Memory Grabber 2004

The Memorygrabber www.FamilyHistoryProducts.
com
The
MemoryGrabber¥
An E-Book That
Turns a Life Lived
into Legacy.
By
Michael R. Boyter
1
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Memorygrabber is 1999-2004 Boyter Information Products

All Right Reserved Worldwide.
MANUSCRIPT NOTES:
This copy is revision three, completed January 2004
No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any
way, including but not limited to digital copying and commercial printing without the prior
agreement and written permission of the publisher. Printing for personal use is of course
granted and recommended!
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2
Memorygrabber Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Of Journals and Legacies 7
This Is Who I Am 8
Getting Started 11
Digital Video is Here! 19
Background Information 27
Early Childhood 32
My Early School Years 34
My Growing Up Years 36
Teenage Years 40
High School Years 43
My Prom 46
Class Reunions 47
College & Advanced Training 48
My Parents 50
Brothers & Sisters 54
Grandparents 57
Military Service 59
Dating 62
My Spouse and Our Marriage 65
Our Children 70
Sons and Daughters-In-Law 73
Our Grandchildren 74
Advice for Grandchildren and Future Generations 75
Work History and Career 77
My Own Business 79
Religion 80
Travels and Vacations 81
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Memorygrabber Lists! 83
List Your Favorite 84
Family “Awards” 86
Life Inventory Lists 106
Social Circles 112
Memorygrabber Activities 113
Activity #1 Share your old photographs 113
Activity # 2 Progressive Family E-mail 114
Activity #3 Drawing from your past 115
Activity #4 A Project Never Ending 116
Activity #5 Reconnect with your Cousins 117
Activity #6 Four Generation Pedigree Charts 118
Activity #7 Family Group Sheets 119
Activity #8 What Does your Bookshelf Say About You? 119
Activity #9 Play Family Trivia 120
Activity #10 Build a Timeline Chart 121
Activity #11 Video Tape Everyday Life 122
Activity #12 Pass on Stories from your Childhood 123
Activity #13 Wedding Reception Reminiscing 124
Activity #14 Memories of Those That Have Passed On 125
Values and Beliefs 126
Politics & Social Issues 129
Easy Journal 131
That Which I Fear 134
My Medical History 136
History and Nostalgia Links 139
Friends & Associates 142
Family Involvement 144
Miscellaneous 145
A Treasure Hunt! 146
Resources 148
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Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank my wife Sheri for her continued support and patience with me
while I’ve put this book together. Without it, Memorygrabber would not be. She’s
always there to listen when I need a “sounding board” and is the voice of
reason when I grow impatient. I can always count on her to tell me what I need to
hear, which is not always, necessarily, what I want to hear.
I’d also like my parents, Clinton and Betty, for their support and continued belief
in all that I do.
This book is dedicated to the eternal memories of:
Velva Ledbetter (1919-1985), my maternal grandmother
and
Clinton Carl Boyter (1919-2000), my paternal grandfather
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Introduction
First, I want to thank you for purchasing Memorygrabber¥
The concept of Memorygrabber™ has been in my head for a very long time.
The concept was and still is to provide an easy and fun way for the average
person to tell about their life, thus enriching not only their life, but also those of
their loved ones and the lives of their descendants.
Hand a person a blank writing tablet and tell them to begin writing their life story.
Most would find it difficult, throwing out the typical vole of reasons that it
couldn’t be done:
a. I don’t write that well
b. I can’t think of what to write
c. My life has been pretty boring and bland
d. I don’t know where to start

e. I don’t have that much time to work on it
Well, Memorygrabber is the exact opposite of a blanket writing tablet. I made it

that way deliberately and purposely.
Memorygrabber is all encompassing and is a massive compilation of thought-

provoking questions, self-revealing lists to create and other innovative ways to
help one preserve their life story without…
a. Being an overly great writer

b. Having to think of things to write about on your own
c. The false and crippling belief that your life isn’t exciting enough to write about
d. The hassle of trying to outline and organize your life (it’s already done for
you).
e. Spending a lifetime working on it
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Of Journals and Legacies
Since I was eleven years old I have put personal history writing high on my
priority list. It may not have always been the top item on that list, but it has
always been on the list.
It was when I was eleven, that my parents gave me a plain-looking, hardcover,

brown journal for Christmas. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t flashy and it had nothing
written in it at all, but I was thrilled to get it! I am very thankful to them for it.
I really don’t remember if I asked for a journal or if I even knew what one was. I
took to it immediately though.
I stuck with it through my teenage years. One of the most satisfying

experiences in life is to look back and recall your happy experiences, the
relationships you’ve experienced and your most significant accomplishments.
Why keep personal histories and write a life stories or autobiographies? The
answer would probably vary by the number of people you ask.
For me, I always write with some sense of an audience made up of future
generations. This, I suppose, may seem egotistical to some. My descendants
may have no desire or interest in my writings; who’s to say? But if they’re like
me, they will read it with great interest.
I have been the beneficiary of several journals written by some of my ancestor. I

have always loved reading and learning about those from whom I descended and
that I am a part of.
A personal history becomes a family treasure than enables children to emulate

the virtues and personal characteristics of their forebears.
There is nothing more you can do to turn your children’s hearts closer to yours
than by keeping a journal and writing your personal history. Your children will
ultimately love to know about your successes, your failures and your
peculiarities. It will tell them a lot about themselves, too!
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This Is Who I Am
Every last one of us has a story to tell as well as a sacred duty to preserve
and pass it on. This is in addition to keeping alive the stories and memories of
those who have gone before us.
Upon completing Memorygrabber™, you will have a written or recorded product

that clearly states “This is who I am”. It’s an all encompassing “portrait” of
your life.
x “This is what I’ve done with my life so far…”
x “This is what I’m doing now…”
x “This is what I believe and think about things in life…”
x These are world events that shaped my life and generation…”
x “This is what I plan and hope to do in the future…”
x “These are people (family and friends) that have and still do have
impact in my life…and so on!”
There are some who, when first taking a look at all the many questions, lists
and activities that are contained in Memorygrabber™, ask “What does all that
have to do with my life story?”
Some of the questions, lists and activities contained in Memorygrabber may be

outside the thinking of what an autobiography and life story really is.
The majority of the questions in Memorygrabber™ deal with one’s past but
many of them deal with who you presently are. Remember, starting
tomorrow, today is already part of the past!
Additionally, there are questions that deal with the future and even a few
that deal with hypothetical “What would you do…” type of questions
The answers to these kinds of questions go a very long way in conveying the
truly unique person that you are.
A hundred years from now, your great-great grandchild will definitively know
who you were, how you thought and what you hoped for. They will know what
you accomplished in your lifetime, what you believed, thought, valued, and
dreamed for.
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Emphasis is also placed on you describing the other members of your

family.
If your life story was a painted portrait on a piece of canvas,

you’d be the subject or object of the picture and all surrounding
members of your family would be the background. A painting needs a
background to make it’s “story” complete!
There is another reason for the emphasis on family members in Memorygrabber.
“Brother Helping Brother”

Think of your siblings!
Years from now you are not the only one that will have a posterity wishing that
they had answers about and knew more about those who came before
them.
If your brother (or sister), for example, never takes the time to write about his life,
then what his posterity ever knows about him may solely rest on the little bit
that you write about him in your life story.
I wish to relate to you something that happened to me about eight years ago. It
loosely illustrates my point above.
By happenstance, I came across another individual with my

same last name of Boyter. Boyter isn’t that common of a name,
as you know. Up to that point in my life, I had never crossed paths
with a Boyter and not known immediately how we were related.
We sat and talked for the better part of a day, swapping family
stories and looking at family photographs. It was amazing how
much he looked like my grandfather.
In an attempt to figure out how the two of us were related, he told a

story of his ancestor James Boyter who, in the 1870s, traversed the
Atlantic Ocean from Scotland with his older brother Alexander.
One or both of the brothers had supposedly endangered

themselves by “illegally” hunting rabbits on another’s property. The
story goes on that these two, to escape a certain jail sentence, fled
to the United States.
They eventually brought their mother to the U.S. and became quite
the homebuilders using mainly masonry skills that they had
acquired along the way. They became very prominent members in
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the town they settled in.
I sat and listened as this person told me this story. I kept silent, but
held a smile inside as he told it. I had heard this same story told
countless times at family gatherings since childhood. Now
here was a complete “stranger” telling me the same exact
story.
It was a bizarre feeling!
I immediately knew exactly how we were related!
He was excited when I told him that I was a descendant of the older
brother Alexander; my great-great grandfather Boyter.
If that story had been lost to my family over the years, I would
have regained a knowledge of my great-great grandfather
Boyter that day thanks to the diligence of life story preservation of
the long line of descendants of James Boyter (his ancestor).
And this was my point from the beginning of one sibling helping another’s
posterity. It happens.
Again, this is a loosely comparable example, because in this case both sides
of the family held on and perpetuated the story down through the years.
But, it is for this reason, that I placed such a strong importance on relatives
that have surrounded you during your life.
Your “Aunt Mary’s” posterity may know only that you thought Mary was “the
funniest” and “the best gardener” in the family because you answered those
two questions in the Family Awards section of this book with her name.
Just knowing those two simple things about her can make all the difference in
the world to her relations years from now.
All because you recorded it in your autobiography!
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Getting Started
Memorygrabber¥ is designed to be easy to use. One of the hardest parts

