interview

One Way to Save and Record Important Memories

This is a list of suggested questions that may be used when interviewing someone about their family history. Often an oral interview works better than requesting written answers to your questions. This can be especially true with older members of the family. You can, of course, add or subtract questions from this list to suit your particular family or cultural background. In fact, I would not recommend trying to get answers to ALL of these questions at one sitting. Take your time and let the other person give you full answers, even if they go in unexpected directions. You may find answers to questions you would never have thought to ask.

I also recommend that you take a tape recorder and record the answers to these questions. Than you can concentrate on what the other person says and not on taking notes. That way you'll also have the person's voice on tape for others who couldn't be there to hear. You can also more accurately transcribe the answers to your questions later.

Do, of course, ask the person you're interviewing for permission to use the tape recorder. And test the tape recorder for a short time so you'll be sure it works. That will also allow the person being recorded a chance to get comfortable with it. (Always remember to take extra batteries, too. They seem to fail at the most inconvenient times.)

Personal Background

Some questions to ask:
  1. What is your full name? [Inclucing maiden name and married name(s)].
  2. How old are you now?
  3. When were you born?
  4. Where were you born?
  5. Did you grow up there?
  6. Did you and your parents move to different houses or states when you were young?
  7. If so, where did you live?
  8. Were you born in a hospital?
  9. If so, what hospital?
  10. If not, where was it - in your home?
  11. How were young men and women expected to behave when you were a teenager?
  12. How did you usually dress?
  13. Are you married - or have you been married?
    1. If so, whom did you marry?
    2. Where and when was he/she born?
    3. What did you do together before they got married?
    4. What kinds of places did you go for entertainment, for social life?
    5. Did you know each other a long time before you got married?
    6. What did you look like then?
    7. What did he/she look like then?
    8. When and where did you get married?
    9. How old were you?
    10. How old was he/she?
    11. Did you have a big wedding?
    12. Who in your family was there?
    13. Did you get married in a religious setting?
    14. What religion are you?
    15. Have you always followed this religion?
    16. Does your spouse follow the same religion?
  14. Do you have any children?
    1. If so, what are their names and birthdates?
    2. Would it be all right if I write to them?
    3. Would you give me their addresses or phone numbers?

Mother's History

  1. What was your mother's name?
  2. What was her maiden name?
  3. When and where was your mother born?
  4. Do you know when and where your mother's mother (your grandmother on your mother's side) was born?
  5. What was your mother's mother's name (including her maiden name)?
  6. Do you know where your mother's mother's ancestors came from?
  7. What country / state / county / city did they come from?
  8. What was your mother's father's name?
  9. Do you know when and where your mother's father (your grandfather on your mother's side) was born?
  10. Do you know where your mother's father's ancestors came from?
  11. What country / state / county / city did they come from?

Father's History

  1. What was your father's name?
  2. Did he have a nickname?
  3. When and where was your father born?
  4. What was your father's mother's name (including her maiden name)?
  5. Do you know when and where your father's mother was born?
  6. Do you know where your father's mother's ancestors came from?
  7. What country / state / county / city did they come from?
  8. Do you remember hearing stories about your ancestors when they were young? Will you tell them to me?
  9. What was your father's father's name?
  10. Do you know when and where your father's father (your grandfather on your father's side) was born?
  11. Do you know where your father's father's ancestors came from?
  12. What country / state / county / city did they come from?
  13. Do you remember hearing stories about your ancestors when they were young?
  14. Will you tell them to me?
  15. Do you remember hearing any stories about why your ancestors-either on your father's or mother's side of the family--came to America?
  16. Will you tell them to me?

