Do you know your family history? Are you certain? Most of us go about our lives,
preoccupied by the ups and downs of living, without paying much attention to the fact that
our existence today is influenced by a genetic, environmental, and cultural makeup going
back thousands of years.
For those of us who have researched our family histories, we smile and wax poetic when we
learn new facts that add to an often skeletal history of our ancestors.
Most of us were not lucky enough to have been the offspring of famous political or public
figures such that every aspect of their lives was chronicled by biographers, with each
scrambling for the tidbits of fascinating, scintillating, or perhaps even scandalous
intrigue. Even for those who were blessed (some would say cursed) with famous ancestors,
there are gaps in the family tree, particularly for the lesser-known (note that I did not
say lesser important) ancestors. Joyful surprises often await the researcher who is
willing to invest time and energy to investigate his or her heritage. The more tracks we
can leave for others to follow, the better we will have left this world for future
generations.
Your Family History
It is important to collect all available information about your family history and to then
transcribe this valuable heritage into written documentation, because once our relatives
pass away, a resource for information about our family tree is lost to us forever.
My father passed away in 1998. He was a complex man; Dad had a fine intellect, and mixed
among his faults, there were also many admirable qualities. He and my mother farmed as
much as 2000 acres in north central Florida, in the small farming community called
McAlpin, located south of Live Oak in Suwannee County, Florida. Growing up, I knew very
little about my outstanding heritage.
Dad was an excellent provider, and he set a fine example for his children in so many ways.
He wanted his children to have a fine education. Perhaps because of our personalities, or
just lack of thought, many aspects of my dad’s past were never discussed with me. I
am confident he did not know the family history as I now know it, after my considerable
effort and research.
Unfortunately, there were many questions about my father’s life that I never asked
him during his lifetime. I learned a lot about my father through the support of my mother,
and others, after his death. It helps to learn the unvarnished perspectives of others to
better understand the life events that shaped my father, my family, and me. After all, I
am the product of each of my parents’ characteristics and behaviors, both good and
bad, as well as my own.
Genetics and environmental factors shape all of us to a degree that can influence our
lives in ways that we sometimes do not like to recognize, as we often see our parents in
ourselves as we grow older.
Our Website Has An Excellent Form To Interview Your Loved Ones
On my primary Web sites, AAA-Memorials.com or ValdostaMemorials.com, we have one of the
finest forms available for interviewing your relatives. The form, authored by Virginia
Allee and used with permission of the Texas A&M University System, is located on our
Web site in the form of a free download. It is a wonderful resource that you should
utilize to interview your loved ones. As a courtesy, I am also including a copy following
this article.
How Do You Interview Your Relatives?
I recommend interviewing your parents and any other relatives with a tape recorder, or
better yet, a videotape that can be viewed by future generations. You can miss a lot of
information when you are taking notes and are not able to focus on what is being said. You
can always go back and take notes later!
Who Do You Interview?
Interview your great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, great-aunts and uncles and
others within the family tree, and beyond, for posterity.
Centuries from now, folks would like to know the details of our lives and how we lived
during this age. It will help future generations unlock the mysteries of their past and
appreciate their heritage.
For example, during my lifetime, I can remember when we did not have locks on our doors,
color TV, central air conditioning, telephone, warm water, indoor plumbing or toilets,
computers, fax machines, cell phones, E-mail, and the like. I remember when our family
exchanged milk for my school lunch.
I recall reading Dick Tracy while sitting on a two-seater outdoor toilet and using the
pages from a Sears Roebuck Catalog for toilet paper.
I recollect, as a young boy, standing next to a pot-bellied stove for heat, burning my
finger and then holding it out the window while driving on a dirt road, which has now been
paved. I also vividly remember the sorry heritage of Jim Crow and the world before
integration, which still casts a pall over our world as the heritage of racism continues
to haunt our present. Letting your ancestors know about your recollection of historical
events will help connect them to the past and will help them understand the state of the
family and nation at that time.
I would like to think that future generations of my family, as well as others, will find
some of these stories to be fascinating as they take their lives with resources not even
imagined now for granted.
Don’t Wait! Start Now!
Don’t wait! Interview your relatives now, and allow the legacy to be shared with
others. This would be an excellent time to interview, and perhaps tape record or videotape
your loved ones for future generations. Write your own histories too. As I tell everyone,
start writing the family history for future generations! Along the way, you will
understand yourself better than you do now.