of writing one’s life story is just getting started. This book is set up to make you
want to jump right in and get going!
Memorygrabber™ can be used in several manners:
You can use it to:
1. Write your own life story.
2. Write the life story of another.
3. Record your life story on audio or video tape.
4. Conduct personal history interview of others on tape.
5. Work on it with a parent to preserve stories from their life.
6. Work on it with a grandparent to preserve their life story.
7. Create meaningful scrapbook page layout ideas
Regardless of how you use this book…
…print out a copy of Memorygrabber™.
Whether you plan to write, conduct a family history interview or be interviewed, it

is important to prepare.
From the beginning, get a large, sturdy three-ring binder. Place your printed
pages into this binder. This will keep your life story project organized and
prevent the loss of completed pages.
By doing so, you are creating a physical workbook that, if properly preserved,
can be passed down or found by family if you are not actually able to pass it
down personally due to sudden accident or illness.
A printed copy will serve as either a “script” for a personal history interview or a
workbook and guide for a written version of your life story.
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Memorygrabber’s™ questions are in chronological order, but don’t let this
prevent you from beginning anywhere you choose!
This, the newest revision of Memorygrabber™, gives a little more space between
questions, but, as you can see, there still isn’t room to write full length
stories/memories below each question.
The proper course of action is to provide (on the printed page) short informative
answers to most if not all the questions and lists.
Along with the short answers, be sure to include notes, dates and other
information that you want to include in your relating that particular memory.
Important Note! If all you ever did was give short answers to the questions and
write in a list of single words to complete the lists included in Memorygrabber™,
how great would be the joy of your descendants some day.
Your life story can be as fancy as you want it, but never ever decide not to
preserve your life story because you don’t believe you can make it look and
sound perfect.
Scribbled notes on a piece of wrinkled paper is much better than NOTHING!
This is where you need to make a decision.
If you are writing (opting not to record your life story on tape) your life story, then
go back through your short answers. Answer these questions now at your
desired length.
To write these, insert several blank sheets of paper directly behind the particular
Memorygrabber™ question page. This keeps your memories in some sense
of order and gives you plenty of room to expound on them later.
EXAMPLE:
In the “My Growing Up Years” section of this book, one memory prompt asks
you to “Tell about going to grandma’s house”.
If it was my first time through Memorygrabber™, I’d write short, brief answers
that would help me not to forget stories that I may decide to write about at greater
length later. Here are my answers to the question
x Prepared us big southern breakfasts
x First person that I knew to have Cable TV
x Always worried about our safety at school
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x Always had a big dog for protection
Now, at a later point I’d come back through these short answers. I’d insert an
additional sheet of paper right behind the one with the “Grandma’s House”
question.
Be sure that your short answers are complete answers!
By this I mean that you must make sure that the short answers can stand on their
own.
If I never wrote or recorded more about any of the 5 “short answers” that I listed
about going to my grandma’s house, the future readers (children and
grandchildren) would still know her a little bit better.
…And isn’t that the purpose of preserving biographies and

autobiographies after all?
Continuing with the example, on that new sheet of paper I may write the
following:
“Prepared Us Big Southern Breakfasts”
“Grandma was from Kentucky and she was an excellent at

cooking southern dishes. I fondly remember waking up at her
house to the comforting smells of breakfast. A typical breakfast at
her house included bacon/salt pork, homemade biscuits,
homemade gravy, fried apples, grits and many other breakfast
items that would literally fill the entire table up!
I remember feeling a bit guilty knowing how early she’d get up in

the morning to make such an elaborate breakfast for my brother
and I.
My mom always said that I really needn’t feel like that because
“going to all that fuss” was something that made grandma very
happy. When she had company over, especially grandkids, she
loved it and wanted to go all out and spoil us.
Grandma lived alone every since grandpa died a few years before
I was born. He was a coal miner and died from black lung
disease. How ironic. I’m told that he never smoked a day in his
life, but died almost as if he had.
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Grandma passed away 17 years ago. Looking back now as an
adult, I realize how lonely she must have been without grandpa.
I’m very happy for all those special times that I had to spend at her
house and, even though I felt a little guilty then for her working so
hard on those early morning breakfasts, I know now it was
something that made her happy and hopefully not quite so lonely.”
…and in continuing the example, I’d continue on talking a little bit about each
of the short answers that I wrote under the memory prompt “Tell about going to
grandma’s house”.
All in all, it took only a few minutes to write the above memory. I didn’t have
to think very long on it. Do you know why…?
…Because I lived it. This is exactly why writing about your own life is
not really difficult at all…contrary to popular belief.
As I wrote the memory above, I was really just “rambling and writing”. Include
as much information as you can.
You will notice that I mentioned my grandpa along with how he died and one of
the few things that I have always heard the family relate about him (not smoking
but dying from black lung disease).
I could have left that out but why not include it here in my life story, as it
popped into my head. It relates to grandma and I may never think to write it
anywhere else.
If you are an English teacher, perhaps you will find sentence structure errors,
but I respectively don’t really care about that. Caring about these things, to an
extreme, is what causes people to not write about their lives in the first place.
A JOURNAL FROM THE PAST

I have a 30 page journal from John Murdock, born in the 1790s. He is
my great grandfather, six generations back.
He wrote pretty well, but there are errors in what he wrote. Have I ever thought
less of him because of it? No, never!
Do I ever think how extremely lucky I am to have such an accounting of his

life (spelling errors or not)? Yes, yes, yes!
Your objective should be to put to paper as much of your life story as you
possibly can recall and make sure that these memories and family stories are
passed down to your children.
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As long as your objectives are met and the life story conveyed, then you should
feel satisfied.
It’s okay if it’s not fancy or eloquently written. Everyone needs to remember
that and not let it, or any other excuses, prevent you from marching on!
THE OTHER SECTIONS IN THIS BOOK

Treat the list making sections in the same way. Write short answers but many of
the responses you put on your lists will deserve an interesting explanation.
For example, on your “List of Favorites” you might answer “the Fall” as your
favorite season.
Go back through and elaborate, on an inserted blank piece of paper, if needed,

why Fall is your favorite season of the year. The “why” is just as important as
the answer itself. The “why” is the interesting part that your descendants will
want to know.
Memorygrabber™ is Your Guide
Whether you write or record the life story, never feel that you have to use
every last questions, list or activity that is contained in this book.
Especially if you are recording on tape the life story of a parent or grandparent,
go through and put a mark beside the questions that you like best. Identify
the parts that you feel are the most appropriate and relative.
Involve Your Parents and/or Grandparents
All of us grew up listening to the family stories that our parents and grandparents
would tell. These stories always inspired and delighted us and, at some
point, we realized that these stories had to stay with the family down through the
generations.
We swore that we’d some day get them written down. Memorygrabber™ will
make this easier to do.
If you are fortunate enough to still have living parents and/or grandparents,
don’t hesitate to get a copy of Memorygrabber™ in front them.
It will enrich the remainder of your life and will mean so much to your children
and your children’s children.
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Recording Life Stories on Tape
This revised version of Memorygrabber™ has placed an added emphasis on

preserving life stories through recorded means. This is sometimes referred to
as oral history.
It is highly recommended, but of course optional, to record your life story on

audio or video tape.
With the wide availability of recording devices in today’s world, it would be a

shame not to leave a recorded record of your life; allowing your family to hear
your stories told in your own voice.
A price could not be placed on such a family treasure…yes, despite how

uninteresting you think your life has been, I’m referring to your life story.
Should You Use Audio or Video?

Ultimately, I believe a videotaped interview of one’s life is the best…
…but don’t discount the advantages of using an audio taped recording.
Price and Availability - Tape recorders are cheaper and more available than
video cameras.
Stage Fright - Some can be very self-conscious in front of a video camera. If

the individual being interviewed is petrified each time the infamous “red light”
comes on, then the answers to the interview questions will be effected in a
negative way.
Playback and Transcribing
Play back will be much easier. A tape can be listened to in any car cassette
player or used in a hand-held Walkman. You can even have it playing while
making dinner or while taking a walk.
A video recording, in contrast, requires one to sit still in one spot in front of the
TV/VCR.
After an interview, the task of transcribing the interview to paper will be much
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easier with a tape recorder.
If you’ve ever transcribed anything before, you know, all too well, how many
times you have to start and stop the tape. Stopping, starting and rewinding a
VCR is a much more difficult job.
Visual Aspects – An audio recording requires it’s listeners to use their

imaginations. It will be difficult for a listener to imagine an elderly person running
and jumping and being a mischievous kid when they see an elderly individual on
the screen.
Audio-taped life stories will come alive in the imaginations of those who
listen.
Except for when the interviewee is using “props” such as old photograph albums
or other tangible items, the image on the videotape will not change much.
TAPE RECORDERS…the essentials
Here is a list of features that your tape recorder should have:
A Pause Button – No matter how much you plan and try to avoid them,
interruptions will happen. When they do, a pause button is a great feature to
have.
A pause button is also very handy when more time is needed to think questions
over or when the teller needs to cough or clear their throat.
A Microphone Input Jack – Built-in microphones are usually cheap and of