The Parents

  1. Tell me about your parents.
  2. Did they ever tell you how they met and fell in love?
  3. Tell me that story.
  4. How and when did your parents decide to get married?
  5. What did your parents do together before they got married?
  6. What kinds of places did they go for entertainment, for social life?
  7. Where did your mother grow up?
  8. Where did your father grow up?
  9. Did your mother or father ever tell you what their childhood was like?
  10. What did your mother do before she was married?
  11. Did she work?
  12. What kind of work did she do?
  13. Was your mother married before she married your father? After?
  14. Was your father married before he married your mother? After?
  15. Can you describe your mother to me?
  16. What did she look like?
  17. Close your eyes and picture your mother. What is she doing now, in your thoughts?
  18. How do you picture her now?
  19. Did your mother have any birthmarks or scars?
  20. Do you know how they got the scars?
  21. Can you describe your father to me?
  22. What did he look like?
  23. Close your eyes and picture your father. What is he doing now, in your thoughts?
  24. How do you picture him now?
  25. Did your father have any birthmarks or scars?
  26. Do you know how he got the scars?
  27. Can you tell me a story about your mother--something she did or the way she was--that you remember most?
  28. Did your mother have any hobbies?
  29. What were her hobbies?
  30. What were they?
  31. Was she artistic?
  32. Musical?
  33. Did she sew or raise a garden?
  34. Do you remember anything in particular that she made?
  35. Did your mother work outside of the home?
  36. What kind of work did she do?
  37. Was your mother a good cook?
  38. What was her favorite meal?
  39. Did she have any special, or "secret" recipes? What were they?
  40. Do you know how she made them?
  41. What meal did she make that was your father's favorite?
  42. What meal did she make that was your favorite?
  43. Can you cook as well as your mother?
  44. Did your father cook?
  45. Did either of your parents read to you when you were small?
  46. Did they tell you bedtime stories?
  47. Do you remember what they were about?
  48. Was either of your parents actively involved in the community?
  49. Did they belong to clubs or fraternal organizations?
  50. Did either of them ever run for office?
  51. Can you tell me a story about your father--something he did or the way he was--that you remember most?
  52. Did your father have any hobbies?
  53. Was he artistic?
  54. Musical?
  55. Was he handy with tools?
  56. Did he build things?
  57. Did he play chess, or cards?
  58. Did he raise a garden or any animals?
  59. What were his hobbies?
  60. What skills or talents did you learn from either your mother or father?
  61. What important lesson or lessons did either one teach you?
  62. Tell me about your mother's temper?
  63. Did she ever lose her temper that you remember?
  64. Why did she lose it?
  65. How did it finally end up?
  66. Tell me about your father's temper?
  67. Did he ever lose his temper that you remember?
  68. Why did he lose it?
  69. How did it finally end up?
  70. Did your mother or father have a good sense of humor?
  71. Did they tell jokes or funny stories?
  72. Can you remember when your mother or father cried?
  73. Why did they cry?
  74. What is the saddest event you can remember?
  75. Do you think you inherited some of your mother's or father's emotional qualities?
  76. Which ones?
  77. Tell me how you are like your mother?
  78. Your father?
  79. How was your mother's health, generally? Your father's?
  80. Was your mother ever severely ill or injured?
  81. Was your father ever severely ill or injured?
  82. Tell me about it.
  83. What religion was your mother raised in?
  84. Your father?
  85. What do you think was the greatest tragedy your mother or father suffered in their lives?
  86. Did either of your parents ever talk to you about sex (sex-education)?
  87. What was your mother's attitude about premarital sex, or teenage sexuality?
  88. How did she feel about teenagers in general?
  89. What do you think your mother or father would say about today's teenagers?
  90. When did your mother die?
  91. How did she die?
  92. Your father?
  93. How did he die?
  94. What cemetery are they buried in?
  95. Are they buried together?
  96. Did your mother or father ever say how they felt about death or dying?
  97. What was their attitude about it?
  98. Tell me about your parents' education.
  99. How much education did they have?
  100. Where did they go to school?
  101. Did they finish school?
  102. If not, do you know why not?
  103. Can you remember if they ever said anything about their experiences at school?
  104. Hiw did they get to school?
  105. What kinds of dreams of the future did your mother/father have?
  106. Did any of their dreams come true?
  107. Did your parents/grandparents live through any wars?
  108. Which one(s)?
  109. Was your father in the military during the war?
  110. If so, what branch of service was he in?
  111. Did he ever fight in a battle?
  112. Where?
  113. Was he ever wounded?
  114. Were any of your ancestors killed in battle?
  115. Tell me something about your mother that stands out clearly in your mind.
  116. What are you thinking right now?
  117. Happy thoughts or sad?
  118. Tell me something about your father that stands out clearly in your mind.
  119. What are you thinking right now?
  120. Happy thoughts or sad?
  121. Was your father or his father physically strong?
  122. What about your mother's father?
  123. Did any of them like to work outdoors?
  124. Did any of them fish or hunt?
  125. Did any of them have hobbies?
  126. What did they teach you, that you can remember?
  127. Did your father or grandfathers have lots of friends?
  128. Did they like lots of people around?

The Siblings

  1. How many children did your mother have?
  2. What are their names?
  3. What are their birthdates?
  4. Who is the oldest child?
  5. The youngest?

