History!

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This image of many RootsTech Connect Presenters is courtesy of RootsTech Connect presenter, Penny Walters

Black History Month: African American CEO found personal strength from family history as a kid

by Shenley Puterbaugh

In honor of Black History month, I would like to tell you about an incredible and inspiring African American who was powerfully strengthened by his family history as a child. 

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In February of 2019, I first saw Michael B. Moore, the former CEO of the International African American Museum, at RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah. In his keynote address, he shared his story of being influenced and inspired as a child to appreciate and love his family history. His story touched me deeply. A few months later I had the opportunity to interview him and learn more of his incredible story. One of the challenges that many African Americans face is not being able to connect with their ancestors because many events were not recorded or kept. Despite growing up in a difficult time and place in American history, Moore was still able to connect with his family and found incredible strength and resilience from learning stories of his ancestors.  

“My grandmother would tell me lots of direct stories about her grandfather, Robert Smalls. As long as I can remember, I would hear stories about my great-great- grandfather,” Moore reflected. Robert Smalls was “an enslaved African who, in 1862, took command of a Confederate ship in the Charleston Harbor, sailed it past five Confederate forts in the Atlantic Ocean, and then turned it over to Union forces, winning his freedom and that of his family and crew. He then became a captain in the Union Army. After the Civil War, he was elected to both houses of the South Carolina Legislature and to the U.S. House of Representatives” (https://iaamuseum.org/about/staff/michael-b-moore/, Mar. 2019). 

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Moore said that knowing about his great-great-grandfather Robert Smalls gave him a stronger and more complete sense of self. “I grew up at a time and in a place where race relations were not great and on a fairly regular basis I was made to feel uncomfortable about my identity and my race. Knowing that I was connected to Robert Smalls and what he had accomplished against such enormous odds and obstacles helped to give me a sense of self-esteem, to make me feel, ‘If he could do it and I have some of his blood coursing through my veins, maybe I could charge ahead and do things.” Knowing these stories and the resulting feelings has always had a very powerful influence on him and has powerfully affected his identity and sense-of-self, giving him a profound feeling of purpose. 

Michael Moore now has four children of his own and passes Robert Small’s legacy to them through the same stories he heard from his grandmother. He believes that “waiting until someone is an adult before giving them a sense of who they are and where they came from is a mistake. Children are curious about the world generally and that curiosity, if focused appropriately, can certainly apply around family search and particularly to their ancestry.” He suggests figuring out “interactive and cool ways” to introduce family history to young people “by engaging them with things and ideas that are already interesting to them.” (For suggestions on how to choose an idea that will engage a specific young person, click here. For specific ideas to choose from, click here.)

The International African American Museum will be opening in 2022. It is located where almost half of all African captives arrived in the U.S. The IAAM will share untold stories of the African American journey as well as “experiences and accomplishments of Americans of African descent.” At the museum their will be a Center for Family History. It will be an incredible resource “for the study and advancement of African American genealogy, with connections to Africa and the African diaspora.” This will be an incredible resource for American’s of African descent. Through the resources available at the Center for Family History, the IAAM is hoping to help, not only adults, but also kids and youth to discover and connect with the stories of their ancestors. (https://iaamuseum.org)

The learn more about the International African American Museum visit https://iaamuseum.org.

How To Discover Your Ancestors' Christmas Traditions

by Shenley Puterbaugh

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For many families Christmas is a time of love, giving and traditions. Have you ever wondered how your ancestors celebrated Christmas? What did they eat on Christmas Eve or for Christmas dinner? Were there specials treats they enjoyed? Were there activities they did or games they played? Here are some ways to learn about your ancestors Christmas traditions.