Finally, do it now! I have made it easy for you to get started by including a copy of our
questionnaire following this article. Check it out, act upon it, and document your
heritage. You will be glad you did, and, besides, it is the right thing to do!
A Family History Questionnaire
by Virginia Allee
- Introduction -
The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide you with a mind jogger to help you in
making notes on your own life or to guide you in recording the life experiences of another
member of your family. The information you record will become an important link between
you and your descendants. It will serve as a means of conveying a picture of what your
life has been like and a sense of what has been important to you.
At the top of a sheet of paper write:
1. The full name, date and place of birth of yourself.
2. The full name, date and place of birth of your mother (maiden name) and the full name,
date and place of birth of your father.
3. The full name, date and place of birth of your brothers and sisters (with spouses'
names).
4. The full name, date and place of birth of your children (with spouses' names).
Write your thought on sheets of good quality paper numbering each answer to correspond to
the appropriate question. Write your name on each sheet too and leave room to add new
thoughts later.
Read only a few questions ahead, or you will never get started. Combine questions if you
wish and skip those that do not seem to apply to you or that you cannot or choose not to
answer. And answer any additional questions that occur to you.
Do not start out trying to produce a finished composition; just let your memories flow
naturally. Later, you or perhaps your child or great-grandchild can edit it. Right now you
are simply gathering the all-important facts and memories.
Work for short periods of time. You can continue your answers at odd moments or you can
stop to ponder or discuss them. But spend your time writing rather that rereading your
earlier answers or slow progress may discourage you.
You might want to compose your answers as though you are writing a letter to your family
-- to people you know and love --for that is essentially what you are doing. Start out
with something like this: You and I are of the same blood. I want you to know something
about me and our family. My name is Jane Doe. I was born July 10, 1921, in the town of
...After that, the rest is easy.
________________________________________
Grandparents
1. What were the names of your mother's parents?
2. When and where were they born? Where did they live?
3. What did he do for a living?
4. Do you have any personal memories of them? Describe.
5. What were the names of your father's parents?
6. When and where were they born? Where did they live?
7. What did he do for a living?
8. Do you have any personal memories of them? Describe.
9. Did you know your grandparents well?
10. What do you remember hearing about your great grandparents?
11. Did you ever meet them?
12 Did your great-grandparents, grandparents or parents come to the U.S. from a foreign
country? What stories are told in your family about the crossing? Do you have any
relatives in foreign countries?
13. What traditions are still practiced in your family?
________________________________________
Childhood:
The Family Home
1. What type of house did you live in as a child? Describe.
2. What other buildings were on the same property?
3. Did you have a yard? A fence? A swing? Flowers? Trees? A lawn?
4. As a child, did you have a room of your own, or did you share it with someone else? If
so, whom?
5. Did you have a bed of your own?
6. In what room did you eat? Kitchen? Dining room?
7. Where did you eat when there was company?
8. Did your house have a parlor? Was the family allowed to use it?
9. How was your home heated? Was it warm in winter? Explain.
10. Did you have a fireplace?
11. What kind of kitchen stove did your parents cook on?
12. Did you burn wood? Coal?
13. Did you have to buy the fuel or was there a choice, such as cutting wood, with which
you had to help?
14. Where did your family get water? Was it plentiful? What methods were used to conserve
water?
15. Did your family always have a refrigerator? If not, what did you use instead? When did
you get a refrigerator?
16. Did your family have a cellar? Where did you store apples, potatoes? Canned foods?
17. Did you always have indoor plumbing? If not, when did you get it?
18. Did you always have electricity? If not, when did you get it?
19. Did you ever use candles or kerosene lamps? Whose job was it to fill the lamps and
replace the wicks?
20. If you moved during your childhood, tell where and when and what you can remember of
each house and the family circumstances and reason for the move.
________________________________________
Family Relations:
Responsibilities, Conditions
1. What was your position in the family? Oldest? Youngest? Were there any advantages?
Disadvantages?
2. What were your duties as a small child? Describe your responsibilities as you grew
older.
3. Who cooked the meals? Who did the ironing?
4. Did you buy or make your own clothing? Who was the family seamstress? Who repaired the
family shoes?
