Questions to Ask Your Parents When Tracing Your Family Tree
The first thing to do when you are interviewing your parents for information to include in your family tree is to make sure they are comfortable with you taking notes and possibly using a tape recorder or even asking personal questions.
Be alert to any topics they might hesitate on or that will dredge up hurtful facts.
The first question will no doubt be about the marriage of your parents.
How they met, when they met, who did they date before choosing their partner, what attracted you to their spouse?; What fun activities did they enjoy while they were dating?; how long did they date?; did anyone object to the marriage? Did they have a formal church wedding, marriage by a judge or did they elope? Who were their witnesses? These are often family members or very close friends.
If family members, that will further your research and if close friends, you may be able to ask them questions.
Ask about your and the births of your siblings.
Most women love to relate those facts.
What were the worst things your brothers or sisters did as children? What pranks did your parents pull and did they get into trouble? Family trees need a lot of humorous and memorable stories.
Ask about their parents, uncles, aunts, spouses and cousins.
Every little tidbit you can learn about the family will enrich your family tree.
How about languages spoken, hobbies enjoyed or a kooky relative? What jobs did your parents hold and for how long? Did they attend a college or university? How much money did those jobs bring in? Did they enjoy those jobs and did they use any unusual talents? Did your mother have a career when few women were able to work out of the home? Were they born in this country? Did their parents immigrate to America? What addresses exist for all of the relatives? Do they have an address book full of the names of their relatives and friends? This is invaluable in case they die unexpectedly.
What cars did they drive and for how long? Did they take any exciting trips? Did they serve in the military? What memory stands out among the many? Do they have any regrets? Would they change anything about their lives? Would they pick the same spouse they married? As with all genealogy, be grateful, be courteous, remember that all humans make mistakes and record and document all those facts and stories.
Be alert to any topics they might hesitate on or that will dredge up hurtful facts.
The first question will no doubt be about the marriage of your parents.
How they met, when they met, who did they date before choosing their partner, what attracted you to their spouse?; What fun activities did they enjoy while they were dating?; how long did they date?; did anyone object to the marriage? Did they have a formal church wedding, marriage by a judge or did they elope? Who were their witnesses? These are often family members or very close friends.
If family members, that will further your research and if close friends, you may be able to ask them questions.
Ask about your and the births of your siblings.
Most women love to relate those facts.
What were the worst things your brothers or sisters did as children? What pranks did your parents pull and did they get into trouble? Family trees need a lot of humorous and memorable stories.
Ask about their parents, uncles, aunts, spouses and cousins.
Every little tidbit you can learn about the family will enrich your family tree.
How about languages spoken, hobbies enjoyed or a kooky relative? What jobs did your parents hold and for how long? Did they attend a college or university? How much money did those jobs bring in? Did they enjoy those jobs and did they use any unusual talents? Did your mother have a career when few women were able to work out of the home? Were they born in this country? Did their parents immigrate to America? What addresses exist for all of the relatives? Do they have an address book full of the names of their relatives and friends? This is invaluable in case they die unexpectedly.
What cars did they drive and for how long? Did they take any exciting trips? Did they serve in the military? What memory stands out among the many? Do they have any regrets? Would they change anything about their lives? Would they pick the same spouse they married? As with all genealogy, be grateful, be courteous, remember that all humans make mistakes and record and document all those facts and stories.
Source...