PRESERVING FAMILY MEMORIES

A friend and I were discussing the importance today of preserving family memories…writing them down, researching your ancestors, and looking into old stories. This can be keeping a journal or diary as my grandparents and my mom did, preserving old letters and asking family members what they recall, making copies of my mom’s and dad’s memoirs. My aunt also jotted down some information about her life. My maternal grandfather wrote realms for local newspapers of his era, which have been published in booklets.

You may never publish professionally the memories of your life. However, to family members and your descendants, they have value. Nowadays there are so many ways to produce them as books and booklets, whether you do it yourself or use print-on-demand services.

Memory Record Methods

You can preserve memories in a number of ways:

Keep a journal or diary. I have those that my mom and her parents wrote at various times of their lives. I have kept journals off and on during my life. Now to find where I’ve stored them!

Create a memory blog to share with family and friends. I did this at Farm Girl Heritage.

Make scrapbooks of photos, report cards, and news clippings; also write about those events.

Compile a recipe book of family recipes and the stories accompanying them.

Make an audio of your stories if that’s easier than writing.

Save cards and letters…either those you’ve written or received. My mom saved many of the letters I wrote her over the years. Now I just have to compile them in order so I have a summary of our life during that time. I also have many of the letters she wrote me.

Do you write an annual family letter at Christmas time? Save a copy for yourself and put into a journal or scrapbook. I got this idea from a friend and find it a great way to have a summary of each year. I also save letters that family members write us.

Compile stories into books or booklets. These may be of interest to people other than family members. A historical society did this with published daily happenings my maternal grandfather wrote for a newspaper.

Here’s Cousin Fran’s recipe in our Allen Family Cookbook, which I helped compile for a family reunion.

BAKED PORK CHOPS

Mix 3 cups bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons butter, 1 large egg and 1-teaspoon poultry seasoning. Add enough milk to make a thick mixture that sticks together.

Place 4 pork chops in an iron frying pan or baking dish with stuffing on top. Bake at 350 degrees F. about 3/4 hour or until done.

Serve with mashed potatoes, vegetable and applesauce.

(c) Mary Emma Allen

(Mary Emma Allen researches and writes about family history from her New Hampshire home.)