What's in Your Family's History?

What’s in your family’s history?  Maybe there’s someone born during the depression or a survivor of war? An artist or photographer? The list is endless…

During this time of social distancing and our use of Facetime, ZOOM, and Skype, now might be a good time to get to know an older relative and uncover your family's history.  When you've visited them in the past, was there an item in their house that caught your eye and appeared to have historical significance? It could be an old photograph on the wall, an antique chest at the end of a bed, a medal, etc. Ask your relative to tell you about the item.

Cal Shook and Anna Bella (Landry) Bradley

My great Aunt Anna Bella Landry Bradley had a large Sepia toned picture that hung above her bed. I asked her about it.  The answer, "It's the only thing that survived the explosion."  That explosion was one I hadn't heard about until that day, the Halifax Explosion.  That one conversation, led to more stories. At first I took notes about them then realized I wasn't getting everything, so she gave me permission to audio tape our conversations.  I wished it had been easier to do video recordings back then like it is now. It was around 1995 when Aunt Anna Bella started sharing about this event. 

ZOOM, Facetime, and Skype, allow you to video record your time together. It can be beneficial to  write down some questions ahead of time to fuel discussion during your time together. This is a simple way to help your loved one(s) leave a legacy and keep their stories alive for generations to come. If a family member is hesitant, assure them that they can view the final video, before you show it to anyone else, and that you’ll edit out anything they’d rather not include. This could be a time, not only to get to know a family member, but to uncover parts of your family's past, as well.

My visits with my great Aunt Anna Bella, along with other relatives, have given me enough information for a family memoir.  Who knows what spending time with your relatives might uncover?

The memoir that I'm working on is called, "A Picture on the Wall."  My editor and I are meeting weekly as I work through the chapters, with plans to have a full draft by the end of the year.  Our goal is to  publish in 2022.  I'm not a professional writer, but am hoping to create a memoir that authentically portrays my great Aunt Anna Bella and my Grandpa Joe's family, showing their triumph over the tragedy, after the the tragedy they survived, on December 6, 1917, the day of the Halifax Explosion.  

There's no time like the present to preserve our family's heritage?  It could give us new insight on the people that came before us.