by Shenley Puterbaugh

“I wish I would have asked, but now it’s too late….” These words were spoken with solemnity by my grandpa and have echoed in my mind ever since. I asked him questions about his parents and grandparents that he didn’t know the answer to and there was no way to find out.

Are there questions that you want to ask your loved ones before it’s too late? It is easy to think they will be around for awhile but then they are gone and you never made it a priority to ask.

DON’T LET IT BE TOO LATE!

Every time a family member dies, a library of knowledge is gone and you can’t get it back. It is possible to do research to find some of the pieces but you will never have the whole story. When you ask in person and hear their tone of voice and find out the details, the deeper meaning is conveyed and the stories become a more meaningful part of your family narrative. Stories from your loved ones can be treasures to you, your family and your posterity for many generations.

Decide now to interview a family member. Pick up the phone and call. Ask questions. If now won’t work then schedule a time to interview them. You will not regret it.

OPTIONS FOR INTERVIEWING

Record phone conversations - There are apps such as ACR that allow you to record the audio of phone conversations so the stories shared over the phone can be kept digitally.

Do an In-person interview - For more tips and suggestions for doing an in-person interview, click here and scroll to the bottom!

Hire a company to do the interview for you - You can hire people to do interviews for you and they will compile and edit as well.