lesser quality. They tend to pick up every noise in the room. Other times, the
voice you record may be so faint that it can hardly be heard; a tragic thing to find
out after
hours of interviewing.
The closer the microphone is to the source, the better the quality of the
recording.
An external microphone (one attached to your shirt or collar) connected with a

cord to the tape recorder is best. These can be found at local electronic stores
starting at around $30(U.S.).
The Tape - When you shop for an audio tape, you will be faced with a myriad
of brands, lengths and types. Consult your tape recorder’s instruction manual
for the recommended types.
High-Priced metal tapes are great, but they are not really needed for voice
recordings; they are geared more toward music.
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Buy 60 minutes tapes instead of the 90 minute variety. Manufacturers make
the tape in a 90 minute cassette thinner to ensure that it will all fit into the
plastic casing.
Thinner tape means more broken, tangled and stretched out tapes.
Read on the label and make sure that the tape is at least 1 mil (One
thousandth inch) This increases the durability of the tape and will prevent the
audio bleed-through effect. The bleed-through effect is when audio data is
transferred to another layer, causing garbled voices. This will occur when the
tape sits, unused for a length of time.
Buy cassette tapes that screw together instead of the ones that are only glued
together. If something happens, and you need to open the casing to fix it, you’ll
be very happy that you bought the kind that screw together.
Comments and Additional Notes:
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Recording to Video Tape
You should strongly consider video taping all life story interviews.
A videotaped interview captures the whole person. It reveals

body movement and hand gestures. These are things that really
add to the strength of a story.
With the advances in desktop video editing, I recommend that

you give video very serious consideration. If you are the
subject of the interview, don’t let fear of the camera stop you.
If the subject of the interview is someone else, do your best to

provide them the confidence and assurance that they need. Remind them
that this is for their posterity.
Even if you know nothing about video editing right now, chances are you will
in the very near future.
Digital Video
Digital video cameras are becoming more and more prevalent and they cost no
more than the average video camera did a few years ago. Video shot with a
digital video camera can be loaded to and edited on your computer.
The programs to do this editing are already widely available at reasonable prices.
http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/videoediting.html
Here are two examples of this kind of software. Check them out! It’s exciting.
VideoWave http://www.roxio.com/en/products/videowave/
DVD Movie Factory: http://www.ulead.com/dmf/runme.htm
These programs allow one to compile together:
x Still Photographs (taken with your regular camera)
x Home Video footage
x Narraration
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x Music and more…!
The possibilities are nearly endless.
With such computer software families can now:
x Sort through all those thousands of pictures they’ve taken over the years
x Go back through the near “endless” home videos they’ve shot but haven’t
seen for a very long time
x Select their favorite songs and music…and
x Record (narrate) their (life/family) stories (This is what Memorygrabber

helps you with) on video tape….and
…Produce their own family DVDs, VHS tapes or Internet ready video!
http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/videoediting.html
The videotaped interview that Memorygrabber™ starts you on, can be the basis
of this future family production.
Here’s an example of the possibilities that video editing software brings:
Imagine, while quiet music plays in the background, grandma tells (during her
video taped Memorygrabber interview perhaps) about holding her first grandchild
for the very first time.
Computer software will allow you to capture (separate it from the video tape) the
audio portion of the (interview) videotape, of grandma talking. At the same time,
old home video of grandma holding and rocking that grandchild can be inserted
into the new video project.
Alternating back and forth between video of a taped life story interview and old
video footage will make for a very beautiful production…all done from your
computer!
Imagine, putting together a video highlighting the life of a parent, grandparent or

yourself. It could be made similar in style to the popular A&E’s Biography show.
Memorygrabber™ doesn’t provide detailed “how to” information in the area of

video editing at this time. This is a topic that could be the subject of an entire
book itself.
But preserving the stories (through recordings or written means) is the first
step of any life story video compilation.
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Getting Started with a Video-Taped Interview
The costs of hiring a videographer is still quite steep, and the availability of home
video recorders is great. For this reason, the use of home video cameras will
be the focus of this e-book.
If you are the one that will be conducting the interview, but you aren’t that familiar
with using a video camera, seek out another family member that can be available
to tape the interview.
Having to mess with technical things before and during an interview will cause
the whole interview process to suffer. These kinds of things can lead to anger,
frustration and hostility.
Having another family member available to run the video camera will go
along way in making the camera “invisible”, as it should be. It will allow you,
the interviewer, to concentrate entirely on the interview.
Benefits of having a third person run the camera are:
x They can ensure the camera is always functioning correctly and that an interview
isn’t lost due to any technical glitches. (The worse thing that can happen is to
complete a stretch of the interview and realize that it didn’t get recorded).
x A dedicated camera operator can concern him or herself with what is actually
going on the tape. Is the camera angle right? Does it need to be changed? How
well is the lighting on the interviewees face? etc.
IMPORTANT TIPS WHEN USING A CAMCORDER
x Ensure that you know how to run the equipment or get a competent family
member to run the camera during the interview.
x Buy only name brand, high-quality video tapes. The results will be noticeable
and remember, this is a family heirloom. It needs to last a very long time.
x Verify that the colors are accurate. Adjust the white balance before you begin.
Most newer cameras have an accurate automatic white balance built-in.
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x Using the time and date feature is a great idea but only use it at the beginning
of each tape and then sparingly after that.
x Use the power cord instead of relying on battery power for the camera. Don’t
take the chance of having the video camera quitting just as your dad is the
middle of one of his childhood stories.
x Invest in a tripod. Many of us have a video camera but few of us own a tripod.
A tripod will go a long way in adding a touch a professionalism to and will keep
the interview from appearing as if it was recorded in the middle of an earthquake.
x Take special precautions when it comes to light sources. Two separate light
sources of the same strength work best. If shooting near a window, never put
the individual being interviewed in front of it. The camera will read the bright light
source and reduce the light allowed in; resulting in the individual appearing as a
dark silhouette.
x Change the camera angle from time to time. Multiple camera angles will keep
the attention of the future viewers of the tape. At a convenient place in the
interview say “cut”, move the camera and resume the interview. The word cut
can always be edited out.
x Don’t forget to pan (move from side to side) the camera occasionally during the
interview process. This will also keep the attention of an audience and will enrich
the overall outcome of the tape. When grandma tells about the grandfather clock
that was handed down to her, by her parents, a panned shot of the actual clock
that is sitting nearby in the living room will be a great bonus! Be careful not to
pan too quickly. This may cause the picture to blur.
x Alternate the content of your shots! Alternate between head shots (camera
frames the head only) and shots that shoot from the chest up. Add to this an
occasional wide angle shot which includes the whole body. Changes in screen
content are best made while the camera is in it’s standby mode.
This can also be accomplished by making the change at convenient breaks in the
interview by saying “cut” or by the occasional use of the zoom. The zoom feature
should be used sparingly and slowly when it is used. Zoom action should be
almost undetectable by viewers, if done correctly. Otherwise it becomes a
distraction.
x Backgrounds! Avoid backgrounds that are real dark, light or busy. Following
this advice will ensure a better picture and less unneeded distractions.
x Use a lapel microphone and plug it right into your camera. This will make a
world of difference in the quality of sound. When plugged in, the built-in
microphone will pick up the voice better ande cut out, to a large extent, all the
22
background noise. Lapel (clip on) microphones are available in the $30 range
and higher.
x If you must use the built-in camcorder microphone, it is suggested that the
camera not be placed more than 3-5 feet from the person speaking. This will
cut down much of the distracting background noise in the room.
x Label your tape immediately and punch out the small tab on the top edge of
the tape to prevent someone from accidentally recording over the tape. This tip is
so important, perhaps I should have put this at the top of this list.
If you’ve ever spent hours looking through unlabeled tapes for something you
wanted then you understand the importance of this advice.
Also, if you’ve accidentally taped over a family home video because it wasn’t
labeled or didn’t have the save tab punched out, then you know the
devastating feeling of losing priceless video footage.
I once nearly taped over the birth of one of our children. Before I realized that I
actually had not taped over it, I couldn’t begin to explain how terrible I felt! Don’t
let this happen to you. Label and punch out the tabs on your videotapes
immediately!
x Make duplicate copies of your video from the master (original) tape. The
quality will be much better. If you have the means, I highly recommend that you
put your tape on a CD and keep it in a safe deposit box. Fires and floods have
no sympathy!
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW

