Visiting Localities

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INTERVIEWING RELATIVES

In most families, the largest bulk of family history resides in the memories of the family members themselves. The older generations, especially, will have many tales to tell of family doings and adventures. Unless these memories are recorded now, they could be lost forever should someone die.

Researchers should interview and correspond with older family members as soon as possible. They may be the only ones remembering who came over to America, and when, or why, or where the family originated, These vital clues may save time and money in later research, and may allow an opportunity to learn about other old family members to correspond with while they are still alive. Family reunions are a great place to interview severalolder members of the family all on the same day, and sometimes as a group, so the researcher should not miss out on this opportunity as well. Even funerals may be opportunities for interviews, especially after the burial when everyone gathers to eat and share family stories about the dearly departed.

Using Audio and Video Tape For Your Interview

The best interview, of course, is one that is video or audio recorded digitally. If while interviewing, the reseearcher can audio record the relatives, she will have their voices, as well their stories. If the interviewer uses a video camera, she can also capture their body language, their expressions, and often pictures of the place where they live. What a treasure!

Using the Telephone for Remote Interviewing

If actually visiting the relative is impossible, they can always be called on the phone for a phone interview. I spoke to Aunt Hazel Culbertson back in the 1990s before she died, and she was able to tell me many interesting things about the family from her own reseearch. I also called Aunt Nettie Sabella back in 1980 before she died and got a lot of family information on my husband's family.

Using Computer and Video Chat for Your Interview

Another way to interview relatives is by chatting on the internet. Some programs, like Yahoo Messenger with Voice, allow talking to and actually seeing the distant relatives. If the relative being interviewed types important information, the chat can be saved, or their words cut and pasted into a text editor to file and print. I use a LogicTec QuickCam to Videochat with family members. It is an amazing and quick way to learn from your family members across the miles.

Using Social Networking to Interview Relatives

The newest way to interview relatives in using social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. The patron can ask questions on the walls, blogs and status updates offered at these sites. You can use their surname search engines to find folks with the same surname you are looking for and ask people if they are related to you, your cousins or your ancestors. If they are, you can begin to trade family information by posting pictures, sending emails, and videos, and using other networking features. The new found relatives may be able to link the patron to "friends" they are also related to so she can further her research will getting to know new cousins. Some of the applications on these sites allow one to actually search for possible relatives by searching for the surnames and flagged relatives of all the relatives flagged. The reseearcher can learn a lot in a short time using these sites to interview relatives and possible relatives.

Using YouTube to Share Interviews

The researcher can also use YouTube or similar sites to upload videos about their family. If she has old films and videos of family interviews, she can get them digitally converted, and post them online with the permission of those involved or their descendents if they are desceased. Audio files can also be put online, but it is wonderful to find out what the ancestors looked like too. So she may want to make a video using family still photos if she are using only an audio recording as the sound track.That way older interviews of the family done with video tape or audio tape machines can still be shared with cousins online.

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Family Interviews | Forms for Recording Genealogical Information | Software |
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This website written and designed by:
Sharon Marie Centanne,
Genealogy Research Instructor and Internet Trainer
Please direct any questions to:
Sharon.

This page updated July 24, 2009

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