Mary Gordon: Your Family History
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Photo By JC Penney
Mary Gordon: Your Family History
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Photo by Mario V. Contini, 1984. His family and immigrant father, Mario, Ellis Island, 1928 (Photo restored by Jerry Knoski)
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Family history is full of stories told out loud but often stored silently in our brains when today they can be stored for posterity on digital memory devices to be heard and seen for generations to come.The process described herein works with online ancestry sites but expands to recording family stories, exploring family archives, and integrating many sources into a family history. For now, let’s focus on interviewing family members, recording or at least taking good notes. Note a special section, Teen Corner, that suggests connection with grandparents or others who know family stories. Enjoy the many photos from different family stories as you visit places on this site
The process described herein includes guidelines, templates, and real examples. Mary developed this process from her experiences writing two nonfiction books: A Native American biography and an immigrant family history. She developed the related materials for use in the many workshops she has presented on writing family histories. Here are some snippets of stories from several real family histories:
- A teenager learning to drive causing chickens to flutter all over a dirt road! - Watching General Patton come and go in the U.S. desert in the early 1940s. - Team roping for years and finally winning that rodeo event. - Finally getting to know parents lost in an auto accident from stories others have been keeping in their heads. - That first dance, that first trophy, that first set of car keys, that first job. Now, if you like, jot down a few of your own snippets. Save them to put in your own family history.
Check out the other places on this site. There are many downloads. They are copyrighted. Should you wish to use these downloads other than viewing them or for a one-time personal use, please go to the Contact Tab where you can send an email asking for permission. Include contact information and how you will use the download. You will get a response.
Come back for new information periodically as my grandson, Danny, and I continue to update this website!
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