  1. Ask your oldest living relatives how they celebrated Christmas. Then ask them about the oldest relatives they remember. Did they ever spend Christmas with them? What do they remember about how their parents or grandparents celebrated Christmas? What was their most memorable Christmas. (Learn more about interviewing family members here)

  2. Research to find how Christmas was celebrated at the time your ancestors were alive and in the area of the world they lived. Different countries have different Christmas traditions and traditions have changed over the years. Find what Christmas songs were popular, what traditional foods were eaten and what traditions of giving they had. (Learn more about researching for stories here)

  3. If your family has possession of any journals that belonged to ancestors look for the entries that were written around Christmas. You may find excerpts about their Christmas celebrations or significant memories or events.

  4. Look for Christmas photos from your ancestors. What details do you notice that will give you clues about their Christmas traditions and celebrations? (Learn more about searching photos for clues here)

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Once you have learned about your ancestors’ Christmas traditions you can

  1. RECORD AND SHARE

Record what you learned to your online family tree (on FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, or MyHeritage.com)! You can also share this information with family members by telling them, posting about it on social media or sending them a written synopsis of what you learned.

2. TRY A TRADITION

If you are looking for ways to spice up your Christmas celebration this year, plan to incorporate some of your ancestors traditions or experiences into your celebration.

  • Sing songs or play their favorite Christmas carols

  • Make a treat that they made

  • Plan a traditional Christmas meal from an ancestors’ homeland (more details here)

  • Play a game or do an activity from an ancestors’ homeland (more details here)

  • Recreate old family Christmas photos or experiences

3. RECORD YOUR OWN TRADITIONS

Don’t forget to record your own Christmas memories and traditions so that your children and grandchildren can know more about you! (Learn more about recording your life here)

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12 In-Person or Virtual Family History Activities for Thanksgiving

by Shenley Puterbaugh

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to spend time learning and sharing family history with loved ones. Here are some in-person or virtual family history activities that will make your Thanksgiving more meaningful and memorable for you and your family! 

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  1. Arts and crafts

    Having an arts and crafts table for your Thanksgiving gathering can be fun for all ages. If you can’t meet in person, plan a craft that everyone can do at the same time on Zoom. You can draw pictures of family members or ancestors, have family tree printouts to fill in together, print out blank maps and color in where family members and ancestors live(d), or make Christmas ornaments with copies of ancestors photos! (for more Arts and Craft ideas click here)

  2. Set up accounts for a tree-building website

    Help family members set up an account with a well-known family tree building website such as FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com or MyHeritage.com.

  3. Create a family playlist

    Make a list of your family members and ancestors favorite songs. Listen to them throughout the day. Family members will have fun guessing which song goes with which person! Share the playlist with others who are not with you in-person.

  4. Create a skit and perform it

    If your family likes performing, choose a family story and turn it into a skit. Perform it for family members in-person or virtually!

  5. Discover your connection to the 1st Thanksgiving

    Visit RelativeFinder.org to discover which pilgrims you are related to!

  6. Story time

    Have an older family member tell family stories to the younger generation in-person or on zoom.

  7. Interview family members

    Learn the stories of your family members by interviewing them. Use an audio recording app to record their stories. (find a list of interview questions here)

  8. Collect family recipes

    Ask everyone to bring or email their favorite holiday family recipes. You might find a recipe that you had forgotten about!

  9. Cooking show

    When you or your family members are making a family recipe, record it and turn it into a cooking show. Share the video so others can see how you make your favorite family recipe!

  10. Family bingo

    Create bingo cards with names of family members and ancestors on each square. A fun variation is to put photos of peoples faces or a fact about them on each square of the card. On the the card that gets drawn and called out, put the name of the person. If you are playing in person have fun prizes for each round. If the bingo card is created on the computer, send it to family members to download and print. Schedule a zoom call and play virtual family bingo!

  11. On-line games

    Play games such as Geneopardy and Wheel of Family Fortune with your family! On a zoom call, you can screen share and play together.

  12. Gather and share photos and heirlooms

    Encourage family members to gather their family photos and/or heirlooms and share them in person, on a zoom call or by posting them to a family facebook group. Share and record stories about the photos and heirlooms.