Written by Bob Brooke of www.bobbrooke.com
Oral histories are only as successful as the interviews it takes to make

them. In normal conversation, both people talk. Ideas are exchanged.
Each person contributes information. The talk flows in unpredictable
ways. But interviews are different.
In an interview, one person has a goal-to obtain information from

another person. The interviewer wants the interviewee to feel
comfortable, yet direct the conversation to certain points.
Unlike in a conversation, the interviewer may have to lead the

interviewee back to back to the main point-without hurting his or her
feelings. This can be difficult, but practice helps develop good
23
interviewing skills. These tips will help:
1. Before interviewing anyone, give advance warning. Interviewers

should explain what they want to do, why they want to do it, and why
a person is important to them and their research.
2. An interviewer should be prepared before the interview by finding

out about a relative. Where does this person fit into the family? What
documents might he or she have? What other genealogical items might
this person have? Whom did this person meet that no one else knew, or
whom might he or she remember best? Where did this person live? As
much information as possible should be gathered ahead of time about
this person's relationship to everyone in the family.
3. Interviewing requires structure, so questions should be thought out

beforehand. List questions on a sheet of paper, organized by subject.
An easy way is to organize chronologically beginning with the early
years.
4. Summarize what's already known so that the interviewee can verify

the facts. Then ask for more detail.
5. Remember, ask open-ended questions. "What do you remember most

about your first apartment?" or "Tell me about your relationship with your
sisters" may yield something unexpected and wonderful.
6. Use a tape recorder but don't depend on it solely. A small recorder

usually doesn't disturb anyone, and it catches every bit of information,
including the way interviewees sound and exactly how they answer
questions. However, tape recorders have a way of stopping just when
there's important information-without any sign to the interviewer. So a
backup notebook is a necessity.
7. During the interview, write down names and dates, and double-check
them with the interviewee. Facts are important, but the most important
information interviewees offer are their stories. Try to capture not only
the way they talk but their colorful expressions.
8. Begin with easy, friendly questions. Leave the more difficult or

emotional material for later in the interview, after trust has been
established. If things aren't going well, an interviewer should save
difficult questions for another time.
9. Also, begin with questions about the interviewee. Get some

background information about him or her. And when asking for dates,
relate them to the interview.
10. Bring family photographs to the interview and use them during it.
Look for photos, artwork, or documents that will help jog the
24
interviewee's memory. Ask the interviewee to describe what's going on.
"Do you remember when this was taken? Who are the people? What
was the occasion? Who do you think took the picture?"
11. Don't be afraid of silence. Silence is an important part of

interviewing, and it can sometimes lead to very interesting results.
Because people find silence uncomfortable, they often try to fill it if the
interviewer doesn't, and, in doing so, they may say something that
they might not have otherwise.
12. Allow interviewees time to ponder their thoughts. Asking

interviewees to think back on things they may not have considered in
years is a challenge. Calling up these memories may spark other
thoughts, too.
13. Be ready to ask the same

question in different ways.
People don't
know how much they know, and
rephrasing a question can give more
information.
14. Ask to see any family treasures belonging to the interviewee. When
interviewees bring out an heirloom, they should be asked to describe it.
What is it? How was it used? Who made it? Who gave it to them? Ask if
there are any stories connected with it, or any documents.
15. Be sensitive. Sometimes people become emotional talking about the

past. They may remember relative’s long dead, or forgotten tragedies. If
an interviewee is upset by a memory, the interviewer should either
remain silent, or quietly ask, "Is it all right if we talk some more about
this? Or would you rather not?" People frequently feel better when they
talk about sad things. Give the interviewee the choice of whether or
not to go on.
16. Try not to interrupt. If the interviewee strays from the subject, let
him or her finish the story and then bring them back on track. Not
interrupting makes the conversation friendlier, and may lead to
something unexpected.
End
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To learn more about Bob Brooke
and read more of his work, visit his Web site at:
http://www.bobbrooke.com/
Used with author’s permission
25
A House That I Once Knew

by Leo VanMeer
© Copyright 2001 Leo VanMeer
Used with permission http://www.vanmeer.com
Let in our willing feet,

With everything in place as it should
And everything trim and neat.
I see it in mellowed reflection
Until years have changed it to be
There are mars on the doors and walls. A house with a memory; it’s more than a house
Its rooms are empty and wide. It once was home to me.
Here and there is a broken pane
Where the night wind creeps inside. I’d give so much to live again
The front porch has fallen to ruin In that house when it was young.
With vines in possession there. Then it knew our laughter and tears,
A shed is tumbled and strewn With its memory only begun.
And rubbish is everywhere. I was unwise to have left it, I know.
Somehow it softens in moonlight All I got for my pains
And my fancy wanders free. Was a heap of things I thought worthwhile
That old house is more than a house. And desire to be back again.
It once was home to me.
It might be made home again, who knows?
I can see a place by the window I watch the moonlight slant through a tree,
Where firelight once played inside. And know that old house was more than a house.
I can picture the porch as it used to be It once was home to me.
And grounds so clean and wide.
Doors with well-oiled hinges
“There is properly no history, only biography” – Emerson
“You are our living link to the past. Tell your grandchildren the story of the struggles
waged, at home and abroad. Of sacrifices made for freedom’s sake. And tell them your
own story as well – because [everybody] has a story to tell”.
- Former president George Bush

State of the Union Address, 1990
“The history of the world is not complete until your story is told!”
- Unknown
26
Background Information
Full Name _______________________________________________________

Today’s Date ____________________________________________________
Date of Birth _____________________________________________________
Place of Birth ____________________________________________________
Nationality _______________________________________________________
Ethnicity _________________________________________________________
Adult Height ______________________________________________________
Right or Left Handed _______________________________________________
Eye Color ________________________________________________________
Natural Hair Color _________________________________________________
Blood Type _______________________________________________________
Wear Glasses? ___________________________________________________
Profession _______________________________________________________
Allergies _________________________________________________________
Current Address ___________________________________________________
Notes and Additional Information:
27
My Life’s Timeline
Using a timeline as an outline is one of the greatest ways to begin writing a
life story together. Just as in writing a report for a school class, an outline is
important. This timeline chart, is that outline.
Here are suggested items to include in your timeline. There are many others.
Your Birth High School Graduation Retirement Begins!

Started School First Date Group Involvements
Birth of Younger Siblings Got Engaged! Deaths of Loved Ones
Family Moves Marriage Date College Years
Changed Schools Birth of Your Children Your First Anything
Achievements Son/Daughter-in-Laws Your Children’s Firsts:
Summer Vacations Birth of Grandchildren - tooth, steps etc…
Job/Career Changes Eventful Business Trips Anniversaries/Memories
~Happenings in Your Life~

Begin by entering the year you were born in the block just below
the word “YEAR”. Continue by writing in each year until you reach
the present year. Then proceed to major highlights of your life and
Your those of your immediate family. You need only enter one or two
Year words per entry. This is just a starting point.
Age
Use the margins of the appropriate years, to write in major world
happening that may affected you and your family!
Age 0 I WAS BORN

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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A STORY FORGOTTEN CAN NEVER BE RETOLD 28

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50
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52
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55
56

57
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Notes and additional information:

Early Childhood
YOU READ: “My full name is _______________________. I was

born in (place of birth) ___________________________ on
(date of birth) ________________________ to (parents’ names)
_____________________________________________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
What number (birth order) were you amongst your siblings?
Were you ever told at what time you were born? (Ex. 10:00am…10:00pm?)
What hospital were you born at?
Do you know the name of the person who delivered you?
Who where the first visitors to come see you?
Any complications at birth?
Any interesting details about your mother getting to the hospital in time?
Where you named after anyone? If so, who?
Your length at birth?
Your weight at birth?
Did you have hair? If so, how much?

Had you been born the opposite sex, did your parents have a name chosen?
What were your parents doing for a living in your early years?
Which relatives were involved with your early years the most?
What did you worry about as a child?
What was your overall health like as a child?
Describe the home(s) that your family lived in.
Can you remember any childhood rhymes or songs you used to say or sing?
Are there any other vivid memories from this time in your life?

My Early School Years
YOU READ: “I started school at the age of _______

in the year ___________”.
YOU ANSWER:
Describe your elementary school. Name? Public? Private?
In what city or town did you attend grade school?
Who was your favorite grade school teacher? Why?
Was there a teacher that you didn’t like? Why?
What did you usually wear to school?
How did you get to school? How far was it?
What subjects did you like and which ones didn’t you like?
Who were your best friends? Tell what you can about them. Do you
know where they are today? If so, do you keep in touch?
Did your siblings attend the same school? How many grades above or below
them were you?

What stories can you tell about your brothers and sisters during this time?
Ever get sent to the principal’s office? What did you do to get sent there?
Are there any accomplishments that you were particularly proud

of? Did you win a contest? Get elected to student office?
Did you participate in sports during grade school whether in school or in a city
league?
Did you find school easy or was it a struggle?
Who were your best friends?
Did you ever have to change schools?
List all of your school teachers in order! Tell a little bit about each.
What did they teach you? What did you like or dislike about them?
Did they expect you to live up to standards set by your older siblings?
First Grade Teacher________________________________________________
Second Grade Teacher______________________________________________
Third Grade Teacher________________________________________________
Fourth Grade Teacher______________________________________________
Fifth Grade Teacher________________________________________________
Sixth Grade Teacher________________________________________________

My Growing Up Years
YOU READ: “Now I’m going to tell about growing up in my family.”
YOU ANSWER:
What is your earliest memory as a child?
What is your happiest memory as a child?
What were you like as a child?
Was your upbringing a strict one?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Who is the oldest person (relative) that you can remember?
Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
What kind of books did you like to read?
What did you do for fun as a child?
Describe your childhood home.
What were your favorite toys?
What childhood games did you play?

Who did you play them with?
What were some of the “old-fashioned” remedies for sickness that you
remember your parents using?
Do you remember any early childhood birthday parties? Describe what you
remember.
Tell about grandma’s house.
Did you ever get lost? Describe the feeling and

circumstances.
Ever get stitches? What happened?
Where you ever hospitalized as a kid?
How did your family celebrate holidays?
What memories of mom’s kitchen do you have?
What were some of the TV shows you watched as a young child?
What family “get-togethers” do you remember from your early years?
Describe a nightmare that you still remember from your childhood?
Describe your first puppy love.