5. When did you learn to cook? Who taught you?
6. Did you learn how to sew? Crochet? Knit? Embroider? Who taught you?
7. Did you ever learn the mechanics of a car? Who taught you?
8. Did your parents keep in touch with distant family?
9. Did you visit relatives often? Near? Far?
10. How did you get your mail? How often?
11. Did you have any childhood diseases?
12. What do you remember about family pets?
13. Were you especially close to anyone in the family?
14. How did the family spend its evenings?
________________________________________
Family Income and Livelihood
1. What did your father do for a living?
2. Did your mother ever work outside of the home?
3. Did you contribute to the family income?
4. Did you get any allowance as a child? Or did you have to earn your own spending money?
If so, how?
5. When did you get your first job outside of the family?
6. Did your family have a garden? For family use or profit?
7. Who did the planting? Digging? Cultivating? Weeding? Watering?
8. What kind of vegetables did you grow? Who harvested them?
9. Did your family have fruit trees?
10. Who did the canning and what vegetables and fruits were canned? How?
11. If you lived on a farm, what crops were planted?
12. Who did the work? Family? Hired Hands? On what occasions?
13. Did you raise hogs or chickens? Cows?
14. What kind of meat did you eat? How often? Did you slaughter your own animals? How
often?
15. Did you keep a cow for milk?
16. Did you make your own butter? Cheese?
________________________________________
Days, Seasons, and Special Occasions
1. What did Saturday mean to you?
2. Was Saturday night bath night?
3. Did you have special shopping habits at Christmastime? Did you earn your own money to
buy presents?
4. How did you spend Christmas? Describe. Did you decorate a Christmas tree? Did you
exchange gifts?
5. What kind of gifts did you receive at Christmas?
6. What did Sunday mean to you?
7. Did you attend church on Sunday? Alone? With your parents or family or friends?
8. Where did you attend church or Sunday school?
9. Did your family observe Easter? In what way?
10. How did you observe the Fourth of July? Where?
11. How was your birthday celebrated? Did you have a birthday cake?
12. What kinds of gifts did you receive on your birthday?
13. Did your family entertain often? What were the occasions?
14. Did your family attend picnics? Family reunions? What do you remember about them?
15. How did you keep cool in the summer?
16. Did you go barefoot in summer?
17. What did you wear in winter to keep warm?
18. Do you remember any blizzards or tornadoes or floods?
19. How did these events affect the neighbors, relatives, or town? How did they affect
you?
________________________________________
Friends and Games
1. What did you do for recreation?
2. Did you or your brothers or sisters have any hobbies? If so, what?
3. Who were your playmates?
4. Who was your best friend?
5. What did you and your friends do when you got together?
6. Did you and your playmates play any organized games? Football? Baseball? Hockey? Kick
the can? Describe.
7. Did you ever learn how to swim? Where?
8. Did you ever attend a taffy pull? Popcorn?
9. Did you participate in 4-H or scouting organizations?
________________________________________
School
1. Where did you go to school?
2. Did you ever attend a one room school? Describe.
3. How did you get to school? If you walked, how far?
4. What do you remember about these walks? Did you walk alone or with friends? Did you
encounter animals that you befriended or that frightened you?
5. Were these walks a hardship in winter? In summer or hot weather?
6. How large was your school in the elementary grades, first through fourth? First through
eighth? Eighth through twelfth?
7. What recreation was provided or allowed during periods of rest or recess?
8. Were you helped by older students or did you help others with their lessons?
9. What kinds of grades did you get? What were your favorite subjects? Who were your
favorite teachers?
________________________________________
Transportation and Surroundings
1. Describe the size of the town where you lived or shopped.
2. Where did your parents shop?
3. How large or how small were the stores?
4. If you lived in a small town or on the farm, did you ever go to the city to shop?
Describe.
5. What was the largest town you remember visiting when you were young? What did you do
there?
6. Did you ever travel on a train while you were young? What was the occasion? Where did
you go and with whom?
7. Were you ever away from home as a child?
8. Did you or your family own a horse? A buggy? Were you able or allowed to ride?
9. When did your family acquire its first car? What make? How much did it cost?
10. When did you learn to drive a care? Who taught you?
11. Where did your family go on vacations?
________________________________________
Outlook
1. Whom did you most admire when you were young? Within the family? Within public life?
Why?