How to Plan an Ancestor Holiday

by Shenley Puterbaugh

I really admire the Mexican culture in their celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It is traditionally celebrated November 1st and 2nd each year and commemorates a family’s ancestors. My family has created our own family holiday to celebrate our ancestors. It is similar to an ancestor celebration but it is more general because instead of focusing on a specific individual, family or country, we celebrate all of our ancestors. Your Ancestor Holiday can be celebrated on any day your family chooses and can be a yearly tradition or something done whenever your family desires. Our Ancestor Holiday is done by making a special meal, having an ancestor display and doing an activity.

DINNER

For our ancestor celebration dinner, we each choose an ancestor’s recipe from our family cookbook or popular recipe from a place and time that an ancestor lived. During the day we spend time together preparing the food and talking about the ancestor that the recipe is associated with. We discuss where and when they lived, when they would have made the recipe and what they may have been thinking or feeling as they made it. By thinking and talking about our ancestors while cooking something they cooked or eating something they ate, we begin to see them as not merely a name of a person who lived long ago but a family member who lived like we are living now!

DISPLAY

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Our display consists of:

  1. Setting out a picture of each direct ancestor whom we have a picture of.

  2. Laying out books that were written by or about our ancestors (from our own family history library).

  3. Displaying heirlooms (or photos of heirlooms) from various ancestors.

  4. Displaying projects you or your children have made about ancestors, like maps, drawings, poems, timelines, lego creations, etc.

We arrange all of these items nicely on a table, putting ancestors’ pictures next to the heirlooms, books or projects that are associated with them. Our kids present the display. They share what they know about each ancestor represented, explaining the projects they have created and describing the significance of each heirloom. It is really neat to see what they know and remember about their ancestors. The display can be explained by another family member if it seems more appropriate.

ACTIVITIES 

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GAMES: We really enjoy getting to know our ancestors by playing games as a family! These are our favorites — Family Heirloom Scavenger Hunt, Ancestor Memory, Ancestor Go Fish, Scavenger Hunt, Bingo, Item Box, Trivia Games, Globe Toss, Geneopardy, Wheel of Family Fortune.

SKIT: For the skit, we choose a family story of an event or experience that one of our ancestors went through. We write a script, assign roles, plan costumes and props and PRACTICE! This can be done VERY simply (in less than an hour) or more elaborately (over a few weeks). We like to keep the script or a video recording of the performance so the skit can be performed again or rewatched. When we put ourselves in our ancestors shoes, their stories will be solidified in our memory.

Now, make your Ancestor Holiday your own and have fun!

12 Ideas to Incorporate Family History Into Your ENGLISH Curriculum

by Shenley Puterbaugh

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WRITING

1. Create a brochure - Creating a brochure for a place an ancestor lived can help your child work on writing skills as well as learn about their homelands!

2. Write a poem about an ancestor - Learn as much as you can about them then write a poem!

3. Turn an ancestor’s story into a skit - Writing the script for a skit will help children and youth imagine being their ancestor and what they were thinking, feeling or doing during the event that is now a family story. Perform the skit or use dolls or legos to act it out!

4. Write in a journal - Recording day to day events, thoughts and feelings, will help children to remember their own life. Find a great list of journal prompts here (https://dailymom.com/nurture/journal-prompts-for-kids-stuck-at-home/

5. Write short stories from the lives of parents, grandparents and ancestors - Discover the meaningful or memorable stories that have been passed down in your family. To find stories, you can 1. Ask family members what they remember about their family members or what stories they have heard about their ancestors, 2. Ask around to see who has inherited old family journals, 3. Do research on a website such as familysearch.org or ancestry.com to find stories that others have contributed about your family members, or 4. Do research by finding old documents (such as obituaries, census’, and birth, death, or military records) and piece together stories. Children can use a story board to put the story in order and add illustrations.