Tell about your first bike.
Do you remember your parents coming home from the hospital with a
younger brother and sister? Describe that memory.
Do you ever remember over hearing your parents discuss the name for a, as
yet, unborn sibling? Describe what you remember of that conversation.
Did you ever attend the funeral of a family member as a

child?
Ever break something such as a window?
Ever physically fight with your brother(s) and/or sister(s)?
Describe your childhood bedroom.
What major news events do you remember, even vaguely, as a child?
How did your parents spend a typical day?
What are some of the characters that you dressed up as for Halloween?
Did your family attend church? What memories do you have of those places
of worship?
What family events stand out in your mind?
Did your family play cards and/or board games together? Which ones?

Did you have one babysitter more memorable than the others? Who was it
and why was he or she most memorable?
Do you still remember your first teddy bear or favorite stuffed animal?
In what ways are your siblings like either of your parents?
Which store’s wish book was your favorite?
Do you have any memories of world, state or county fairs?
Did you get paid an allowance? How much did you typically receive?
How did you earn spending money?
What were some of your parents’ greatest qualities?
What were some of your parents’ not-so-great qualities?
Did your parents emphasize achievement in school?

Teenage Years
What were you like as a teenager?
What’s the most outrageous thing you did as a teenager?
Were you involved with boy/girl scouting?
Which fads existed during your youth? Badfads.com
How old were you when you started dating?
Do you remember your first date? Describe it.
Tell about other memorable dates
What is the biggest purchase that you made in your youth with your own money?
What kind of part-time jobs did you have as a teenager?
What was the first book you ever read cover to cover? Tell about that book
What were some of the movies you went to see at the theatre?
Did you ever buy a car as a teenager?
Who were your heroes as a teenager?
Ever live in a foreign country? Tell about it

What were your hobbies as a teenager?
Tell about members of the opposite sex you couldn’t stop thinking about, but who
may not have even knew you existed? You know who I’m talking about!
Did you ever runaway from home?
Did you ever keep a diary or journal as a teen? If so, how are you preserving it?
Did you grow up in the country or the city?
Do you remember the family discussing world events and politics?
Was there a chore that you really hated?
What kind of book did/do you like to read?
How old where you when you first learned to drive a car?
How old where you when you first got your license to drive?
What kind of car was it that you learned to drive in?
Who taught you to drive?
When you first drove by yourself, where did you drive? Describe the feeling.

Did you take any class or special course to learn to drive? Describe your
experiences.
When you started driving on a regular basis, whose car did you drive mostly?
Ever get a traffic ticket? What was it for?
Did you have to go to traffic court? What was that like?
Ever involved in a car accident? What were the circumstances?
Ever go on a vacation with another (a friend’s) family?
Ever go to scout camp or any other type of camp during the summer?
Notes and Addition Information:

High School Years
YOU READ: “I began high school at the age of _________ and

graduated in (year) ___________”.
YOU ANSWER:
What was the name of your high school?
What was your school mascot?
Where is this high school located?
Overall, did you enjoy high school or did you hate it? Explain why?
Who did you have a crush on?
List some of the classes that you took in high school
Which classes did you do the best in?
Which ones did you feel lost in?
Did you consider yourself part of the “in” crowd?
List your favorite teachers.
Who were your friends?

Were you part of any clubs or organizations i.e. FFA, National Honor Society,
newspaper, drama club, annual staff etc…?
What were some of your biggest accomplishments in school?
Did you participate in any school sports?
Did you ever travel to a sport, band or other

competition?
Describe yourself as a high school student (overall)
Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend while in high school? Describe them.
Did you ever play practical jokes on anyone? What kind of things did you do?
Who did you play them on? Friends? Teachers?
Were you ever expelled from school?
What did you wear while in high school? Did you wear a uniform? What style of
clothing was in at the time?
What was the most embarrassing moment for you in high school?
What was the best moment for you in high school?

What type of music did you listen to? Who were the singers and music groups
you liked?
What was the standard music medium? 8 track, records, cassette tapes, CDs,
MP3?
Did you play in the school band? What instrument did you play? How good were
you and do you still play that instrument from time to time?
Ever attend a school dance? Ever take a date to one?
Did you ever get into a fight while at school?
What were your grades like in high school?
Did you ever fail a class? How did you feel about that? Was it just too hard or did
you just not put the effort into it? How did you parents feel about it?
Looking back, what are your happiest and most sad high school memories?
Do you wish you had done anything differently?
What was going on with your family during your high school years?
How did you spend your summers?
Did you earn any special honors in academics, sports etc?
Did you spend much time doing homework?

Looking back do you still hold the views that you held back then? If different now
explain what made your views change?
Did you have an after-school job?
What was going on in the world around you?
What did you plan to do after high school.
Have any of your classmates gone on to be famous or rich?
Besides academics, what life lessons did you learn in high school?
My Prom
(If you did not attend your prom, simply go on to the next section)
Did you attend prom?
Who did you go to the prom with?
Where did you go for prom night?
What friends did you hangout with?
(If female) Did you buy a special dress? Where did you get it? Describe the
dress.
(If male) What kind of planning did you do in getting ready for prom night? Limo?
Flowers? Etc

Class Reunions
YOU READ: “I attended my ______th reunion in (year) ______.

I’m going to talk about that now”.
YOU ANSWER:
Have you attended any of your reunions? If not why didn’t you go?
What was it like seeing your old friends?
Did you look forward or dread your reunion?
Did it live up to your expectations?
Who changed the most?
Did anyone become famous?
After attending how did you feel about your life’s accomplishment to that point in
life?
What would surprise your old school mates to learn about you now?
Did seeing them help you realized that you changed in ways that you were
unaware?
Had anyone from your class passed away that you were previously unaware of?

College & Advanced Training
YOU READ: “I began college (or other type of trade school) at the
age of _____________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
Which college did you attend and how did you choose that school?
Tell about your decision to go on to college.
What was your major field of study? Did you graduate?
How did you pay for your studies?
List some of the classes you took.
Who were some of your more memorable friends?
Which subjects where the easiest for you?
Did you have an active social life back then?
Did you date while in college?
Did you have to work to help pay for your schooling?
Did you become a member of any sorority or fraternity?
What did living away from home teach you?

Did you attend a trade school?
What type of career did you train for?
What were the benefits that trade school gave you that college wouldn’t have?
Were you easily able to find a job after trade school or college?
What was going on in the world while you attended college?

My Parents
YOU READ: “My father’s/mother’s full name is ________________________.

He/She was born on ___________________ in _______________________.”
YOU ANSWER:
Your mother/father always said __________________________________

________________________________________________________________
What number was your father/mother among his/her brothers and sisters?
Who are his/her brothers and sisters? List them in order of birth.
Where did he/she grow up?
What stories does he/or she tell about their growing up years?
What was his or her childhood like?
What kind of work has he/she done?
Describe the appearance and characteristics of your mother/father.
What was his/her life like before meeting your mom/dad?

What kind of dreams did he/she have? Have they accomplished them?
What is your earliest recollection of your father/mother?
What sayings or expressions did he/she use often?
Tell about some of your favorite memories of your father/mother.
What things did you do together?
What traits in your parents do you see in yourself?
Have you learned anything about either of your parents’ earlier days, that
shocked you?
Which parent do you look most like?
What traits and physical features did you “inherit” from each of your parents?
What have been his/her biggest accomplishments?

My Parents Together
YOU READ: “My Parents were married at (place) ____________________

on (date) _________________________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
How did your parents meet? (How, when and where)
How long did they date?
Do your parents tell any stories from their wedding or honeymoon?
Where did they make their first home?
At what age did they marry?
What stories have you heard from their early years together?
Can you describe what your parents looked like at that time?
How did they earn a living?
If they passed away where and how did it happen?

Where are they buried?
Divorce
Did your parents divorce?
-How old were you when they divorced?
-Did you understand what was happening?
-Did you blame yourself?
-Did you have to choose which parent to live with or was that decided for you?
-Did you ever do anything in hopes of making your parents fall in love again?
-Did your parent(s) remarry?
-What was it like getting use to other family members (i.e. step-brothers and
step-sisters)?
-Did the whole divorce experience make you shy about getting married yourself?
-Did it affect you emotionally in other areas of your life?

Brothers & Sisters
YOU READ: “Now I’m going to talk a little bit about my

brother(s) and sister(s) in order of their births.”
“(Name) ________________________ was born on (date)

__________________ in (place of birth)
____________________________________________”
(Repeat this format for each brother and sister).
YOU ANSWER:
What traits do you share with your siblings?
What traits don’t you share?
Who do you resemble the most physically?
What is your earliest memory of this brother/sister?
Do you know anything about his/her birth?
How did you two get along?
Did he/she go by any nicknames? How did they

come by it?
What sort of dreams and ambitions did he/she have while growing up?
How did he/she do in school?
Do you remember any special family occasions where he/she was involved?