2. Did you choose someone to pattern your life after? Who and why?
3. When you were small, what did you hope to do when you grew up?
________________________________________
Higher Education and Career
1. What education did you get past in high school?
2. When did you finally settle into your career?
3. Did your family support, oppose, or encourage you?
4. While you were in college or in training, did you live away from home? For how long?
5. Who influenced you most and helped you to develop your skills?
6. How many different employers have you worked for? What promotions have you received?
7. Would you choose the same career if you had it to do over?
________________________________________
Marriage and Later Life
1. When and where did you meet your husband or wife?
2. How and when did you get engaged? Married?
3. Where did you marry and who was present?
4. Did you go on a honeymoon?
5. Where was your first home?
6. What is your spouse's occupation?
7. How many moves have you made during your married life? Where and why?
8. Where and when were your children born?
9. What can you remember of their baby days and childhood?
10. Did you or your spouse go into military service?
11. If your husband went into service, what did you do while he was away? Where did you
live?
12. What memories do you have of war years?
13. Have you been politically active during your lifetime?
14. Which political party or parties did you belong to and why?
15. Which presidents have you voted for and why?
16. How has your health been through the years?
17. Did you have animals or pets or recreational equipment?
18. Who have been your closest friends through the years?
19. To what organizations have you belonged?
________________________________________
Philosophy and Outlook
1. Do you have a philosophy of life to share with your descendants?
2. Do you have a favorite philosopher, teacher or writer who best expresses your
philosophy?
3. Do you have religious leanings or strong religious beliefs?
4. What are your favorite biblical passages?
5. What do you have to say about all the changes that have taken place within your
lifetime?
a. The proliferation of consumer goods? Freezers? Dishwashers? Dryers? Electric stoves? TV
sets? Radios? Cars? Power tools?
b. The changes in men's and women's fashions?
c. The revolution in transportation and communication?
d. The struggle for the political and civil equality of minorities and women?
e. The technological breakthroughs in industry, medicine and space exploration?
6. In your opinion, which have been the greatest advances or inventions of all?
7. What things have given you the most pleasure or satisfaction? Your family, home,
career, possessions, hobbies? Man's increased mobility and knowledge concerning himself,
the world, and the universe? The hope for improved race relations and for world peace?
8. Is there anything that has caused you perpetual concern? What events or trends have
disturbed you most in your lifetime?
9. What things do you fear most in regard to future generations? Where are the greatest
inherent dangers?
10. How would you encourage or counsel future generations on the following:
a. Marriage and the home?
b. Obligations to country and society?
c. Traits such as honesty, humility, perseverance, diligence, thrift, loyalty, reverence,
kindness, faith?
d. Care of body, mind and health?
11. What has been your experience in regard to the following:
a. Answers to prayers?
b. Necessity and power of love?
c. Will power as opposed to being ruled by one's feelings?
d. ESP
e. Inner peace and tranquility?
12. What do you consider to have been your most important advancements?
________________________________________
Checklist: Be Sure You Include
the Following Information
1. Your birth date, place, parents, surrounding circumstances and conditions.
2. Your brothers' and sisters' names, dates of birth, dates and places of marriage,
spouses' names and children.
3. Your marriage: To whom, when and where.
4. Family moves: When, where and why?
5. Your career: Training for your job, promotions, employers you worked for, salaries,
associates, achievements.
Distributed by Judith L. Warren, Family Life Education Specialist - Aging, Family
Development and Resource Management, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, The Texas
A&M University System, College Station, Texas. July, 1981.
Educational programs of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service are open to all people
without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. Issued
in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of
Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United
States Department of Agriculture, Chester P. Fehlis, Deputy Director, Texas Agricultural
Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System.
Burton Fletcher is the great-grandson of Ida Lee Sellars Fletcher and Jeremiah Fletcher,
and Emaline and Richard Henry Hunter; grandson of Ethel Mae Mobley and Burton Eugene
Fletcher, and Emma Lillian Geiger Hunter and Gus Esco Hunter Sr.; son of Emma Callie
Hunter Fletcher Dowdy and Rufus Burton Fletcher Sr.; brother to Emma Jean Fletcher Jordan
and Lena Ethel Fletcher Heeney.
Do You Know Your Family History?