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6. Record your memories - Start by making lists such as: meaningful songs, neighborhood friends, best friends, milestones, favorites, places lived and vacations. Another exercise is to draw maps of your childhood neighborhood or house. Lists and maps will trigger a flood of memories. Pick one memory and write as much as you remember about it. Then pick another and another. Your memories do not need to be written chronologically; they can be individual stories in any order. The important thing is that they are recorded for yourself and your posterity.

7. Create a blog - As you learn information and stories about your ancestors, share what you learn with your extended family! A blog is a great way to do this because it can be updated as you learn more and no matter where your family members live, they can get online and learn the stories you are finding about their ancestors!

8. Write about family heirlooms - Find the family heirlooms that are in your home by doing this Family Heirloom Scavenger Hunt from American Ancestors. If you can’t find any heirlooms, ask older family members what heirlooms they have and ask them to send you pictures of them. Record the story behind the heirlooms you find and why it is special or important.

9. Write an essay - There are positive and negative lessons you can learn from stories of your ancestors. Write about the stories, the lessons you learn and how learning it has impacted you.

READING

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10. Find and read books - Find books that are about events your ancestors experienced and times and places they lived. As you read them you will learn what life may have been like for them!

11. Create your own family history library - Once you find books, buy them and create your own library of family history books for your family to have access to and enjoy!

12. Read children’s books that inspire family history - Click here to find the booklist!

8 Ideas to Incorporate Family History into Your ART Curriculum

by Shenley Puterbaugh

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Art is a powerful way to connect us with our ancestors. Whether you are teaching your children at home, in a classroom or planning a fun activity with your grandchildren, try one of these art projects to inspire the children and teens around you to love family history!

1. Draw, paint or sculpt an ancestor.

2. Draw or paint an ancestor surrounded by things that were important to him or her. Discuss why the items may have been important to them.

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3. Draw or paint an ancestor eating a favorite food, playing a favorite sport, working at his or her job, doing something he or she loved, or with family members.

4. Draw or paint a scene from a story about an ancestor and talk about the story. What can you learn from this story (the positives or negatives)?

5. Draw multiple pictures of scenes from an ancestor’s life. Make it into a comic or book. 

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6. Draw or paint the home or land of an ancestor.

7. Draw, paint or sculpt a family tree. The tree can be drawn or painted and names can be written or photos can be glued onto it. If the tree is sculpted, you may choose to hang photos of ancestors from the branches.

8. Turn one of these drawings or paintings into a puzzle by cutting it into pieces. 

FOR MORE FAMILY HISTORY IDEAS…..

5 Ideas to Incorporate Family History Into Your HISTORY Curriculum

by Shenley Puterbaugh

A new school year is beginning and many families are choosing to homeschool. Teaching children at home gives us the opportunity to strengthen our children and our families in unique ways. Many children and youth are going back to school and needing more resilience than ever. Whether you are a teacher at a school or homeschooling your children, incorporating family history into your curriculum will give your children the foundation they need to understand who they are and give them a greater sense of purpose and identity. (Read here ‘Why Should Children Learn Their Family History?’) Studies have shown that knowing family stories helps children and youth to be resilient, have a stronger sense of control, and be better prepared for future challenges (and these are just a few of the benefits). At this time in our world, these benefits are needed more than ever! (Read here ‘Studies and Research that Prove the Benefits of Family History’). Incorporating family history into your homeschool curriculum can be a natural and simple way for children and youth to feel these benefits. This is the first in a series of posts to help you do just that! We will have articles on incorporating family history into art, literature, sports, music, life skills and geography but this one will focus on HISTORY!

Here are 5 IDEAS to incorporate FAMILY HISTORY into your HISTORY CURRICULUM

1. Learn how your ancestors were effected by historical events

When learning about a historical event, find out where your ancestors were. Were they directly or indirectly affected by the event? How? Discuss or write about what you learn and share what you learn with other family members! Doing this will help children see how they are connected to history!