What special talents does he/she have?
What has he or she done since leaving home?
What does he/she do for a living?
What sort of hardships did he/she have to overcome?
Is he/she married?
Who is he/she married to (include maiden name)?
When and where did this marriage occur?
Do you recall anything about his/her dating years?
Where did they make their first home?
Who are his/her children and when where they born?
Did this marriage end in divorce? If so, when?
Where does he/she live now and what are they doing?
Has he/she died? If so what happened and when?
Where is he/she buried?

Aunts and Uncles
YOU READ: “I’m now going to talk about my aunts and uncles on my
mother’s/father’s side.”
YOU ANSWER:
Who are your mother’s/father’s brothers and sisters? List them

in order of their births.
Do you remember, or have you been told, anything from their younger days?
What are they like now as adults?
Do you remember any special family occasions where he/she

was involved?
What does he/she do for a living?
How did they get along with the rest of the family?
Is he/she married?
Who is he/she married to (include maiden names)?
When and where did this marriage occur?
Who are their children? (Your cousins).

What stories can you tell about these aunts, uncles

and cousins?
Where does he/she live now and what are they doing?
Has he/she died? What happened and when?
If he/she has died, where is he/she buried?
Grandparents
YOU READ: “Next I’m going to tell what I know/

remember about my grandparents.”
“My Mother’s/ Father’s mother/father is/was (name)

_________________________________________ and
she/he was born on _________________ in (place of birth)
_____________________________________.”
YOU ANSWER:
What are the greatest things about your grandma/grandpa?
Describe their appearance.
Do you have memories of spending time at your grandparents home?

What did he/she do for a living?
Do you know anything about his/her parents (your great-grandparents)?
How did they meet and fall in love?
How long did they date before they married?
What are some things that he/she taught you?
Do you think you’ve inherited any characteristics from any of them?
Did you live near or far from your grandparents?
Have your grandparents told you stories about your parents?
Did your grandparents keep journals? If so, who possesses them?
Do/did your grandparents carry out any ethnic customs?
How did he/she most typically dress?
Were/are your grandparents religious? What church did/do they attend?

Military Service
YOU READ: “At the age of ______ I joined the (branch)
________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
How did you decide which branch of the military to join?
How long did you serve? From when to when did you serve?
At what age did you join?
Did you enlist or were you drafted?
Where did you attend basic training or officer training?
What was basic training like? Easier or harder than you expected?
Tell about your drill/training instructor
Was it hard to be away from home? What did you miss most about home?
What kind of camaraderie did you experience?
What did your friends and family feel about you joining/being drafted?
Tell about your recruiter.
From what town or city did you join?

Do you have any service friends that you still keep in touch with?
What was the most difficult transition for you to military life?
What did you like most and least about military service?
Did you make the military a career? Why or why not?
Describe your progression in the military. What rank did

you attain?
What where your duties?
Describe a typical day…in basic training and afterwards.
What were you trained to do?
What was your military pay at the time?
What units where you assigned to?
What where your fellow servicemen like?
List all the bases you were assigned to. Which did you like the most and the
least?
What was base life like? The barracks? Mess/Dining hall? Base housing?
Were you ever at sea? Describe life on a ship or submarine

What did you do in your off-duty time? Did you travel much? Where did you go?
Was romance a part of your military experience?
Was life in the military what you expected?
Tell about your most difficult times in the military.
Did you experience combat? Tell of some of the situations you faced.
Were you ever deployed? Where, how long, what was life like there?
What military campaigns were you involved in? WWII? Korea? Vietnam? Desert
Storm? Others?
Did you travel to or live in a foreign country? What was it like? How did the
locals treat the military?
Were you honored with any awards or decorations? I.e. Purple Heart, Service
Cross?
Was it difficult adjusting back to civilian life?
What did you do after leaving military service?
In what ways are you a different person now, because of military service?
Would you recommend military service to young people today?
Do you belong to any veteran’s groups?

Dating
YOU READ: “I met (spouses full name) ___________________________
at (location) __________________________________________ on (date)
___________________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
Tell of the circumstances of your first meeting your future spouse?
How old were the two of you when you met?
What did he/she look like?
What was his/her situation in life like at that time?
What was your situation in life like at the time?
What was your first impression of him/her?
Tell some dating stories.
Tell about your first kiss!
What did you do and where did you go on your dates?
Tell of the circumstances surrounding the proposal.

How long did the two of you date before you married?
Did either of you have doubts about getting married?
When and where were you married?
Share memories from your wedding and honeymoon.
Who attended your wedding?
What dating rules did your parents set out for you to live by?
What standards did you set for yourself? I.e. No kissing on the first date etc…
How old were you when you first dated?
Did you double date? Who was the other couple?
Do you have any embarrassing dating stories to tell?
Where did you go on your dates? Movies? High school events?
What song(s) remind you of your earlier days together?
What is the most romantic thing you ever did?
What was the most romantic thing that someone surprised you with?
What is the furthest distance you’ve traveled to be with somebody you desired?

What concerned you the most when you introduced your future spouse to
your parents?
Attraction!
What perfumes or fragrances remind you of someone you’ve been in love

with or someone special?
What physical feature are you most often complemented about?
What do you feel is your most attractive feature?
You regret that you never had a relationship with this person.
The farthest you’ve traveled to be with someone you desired?
If you could magically change one thing about your physical appearance,
it would be?
Tell about a compliment that made you blush.

My Spouse and Our Marriage
YOU READ: “Now I’m going to tell you about my husband/wife

(name of spouse) _____________________________. He/she was
born in (place of birth) ________________________ on (date of birth)
________________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
(Special Note: Duplicate this list if you have had more than one spouse)
What number was he/she among his/her brothers and sisters?
Who are his/her parents? Tell about them.
Who are your wife’s/husband’s brothers and sisters?
What do you know about his/her early growing up years?
What color are his/her eyes?
What color is his/her hair?
Where did your spouse grow up?
Was his/her family a religious family?
Know any stories from his/her childhood?

What kind of schooling has he/she had?
What dreams and ambitions did he/she hold early on?
What did your spouse do between the time he/she left

home and married?
What is his/her heritage or ethnicity?
How did his/her parents make a living?
What influenced you most in your choice of spouse?
Did you have any common friends? Who were they and
did they play a role?
Did your parents support your engagement or were they against it?
How did their support, or lack of it, affect your relationship with your sweetie?
After your marriage did your parent’s opinions change at all?
What about your spouse attracted you?
What do you suppose attracted your spouse to YOU?
What were the words you first said to your spouse?
Did anything unusual happen during your wedding?

Who participated in your wedding? (I.e. Best man, bridesmaid etc…)
Did you have a ring bearer or a flower girl?
Was your wedding elaborate or simple?
Was it a religious ceremony or civil?
Describe your reception. What rituals were observed? I.e. cutting the cake etc.
What traits did you and your spouse have in common?
What differences did the two of you have?
How did these things, common and different, affect your relationship?
What expectations of marriage did you have? For example, you’d never argue
with each other, you’d never go to bed mad at each other?
Did you marry your spouse thinking that he/she would change or that you could
change them?
If so, did they change or did you have to adjust?
Did you feel you had to give up anything when you married? I.e. your
independence, a career, your close friends?
What do you feel you gained when you married?
Tell about first meeting your in-laws.

How accepting of you were they? Did they welcome you to the family with open
arms or was there resistance?
What does/did your spouse do for a living?
How did the two of you decide whom to spend the holidays with?
What kind of things did the two of you argue about early on and then later in your
in your marriage? Rearing children, money issues, political things?
Is (was) your marriage one of traditional roles? For example, did one of you fill
the breadwinner role while the other assumed a homemaker role? Did one or
both of you deal with the finances?
If you divorced, what do you attribute it to?
What do you believe to be the “secret” to a successful marriage?
Where did you first live as a married couple?
Can you describe details of life during that time?
What did the two of you do to make a living then?
Mention the costs of housing and wages at that time.
What did you two do for entertainment?
Where have you lived since then?
What were your thoughts on having children when you first got married?

Name all of your children that have come from this union.
What hardships have you both faced during your marriage?
What have been the joys and rewards of your marriage together?
(If you are still married to this spouse, please go on to the next section. If this
marriage ended either in death or divorce, please give details and repeat the
questions for each additional spouse.)

Our Children
YOU READ: “Our [first] child (full name), ____________________________,

was born on (birth date) _____________________________ in
(place of birth) ______________________________________________”.
(Continue listing each of your children in order of their births and then
answer the following questions for each of them)
“At the time of (name) ______________’s birth, we were living in (place

you lived at the time of his/her birth) _______________________________.”
YOU ANSWER:
Does/did this child go by a nickname?
What is the child’s father’s/mother’s full name?
How was the family making a living at the time?
How did the family react when they were told of the pregnancy?
What was this child’s birth length and weight?
What did this child look like at birth? (Example: hair, no hair etc.)
Was this child named after anyone?

What time was the actual birth and what were some of the circumstances
surrounding the birth?
Were there any health concerns surrounding this child’s first few months?
Who was present at his/her birth?
Describe bringing your baby home for the

first time?
If this was not your first, who watched your

other children while you were at the
hospital?
How did becoming a parent change you?
Recall what you can remember from the pregnancy. Was it a hard one? Did
you/spouse have morning sickness? Experience any strange food cravings?
What is the current age of this child?
What is this child’s current height?
At what age did this child learn to talk, crawl, walk, potty train and read?
Who were some of his/her childhood friends?
What are the sweetest memories you have of your child when he/she was
young?
What accomplishment(s) of this child are you the most proud of?
What education level did he/she reach or what grade are they currently in?