Grandmother

These questions should be asked for both the maternal and the paternal grandmothers:
  1. What kind of person was your grandmother?
  2. What did she look like?
  3. What kind of personality did she have?
  4. Tell me about your grandmother's education.
  5. How much education did she have?
  6. Where did she go to school?
  7. Did she finish school?
  8. If not, do you know why not?
  9. Can you remember if she ever said anything about her experiences at school?
  10. How did she get to school?
  11. What kinds of dreams of the future did she have?
  12. Do you know if any of her dreams came true?
  13. How many children did she have?
  14. Was she married more than once?
  15. If so, do you know how the marriage(s) ended?
  16. What happened to her other husband(s)?
  17. Do you know the name of the other husband(s)?
  18. Do you know when he died and where he was buried?
  19. Did she do any kind of work to make money for the family?
  20. How many aunts and uncles do you have on your mother's side?
  21. Can you give me their names and birth dates?
  22. Are any of them alive? Can I contact them?
  23. What were some of your grandmother's best qualities?
  24. Her worst qualities?
  25. Are you like her in any way?
  26. Did your grandmother have some special talents?
  27. How important was your grandmother to you?
  28. Do you think she had any effect or influence on you?
  29. Do you know when your grandmother died?
  30. What did she die of?
  31. Where is your grandmother buried?
  32. Can you tell me a story about your grandmother that would characterize her--
    perhaps something she did, or the way she reacted to something that happened to her
    or some member of her family?

Grandfather

These questions can be asked for both grandfathers:
  1. What kind of person was your grandfather?
  2. What did he look like?
  3. What kind of personality did he have?
  4. How many children did he have?
  5. Was he married more than once?
  6. If so, do you know how the marriage(s) ended?
  7. What happened to his other wife/wives?
  8. Do you know the name of the other wife/wives?
  9. Do you know when she died and where she was buried?
  10. How many aunts and uncles do you have on your father's side?
  11. Can you give me their names and birth dates?
  12. Are any of them alive? Can I contact them?
  13. What were some of your grandfather's best qualities?
  14. His worst qualities?
  15. Are you like him in any way?
  16. Did your grandfather have some special talents?
  17. How important was your grandfather to you?
  18. Do you think he had any effect or influence on you?
  19. Do you know when your grandfather died?
  20. What did he die of?
  21. Where is your grandfather buried?
  22. Tell me about your grandfather's education.
  23. How much education did he have?
  24. Where did he go to school?
  25. Did he finish school?
  26. If not, do you know why not?
  27. Can you remember if he ever said anything about his experiences at school?
  28. How did he get to school?
  29. What kinds of dreams of the future did he have?
  30. Do you know if any of his dreams came true?
  31. What kind of work did your grandfather do?
  32. Was he in the military?
  33. If so, what branch of service was he in?
  34. Did he serve in a war?
  35. Do you know where he served?
  36. Was he ever wounded?
  37. Can you tell me a story about your grandfather that would characterize him--
    perhaps something he did, or the way he reacted to something that happened to him
    or some member of his family?

The Grandparents

  1. How did your grandmother and grandfather meet?
  2. Were there any family heirlooms/property, etc. that have been handed down from generation to generation?
  3. What are they?
  4. Who did they belong to first?
  5. Where are they now?
  6. If you have them, how did you get them (from your mother?; from your father?)
  7. Would you let me see them and take a picture of them?
  8. Do you have any old photographs of your ancestors?
  9. Would you let me make a copy?
  10. Do you have any old letters that were written by your ancestors?
  11. Would you let me make a copy?
  12. Can you think of anything else about your grandparents?
  13. Can you tell me about any "black sheep" in the family?
  14. Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives on either side of the family?

Background

  1. Describe your surroundings when you were a child?
  2. Can you picture the kitchen?
  3. Did your parents or grandparents believe in an afterlife?
  4. Were they worried about it?
  5. Tell me about your uncles or aunts. What are their names?
  6. Can you tell me what years they were born?
  7. What do you remember most about them?
  8. Does any ONE stand out in your memory?
  9. Why?
  10. Who was your favorite cousin?
  11. Why?
  12. Are you in touch with any of your aunts, uncles, cousins?
  13. Where do they live?
  14. Would it be all right if I got in touch with them?
  15. What are their addresses / phone numbers?
  16. How many sisters and brothers do you have?
  17. What are their names?
  18. What years were they born?
  19. Would it be all right if I got in touch with them?
  20. What are their addresses / phone numbers?
  21. Did any of them die in childhood?
  22. Where they are buried?
  23. Did any of them die when adults?
  24. Where they are buried?
  25. What did they die of?
  26. Did you have a favorite brother or sister?
  27. Why was that one your "favorite"?
  28. What was the major news event of your life?
  29. How did you feel about it?
  30. What influence did it have on you?
  31. What political party did your parents or grandparents belong to?
  32. Did they vote?
  33. Do you remember your grandparents' parents (your great-grandparents)?
  34. What were their names?
  35. When and where were they born?
  36. How old were they when they died?
  37. Where are they buried?
  38. Did your parents or grandparents speak a foreign language?
  39. What language?

Don't forget to say, "Thank you, very much."

Bar

Graffics by McKenzie

McKenzie's Mint

When someone does something good, Applaud!
You will make two people happy.
--- Samuel Goldwyn


Since June 12, 1999

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Last Updated: June 26, 1999

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