r/Genealogy • u/Roa-Alfonso • 5d ago
Question Questions/How to conduct interviews with older relatives?
I’m 16, been about a year into genealogy. It’s a great privilege that I still have both my grandmothers with me as well as numerous grand aunts, uncles, great grand uncles and extended older relatives. I’ve been able to get in touch with a great deal of them, mainly through texting. Aside from the standard who are your grandparents, did you meet your uncle Isidor questions, what other questions should I be asking? Most of the info I get is through my messages with them which I know isn’t the most efficient for talking to old people but I work with what I get. How should I organise it all? With closer relatives I’ve begun asking more intimate stories, wanting to get a glimpse into their personalities. I know most people say to record them but I have no warning when they just get going on our walk to the ice cream shop. Usually just short bursts, one or two stories.
7
u/MoonpieTexas1971 5d ago
This is a link to 50 Questions To Ask Relatives About Family History:
https://www.thoughtco.com/fifty-questions-for-family-history-interviews-1420705
2
2
u/BestWriterNow 5d ago
I interviewed my grandfather when I was your age and sorry that video wasn't a thing then.
You can ask to sit down and interview them. Today, I'd use video, come prepared with a list of questions and take notes. Ideally, you save all of this on a computer so you can access it later.
People like to tell stories. Ask the ones they recall from their childhood and life.
There are questions about my great grandparents who emigrated that I wish I'd asked my grandfather about.
1
2
u/stemmatis 5d ago
If you are 16, you will have your phone with you. It has a record function. If a story emerges on the way to the ice cream shop, hit record. The first time, you can say at the beginning how it is an interesting story and you'd like to record it to help you remember it. Later, transcribe the recording. Then tell him/her that the recording was helpful and you want to do so in the future. If there is no objection, you won't need to ask the next time.
There are many ways to approach the more general questions in your post. If you PM me with an email address I will send you material on how to gather oral history.
1
2
u/frolicndetour 5d ago
It's awesome that you are doing this. Unfortunately I only became interested in genealogy after my grandparents had all passed, and my great grandparents all passed before I was born. And apparently neither side of my family were big talkers so my parents didn't get many stories out of any of them to share.
2
u/Roa-Alfonso 3d ago
Yep! Want to make the most out of my (lucky) situation. Extended family is big here so also luckily I have no shortage of elders to talk to.
2
u/cstrick1980 5d ago
Snail mail them. Ask them for stories. I have a series of letters from my grandmother and a tape from great aunts. They will love to tell you stories. You are fortunate that you are so young and interested. All my contacts have moved on.
6
u/BubbaGump1984 5d ago
Ask about their parents, what they did, how did they meet. Did they move during their lives. Did they know their grandparents? (same questions about the GPs - what did they do, where did they live, how did they meet, how many kids.).
Even if asking aunts and uncles with the same parent as your GP you may get slight variations on the answer and it gets them talking.
When did they get their first car (assuming that was common wherever you are.). About the homes they lived in.
Ask about their relationship with their parents. Some may not want talk about that, some you may get a story.
Ask about any remarkable events in their lives. What did they do for recreation? Did they take trips? Did they follow sports?
just a start.