Preserve Your Family Stories

By Stacey Anter

The Library Detective

I realize that this is December, but November was National Lifewriting Month and Family Stories Month, and I need to tell you a story (excuse the pun). About ten years ago, my husband and I were close to a neighbor of ours: Peter Stone, a veteran of World War II who was legally blind. Peter had a gorgeous, loveable and very friendly black Labrador retriever seeing-eye dog named Cadbury. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Peter and Cadbury. The two of them were inseparable. Cadbury even made the news as being the only dog with a health club membership, invited into a local gym to use the treadmill. Whenever we saw Peter and Cadbury going for a walk, and he would always be outside no matter the weather, we would stop to talk to them and it was a pleasure to do so every time because we got to know Peter in a way that few neighbors do.

Many war veterans are usually quiet about their experiences during their service basically because it is a painful time to remember. But Peter took part in an important time in American History, and for some reason, he was ready to share his memories with us. My husband is also a history buff and Peter felt comfortable sharing his history with us. We began sitting with him, his wife, her pet bird and Cadbury in their apartment, recording Peter’s stories in hopes of publishing a book, which was Peter’s idea. Peter even hoped we could write a sequel once the first one was done. Well, the holidays came and went. We both got busy with work and other obstacles of life and we never really got a chance to resume our talks. Soon after, Peter passed away, buried with full military honors, and now Cadbury is retired, living with Mrs. Stone, which is what we had hoped so that he wasn’t separated from his “mom.” We are so very thankful to have known him and we want to continue with plans to immortalize Peter’s stories in some form. We are also regretful of not continuing to record the rest of Peter’s memories, but we do have about three cassette tapes of Peter’s voice, which we are now in the process of digitizing for preservation.

The holidays are a time for family gatherings and sharing family stories. Older generations have a plethora of knowledge to give those who will listen, so don’t be afraid to listen because life is a continual learning experience. All you need is an open mind and maybe even a tape recorder or video camera. As the Chase’s Calendar of Events states, November is the “perfect month to start telling and saving family stories.” For starters, you might like to go online and visit http://www.scrapbookstorytelling.com/ This is an excellent web site for more information on saving family stories and perhaps even displaying them in a scrapbook. Books, journaling tips, scrap booking ideas and templates, and email newsletters are available. Writer’s Digest (http://www.writersdigest.com/) is a great source of helpful tips on writing of all kinds. You can check out such books as Creating Your Own Heritage Album by Bev Kurschner Braun. Another good choice is Writing Family Histories and Memoirs by Kirk Polking, and Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs by Maureen A. Taylor.

Don’t just think about writing your family stories. Writing your own life story is also important for passing on your knowledge, experiences and sense of humor. Reading autobiographies give us a sense of the writer’s personality, and it makes us feel as if we know that person even if we never met. There are many books for personal writing, including, You Can Write a Memoir by Susan Carol Hauser, Write From Life by Meg Files, and Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach. You might also like to visit the Soul Food Café at http://www.dailywriting.net/ for tips and support for journal writing and more. And naturally, you would benefit in all ways possible by visiting http://www.writersdigest.com/ for personal life story writing tips, and there is a link to a magazine called Personal Journaling.

I call myself the Library Detective because I can find the answers to any question you can think of, or at least I can point you in the right direction. To find out more about preserving family stories or writing your autobiography, visit your local library; there are more Library Detectives there, too.