2. Make a list of ancestors and the wars they fought in

Ask family members or search on a family history website (such as familysearch.org or ancestry.com) to find which wars your family members served in. Make a list of the ancestors and wars. When learning about those wars, learn about the ancestor who was involved in the war. You may find some who gave their life and some who survived. Each of them have a story. How did the war affect them, their immediate family and their posterity?

3. Make a timeline

Create a timeline with both historical events and family history events. Seeing them side by side, will help you connect history to your family and see what difficult and wonderful things their ancestors experienced. Next, add events from your life to the timeline!  

4. Take a virtual tour

Many museums do virtual tours. Find a historical museum from the place and/or time that your ancestors lived. You can experience what museums have to offer from the comfort of your home! Click here for a list of some famous museums that do virtual tours!

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5. Discover famous historical figures you are related to

You may know of well-known or famous people in your family but there may be some that you don’t know yet! Visit relativefinder.org and search groups such as astronauts, Constitution signers, Declaration signers, European Royalty, Famous Americans, US Presidents and their wives, Suffragists, Famous African Americans and more!

How Flowers Can Tell Us Stories From Our Family History

Guest Blog Post by Katie Andrews Potter

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Where I live in Indiana, one of the most popular destinations for families is Brown County State Park. The park is tucked in the middle of the gorgeous hill country of southern Indiana and has some beautiful (and challenging!) hiking trails. Wildflowers dot the landscape, changing with the seasons, from the crocuses popping up in the snow of early spring to the black-eyed susans into the fall. This park is extra special for our family because many of my husband’s ancestors lived in Brown County. His Potter ancestors even came to the area in the 1850s because they had heard it was pretty! And now still today we Potters love to go there for the same reason. 

The Flowers of our Ancestors 

I remember on one trip to the park a couple years ago, we went to the nature center to take a look around, but what I gravitated to was just outside the nature center - their Pioneer Garden. Inside a tall white fence was a small garden, which, according to the sign just outside the enclosure, was full of flowers, herbs, and other plants that pioneers of Brown County would have had in their gardens. It was fascinating, but what really struck me was the line on the sign that said that many flowers in the park, especially daffodils, were actually wild descendants of flowers in the pioneers’ gardens. They dotted the sides of the trails and roads inconspicuously - but they had a story to tell. Their ancestors had graced the gardens outside log cabins long ago - and maybe, just maybe, some of the flowers we saw around the park were descended from my husband’s ancestors’ flowers. 

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Another lesser-known place to hike in Brown County is Yellowwood State Forest. My husband has connections to this place through his ancestors, as well. There is even a tiny old cemetery where his 4th great-grandparents are buried, right alongside a hiking trail you can find down a long winding gravel road. We recently hiked this trail, and in the height of summer, wildflowers were everywhere. We passed many morning glories along the side of the trail. As we hiked along on land that my husband’s ancestors had lived on, seeing more and more flowers along the trail, the thought of the pioneers’ flowers came back to me. I had to wonder if the morning glories I was seeing there were somehow descended from the flowers in their old gardens.

Were we hiking past family history, growing wild in the forest around us? Were the flowers in the woods telling us stories too, just as much as the old stones in the cemetery told us stories about his ancestors there? 

Family History Beyond Names and Dates 

We know that our family history is so much more than names and dates. It’s not just the “begats”, is it? It’s the stories behind the names and dates. Every name on a family tree has a life story behind it. And all of our lives are so multi-faceted.

All throughout human history, we have had a special relationship with plants, particularly flowers. We simply cannot survive without them, first of all, but through the millenia, we have discovered countless ways that they can be used. They have medicinal and therapeutic qualities, and they provide us with delicious foods. And of course, we admire and appreciate their beauty. 

So, how do we incorporate flowers into family history with kids? 