Tell about your child’s grade school years.
Did you ever have any problems with any of their teachers?
Did you help them with their homework often?
As teenagers, what did you argue with your children about?

Dating, curfews etc?
What did this child want to be when he/she grew up?
What did this child do after he/she left home?
Under what conditions did this child leave home? (Marriage, college,
armed forces, bad circumstances etc…?)
Who has this child married?
Who are his/her children?
What things do/did your children do that makes/made you laugh?
Do you notice your adult children carrying on traditions they learned as

youngsters?
Do you notice your adult children doing anything better than what you did as a
parent?
What kind of values did/are you trying to instill in your children?

Did you and other family members agree on how children should be raised?
Is there anything else you’d like to say about this child?
Sons and Daughters-In-Law
YOU READ: “My son/daughter, __________________, married (spouse’s

name) _______________________________ on (marriage date)
__________________”.
YOU ANSWER:
Describe and characterize this son/daughter-in-law.
Where is he/she originally from?
What is his/her work and educational background?
Where did your child meet him/her?
Who are his/her parents? Tell a little bit about them

and where do they live?
Describe their dating period.
What was your reaction to their engagement?

If this marriage ended, describe the circumstances and how it

affected members of your family.
Has your child remarried?
Our Grandchildren
YOU READ: “I am now going to talk about my grandchildren

beginning with the first grandchild.”
“The full name of my [first] grandchild is ___________________________.”

(Substitute the appropriate birth order of each grandchild between the red
brackets […]
YOU ANSWER:
(Note: If you also have great-grandchildren, please use the same format for your great
them as well! Many of the questions in the “OUR CHILDREN can be used here also.)
Who are his/her parents?
Where and when was this grandchild born?
Who does this grandchild most resemble in the family?
What are your first/most cherished memories of this grandchild’s younger years?
What where your thoughts upon becoming a grandparent?
What where the circumstances surrounding his/her birth?

What best describes this grandchild?
What stories can you tell about this grandchild?
What kind of role have you played in this child’s life?
How old is this particular grandchild today?
Where does this grandchild live today and what is he/she doing?
What are my hopes and dreams for this grandchild?
What more can you say about this particular grandchild?
Advice for Grandchildren and Future

Generations
What advice do you have about any or all of the topics below?
Here is your chance to share and preserve some of your hard-earned wisdom with
your children, grandchildren and other future descendants. Be honest and open about
your answers. Your knowledge and wisdom here could help your posterity not have to
“reinvent the wagon wheel”.
Raising Children_________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Love and
Marriage_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Money__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Career__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Education _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Additional advice you’d like to give:

Work History and Career
YOU READ: “Now I’m going to tell about my work history which
encompasses (total number of years worked) __________.”
YOU ANSWER:
Use the chart below to give a work history of yourself. You may also want to include
volunteer work you have done! Use additional pages if you need more space.
(Repeat these two questions, as needed, until you reach your present job)
COMPANY WORKED YEARS YOUR JOB LOCATION/SALARY

FOR THERE TITLE
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
How did you decide on a career path once you were older?
At what age did you begin working?

Talk about the wages and working conditions of each of your jobs held.
How did you typically find your jobs? Newspaper ad? Did your family have
connections?
Did you ever have to move to take a new job?
If you had to live away from family, because of your work, how did you keep in
touch and how often?
Who’s the worst boss you ever had? Why was he/she the worst?
Who were your favorite/most memorable co-workers over the years? Do you still
keep in touch with them?
If you could snap your fingers and change jobs tomorrow, what would you be?
(Qualifications and education no being a factor)
What about your career has been the most satisfying?
Looking back, what would you change when it came to career preparation?
Describe a typical day in your current job.
What are the top 5 jobs that you’d want your children to do? Why?
What are 5 jobs that you’d steer your children away from? Why?
What has the word “success” meant to you in the past and what does it
mean to you today?

How many hours per week do/did you work?
[ ] I wish I worked less [ ] I wish I worked more
My Own Business
YOU READ: “I began my own business in (year started) ______________”
YOU ANSWER:
What is the name of your business and what type of business is it?
Why did you decide to go into business for yourself?
How did you choose the particular business that you did?
Describe your business in the beginning.
Give a year by year accounting of the growth and changes in your business.
What do you see for your business and the future?
At what age do you hope to retire?

Religion
YOU ANSWER:
What role has religion played in your life?
What church did you attend as a child with your parents?
Do you attend church now as an adult?
If you do attend, do you attend the same denomination today?
Tell of your conviction and faith towards your church and God!
Have you ever spent any time as a missionary? If you have, where did you serve
and for how long? Tell of some of your experiences.
What role has religion played in your family’s development?
What are some of your earliest recollections of religious practices and

ceremonies?

Travels and Vacations
Color in or mark all of the States and countries that you have visited in your
lifetime. Here is a great resource for maps:
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps_a_to_z
Once at that site, scroll down to the international section. Print any map that
you need, then place a copy in your three ring binder.
Do you travel much and do you enjoy it?
Where are some of the more memorable places you’ve traveled to?
What is the nature of most of your trips? Business? Pleasure?
By what means and with whom did you travel?

Where do you usually stay?
What things do you always take with you when you travel?
Describe the interesting people you’ve met along the way.
What places have you seen along the way?
How has travel changed in your lifetime?

Memorygrabber Lists!
List making is simply one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to remember
and get things about your life down on paper!
There are literally thousands of life lists that one could think of and write.
Memorygrabber has included some of the most insightful and memory provoking
list topics there are.
You may wonder how a certain list contained in Memorygrabber will really be of
benefit to others. Perhaps you will think that some list questions are trivial. You
are free to skip any questions or list but...
…Keep in mind that not only will things from your past be important to your
descendants, but also the way you think and who you are in the present.
It is suggested that you answer and complete all the lists and then go over your
answers on tape (audio or video), giving more detailed answers as to why you
answered the way you did.
If you have decided not to record your answers and reasons on audio or video
tape, you still should elaborate your list answers on the printed
Memorygrabber page or on a separate piece of paper.
One added note: List making is also a great way to discover oneself and look
at your life from a different perspective.

List Your Favorite:

What is your favorite…and why? As an option, for appropriate items, you
can use it as a “Top 5” list. For example, you could list your favorite 5
drinks but your top 5 “seasons” wouldn’t make much sense. Just
remember, it’s your list so do as you see fit. - Just remember, the “why” is
where the real story lies.
Season __________________________________________________________
Actress __________________________________________________________
Actor ____________________________________________________________
Car _____________________________________________________________
Flower __________________________________________________________
Athlete __________________________________________________________
Bird _____________________________________________________________
Dog ____________________________________________________________
Politician _________________________________________________________
TV Program ______________________________________________________
TV Program as a Kid _______________________________________________
Flavor of Ice Cream ________________________________________________
Favorite Candy ____________________________________________________
Favorite Military Branch _____________________________________________
Way to Relax _____________________________________________________
Drink ____________________________________________________________
Board Game ______________________________________________________
Video Game ______________________________________________________

Sport ___________________________________________________________
Animal __________________________________________________________
Food ____________________________________________________________
Book ____________________________________________________________
Card Game ______________________________________________________
Holiday __________________________________________________________
Way to spend a lazy Saturday ________________________________________
Fruit ____________________________________________________________
Soft Drink ________________________________________________________
Author __________________________________________________________
Vegetable ________________________________________________________
Style of Music _____________________________________________________
Poem ___________________________________________________________
Perfume _________________________________________________________
Kitchen Spice _____________________________________________________
Theatre Play ______________________________________________________
Superhero _______________________________________________________
City on each Continent ______________________________________________
Body of Water ____________________________________________________
Scenic View ______________________________________________________
Color ___________________________________________________________
Web sites ________________________________________________________

Place I’ve lived ____________________________________________________
Clothing to wear ___________________________________________________
Family “Awards”
Consider yourself, spouse, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles,
your children etc. Who fits the following descriptions best?
Be sure to mention the person’s relationship to you and, if you can, explain why
you put their name down. Give a short example of their behavior that garnered
them these title!
The most sociable________________________________________________
The hardest worker_______________________________________________
The best cook____________________________________________________
The quietest_____________________________________________________
Has the best memory______________________________________________
The best gardener_________________________________________________
The most political_________________________________________________
The funniest_____________________________________________________
Most mischievous______________________________________________

The best housekeeper_____________________________________________
The calmest_____________________________________________________
Has the best career_______________________________________________
Biggest animal lover_______________________________________________
The most educated________________________________________________
The best looking__________________________________________________
The wildest lifestyle________________________________________________
The most creative ________________________________________________
The biggest tease ________________________________________________
The most thrifty___________________________________________________
The most reclusive________________________________________________
The most generous________________________________________________
The best story teller________________________________________________
The most athletic___________________________________________________
The most religious__________________________________________________