When we make the connection that our ancestors used plants in a wide variety of ways, we begin to understand their lifestyles so much better. Their life stories are fleshed out in a multisensory way, too. With your kids, close your eyes and imagine the homes of your ancestors and the plants inside and out of their dwellings. 

For example, when I do this exercise I can imagine my Indiana pioneer ancestors. I close my eyes and simply start asking questions and imagining: 

Did they have a fire blazing in the hearth, even through the hot days of the summer? Can you smell the wood smoke? Are there sweet-smelling flowers in a vase on the table? Or perhaps there’s a faint scent of spearmint, which they swept across their threshold to freshen the air. 

Outside, can you see their gardens? Do they have the tall garden of corn, beans, and squash intertwined together? Do they have herbs in pots or in the ground, ready for use any time they have need of them? And then beyond the wide variety of fruits and vegetables around the home that they’d eat in season or store in the cellar through the winter, are there flowers that they’d brought from seed to beautify their homes? 

I can imagine what their homes might have looked like, smelled like, felt like, and beyond, and suddenly I’m transported back into their time and space. 

Of course, these are just examples of my own pioneer ancestors. Your kids’ ancestors may have had an entirely different experience with plants and flowers, depending on their situation and location. But with your kids, use your imagination to begin asking questions -  to bring your ancestors back to life through imagining the sight, touch, smell, and taste of the plants they used in their time here on earth. 

And next time you pass a field of wildflowers alongside the road, look twice. Think back, imagine, and wonder. Flowers have remarkable beauty, power, and yes - stories. Listen to them. 

What stories can the flowers around you tell? 

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Katie Andrews Potter has been a family historian since she was a teenager. Today she is a married mother of three children, with whom she loves to share stories of their ancestors. Katie is an author, educator, and an American History graduate student. She teaches online creative writing classes about the past to kids and teens through her organization, Wildwood Writing. You can find her at WildwoodWriting.com, and follow her on Instagram at @wildwoodwriting.

Photo Credits: Katie Andrews Potter & Benjamin Potter 




Children's Books that Inspire Family History

Book List Compiled by Lisa McCole

Follow Lisa McCole on Instagram @next_generation_family_history

10 Family History Activities for the 4th of July

by Shenley Puterbaugh

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The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate the founding of the United States of America and spend time with family but did you know that you can make your celebration even more meaningful by connecting with your ancestors? Here are 10 family history activities that will help you do just that! (Many countries celebrate their own Independence Day. If you or your ancestors are not from the United States, you can adapt these ideas to your own country and family.)

  1. Discover which Founding Fathers and US Presidents you are related to

You may be surprised to find which historical figures you are related to! Visit RelativeFinder.org and log in with your FamilySearch account information. Choose one of the following groups to search for ancestors: Constitution Signers, Declaration Signers, US Presidents, Famous Americans.

2. Discover which ancestors were alive on July 4, 1776

Search your family tree for ancestors who were alive on July 4, 1776 and make a list of their names. Print a blank map and mark where they lived. Write about or discuss how they may have been affected by America’s independence and what life was like at that time.

3. Learn how your relatives and ancestors celebrate(d) Independence Day

Ask, discuss and/or write about how your family members and ancestors celebrate(d). How did your grandparents and great grandparents celebrate? Try celebrating this year in a similar way!

4. Reflect and write

What does freedom mean to you? What are your favorite patriotic songs and why? How do you enjoy celebrating the founding of your country? You will become more aware of your thoughts and feelings and will leave a treasure for your children and grandchildren to read in the future!

5. Do a 4th of July scavenger hunt

Make a list of items that you associate with the 4th of July and search for them. Discuss the significance of each item. You can make this into a photo scavenger hunt by choosing places or things in your neighborhood or town that you associate with Independence Day. Split into teams go around town taking photos. When the teams reconvene, share the photos with each other.

6. Plan a family party and share

Host a 4th of July party in the way your ancestors celebrated or how you like to celebrate. Share what you have discovered about your ancestors with your family members. If friends are invited, you can either ask everyone to bring a story, photo or recipe to share from their own ancestor that is specific to the 4th of July or encourage them to get a FamilySearch account and discover how everyone is related to Founding Fathers and US Presidents together!

7. Search for country specific heirlooms

Ask family members what heirlooms (an item that is important to an individual or family) they have or know about that are related to your country such as a special flag or medals from ancestors who fought in a war. Record the story behind the heirloom and take a photo or request one.

8. Learn family stories

Ask family members for stories about relatives or ancestors who fought for freedom. Document them and share them with others. You can piece together stories by researching military records and obituaries too!

9. Learn a skill from 1776

Your ancestors who lived in 1776, had skills that you may not have. Try one! Some examples of time period skills are making Old Fashioned Donuts, sewing a flag or clothing item, and writing a modern phrase or poem in Old English.

10. Listen to patriotic song

You probably have a favorite patriotic song. Ask your parents what theirs is. They may even know ones that your grandparents or great grandparents liked! Listen to, learn or sing one of these songs! Click here for a list of songs that were popular during the American Revolution that your ancestors may have heard.

If you share your 4th of July Family History Activity on Facebook or Instagram, tag @INSPIREFAMILYHISTORY — we would love to see what you do!

How to Find Relatives on Facebook with Descendancy Groups

Guest Post by Heidi Campbell

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Everybody seems to be on Facebook and our ancestors can be too! They have so much to teach us and using social media can help us share their lives with others. What is even better is we can use Facebook to discover and connect with new family members!    

My third great-grandfather, Pehr Hansson Borg (born in 1805) has a group of 83 members. I found this group because I had typed a copy of his son’s personal history and created a supplement with historical context and other annotations. His son, Ole Peter Borg, had twenty children from two wives and I wanted to share his story with as many living descendants as were interested.   

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We all can learn so much from our ancestors. If you pick a set of great-grandparents a few generations back and trace their descendants down the line, you could potentially find many cousins who also claim them as an ancestor. Imagine all of the stories, heirlooms, and traits you can learn about that got passed down the various lines. As you dive deeper into your ancestors’ history, you will discover that each family presents its own novelties that exponentiate with each generation. Depending on how far back you go, you can end up with quite a large set of puzzle pieces to put together. Just thinking about it makes my family historian heart go aflutter!

How to create a Descendancy Facebook Group:

  1. Pick a common ancestor

If you are not close with your extended family, consider finding and getting to know your first and second cousins. Create a group about your mutual grandparent or great grandparent.  If you were fortunate enough to grow up close to cousins and grandparents, consider researching about your ancestors from a few generations back. Pick an ancestor that you already have information on, or one that you are hoping to learn more about. Before you create a group, do a quick search to make sure that there isn’t one in existence already—no need to reinvent the wheel!

2. Define the purpose

Decide what your leading intention is. Are you interested in sharing information, creating relationships, solving a mystery, etc? Be transparent in the “About” section of the group and in the invitations that you send to cousins that you may or may not know.

3. Create the group and add members

One of the easiest ways to start is by creating a Facebook group titled something along the lines of “Descendants of …” or “Family and Friends of ...” etc.

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Add the cousins you do know and encourage them to add siblings and other relatives not on your personal friend’s list. If you are hoping for more people to join by discovering the group, you’ll want to make your group “visible”. If you plan on making it by invitation only, you have the option of making it unlisted by setting it to “hidden.” No matter what you choose on searchability, it’s best to set the group as “private.”

After you’ve started adding cousins to the group take a moment to create a post introducing yourself so group members can get to know you better.

4. Share! 

Create a post sharing what you know about your common ancestor. The more you share, the more others will share in return. You can then ask all of the members to share stories, pictures, recipes, etc, that they received from your shared grandparents or ancestors. 


Do you want to take your family facebook group to the next level? Watch for an upcoming post on how to get the most out of your descendancy group.