The most cautious__________________________________________________
The tallest________________________________________________________
The shortest______________________________________________________
The most organized________________________________________________
The most “crafty” __________________________________________________
The most enterprising ______________________________________________
The most scholarly _________________________________________________
The most rebellious ________________________________________________
The craziest ______________________________________________________
The most traveled _________________________________________________
Longevity Award – Oldest family member that you’ve known or been told about
Most muscular build _______________________________________________
Most humble and/or grateful _________________________________________
Most mischievous _________________________________________________
Most kind ________________________________________________________

List the people that have had the biggest impact in your life. How?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List musicians and music groups that you loved as a kid:

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
List musicians and music groups that you love now:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
List all the vehicles that you and your parents have owned:
(Every vehicle has a whole host of memories attached to it. As you list your
vehicles, search your memory and see if there aren’t some fun or interesting stories
that go along with it.)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List all of the contents that are currently in your pockets, wallet and or
purse. (Obviously don’t list anything embarrassing, but by compiling this list, it may give
you and your posterity a “snapshot” into your daily life. Business cards you’ve acquired
tell stories, as do sets of keys that may run that new car, RV or boat you just bought.)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List your personal “Top 25” movies of all time!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Take a look around yourself and make a list of everything that is within 10
feet of you! Elaborate and describe some of the more interesting items.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List every organization in which you have been a MEMBER or still are!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List what you hope your life will be like 10 years from now!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List all of the leaders of your country that have served during your lifetime.
( If you have an opinion of each, share it )
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List old friends you’ve lost contact with but would like to see again!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List what would you have done differently in your life, if you’d known then
what you know now?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List dates that are important and have meaning in your life!
(Examples: These can be typical dates such as birthdays, and anniversaries
but also include other dates that spark memories each time that date comes
around. These may be happy memories such as “proposed on such
and such date 25 years ago or they may conjure sad memories such as a date
that a dear family member passed away! Everyone’s list is unique)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things that convinced you most in your choice of spouse!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things that you liked better about living in the era you grew up in!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things that you like better about living today over the era in which you
grew up!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
List foods that you won’t eat!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the times in your past that you’d like to go back to, if even for a short
while and why! (These times may be to go back and change things or just for the
sake of enjoying the moment again )
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the ways in which you live better than most people you know!
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
List the ways in which you live worse than most people you know!
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
List things you’ve only experienced once in your life!

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
List the things that you wish you knew the truth about!
(Examples: Anything from the mysteries of life to “why he/she really
broke off our engagement all those years ago”)
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
List the risks that you regret not taking and how would things be different?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List places that have meaning to you?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the career(s) that you sometimes wish you had chosen!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the ways in which the world has changed in your lifetime!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things that you have purchased and like to purchase online!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List what you’d do with a sudden windfall of $5 million dollars!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
If your descendants were to know only ten things about you, what would
you want them to know? List them…
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the times that you’ve cried your eyes out!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List all the places that you have yet to visit but desperately want to
someday!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List all of the pets that you’ve ever owned.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List everything that you once collected or still do collect.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List all the sounds around you right now! (Sit back and close your eyes.
What do you hear? Your answer will be like an “audio snapshot” Examples: Do you
hear the precious voices of your children? Do you hear sounds of a ticking of a
grandfather clock that may passed down to you? These are things that will inspire
memories and stories.)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things you enjoy talking, reading and learning about!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
List the things you own that will certainly be passed down from generation
to generation!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List what’s in you closet that you can’t bear to part with!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the things that you still have and hold dear from your childhood!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the people that you thought, at one point, you’d be married to (or
wanted to), but did not!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

What does it take to get on your spouse’s “good side” (cheer him/her up)!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the compliments you receive on a regular basis!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the things you hide when someone comes to visit!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List what you plan to do when you retire!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List what you worry about the most!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the celebrities that you’ve seen in person!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List songs or music that has meaning to you!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things that you like that “most” others don’t!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List things that you don’t like that “most” others do!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List your favorite dishes that your mother use to prepare when you were
living at home!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the lessons you’ve learned the hard way!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
A To Do List! List 25 things that you’ve yet to do but still plan to do in your
lifetime.
1 _________________________________________________________________________
2 _________________________________________________________________________
3 _________________________________________________________________________
4 _________________________________________________________________________
5 _________________________________________________________________________

6 _________________________________________________________________________
7 _________________________________________________________________________
8 _________________________________________________________________________
9 _________________________________________________________________________
10 ________________________________________________________________________
11 ________________________________________________________________________
12 ________________________________________________________________________
13 ________________________________________________________________________
14 ________________________________________________________________________
15 ________________________________________________________________________
16 ________________________________________________________________________
17 ________________________________________________________________________
18 ________________________________________________________________________
19 ________________________________________________________________________
20 ________________________________________________________________________
21 ________________________________________________________________________
22 ________________________________________________________________________
23 _________________________________________________________________________
24 _________________________________________________________________________
25 _________________________________________________________________________
List the places that you’d love to live and escape the chaos of the world
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

“To date my son or daughter, these are the rules you MUST FOLLOW”!
(Base your answers on rules you had, have or will have depending on the
age of your children)
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things you had to give up or put aside when you fell in love with your
spouse.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the ways you are “just like” your father and mother (two lists).
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the ways you are not at all like your father and mother (two lists).
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List the greatest inventions that have been invented in your lifetime!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the things that you’d like to change about yourself!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the magazines, books, articles and topics you are reading currently.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List the times you’ve been thoroughly surprised!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

List what you are good at!

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List things that you are NOT good at!

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List your favorite family recipes! (Include them in your binder)

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List your favorite web sites and things to do online!

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Life Inventory Lists
Inventory writing is very similar to list writing.
This involves writing lists of your possessions or property. One

example, would be to write down all the books (or nearly all of them)
on your bookshelf. I wrote an article about this here:
http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/bookshelf.html
Using this same bookshelf example there are many other areas in your home
that you can "inventory". Of course do not list something that would embarrass
you or anybody else in your family. By including these inventory lists in your
family history and autobiographies, you not only tell of events in your life but what
your life is like day to day.
Your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have the next best

thing to being able to "go back in time" and visit your home as it
was during your life.
Time has a funny way of making bland things interesting.
Please remember, though, this is supposed to be fun and I am not

implying you need to list everything everywhere, just include a good sampling.
This will not only give your family members in the future a chance
to "visit" your home but many of these items will spark more stories
that you will want to include in your autobiography, journal or diary.
Here are some ideas of places in and around your home that you may wish to
consider inventorying and writing down.
INVENTORY LIST IDEAS
Key Chain - What are all of those keys for? A boat? An old truck that you love?
Your Junk Drawer - We all have one.
Storage Closets
Your Pockets - What do you have in them right now?

Your Purse
Your Car - What you keep in your car says something
The Desk Draw - Home or work. Do you keep candy in there?
Computer Software - What software have you accumulated?
Bookshelf
Garage or Tool/Storage Shed
Keepsake Box - Also a hope chest or footlocker
Home Movies - One tape of our "1992 trip to Canada" for example
Photo albums
Gun Cabinet
CD collection
Your Barn
Medicine Cabinet - Could be used for family medical history. Example,

high blood pressure pills could mean a tendency for it in the family.
Clothes - Clothes and events go hand in hand
Your Yard - If you love hanging your clothes, you may even mention your
backyard clothesline.
The People in Your Office - If you don't work in an office, use the
people on your street or people from any group that you belong to.
These are "players" in your life story.

First Time for Everything!
Life is full of first-time experiences.
Thinking back on and recording our first experiences are a worthwhile,

rewarding and effective way to preserve personal history.
Take a look at the list of firsts below, think hard and tell what you remember
from each experience.
Some of these items may have two answers, such as when was your “first
plane ride”. You may have flew as a youngster that you know about because
your parents told you, then there may be another “first” plane ride that you
yourself actually remember. In cases like these, tell about both experiences!
You may think of additional items to add to your list that are not included
below.
We’d be happy to hear others that you come up with and will consider
them for future revisions of Memorygrabber™. Send an e-mail to
boyter7@yahoo.com
First Kiss ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Plane Ride _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Car of your Own __________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Received Drivers License _______________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Used the Internet ______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Item Bought Online ____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Bought/Used a Cell Phone __________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Bought/Used a Microwave __________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Bicycle ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Pet _________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Job/Pay Check ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First “Best” Friend _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Voted _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Concert _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Apartment ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Purchased a Home ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Love ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Time Shaving _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Barbershop Haircut ____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Lost/Pulled Tooth ______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Hunting Trip __________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Christmas/Hanukkah Away From Home ________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Day at a New School _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Traffic Ticket _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Court Appearance _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Became a Parent ______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Deceased Person You Saw ______________________________________

________________________________________________________________
First Received Flowers _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Social Circles
In a social setting I:
[ ] tend to introduce myself [ ] tend to wait for others to introduce themselves
When you are attracted to someone I:
[ ] prefer to be the pursuer [ ] prefer be the one pursued
I am most comfortable:
[ ] by myself [ ] at work [ ] just watching others
[ ] with one other person [ ] socializing with a group of people
In my relationships:
[ ] I tend to make most of the decisions
[ ] I do not make most of the decisions
I love it when people ask me this: _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________
I hate it when people ask me this: _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Memorygrabber Activities
Activity #1 Share your old photographs

Collectively you and the extended family could build a mountain
from all those family pictures you have stored away! You know I’m right!
You have pictures from when your kids where younger, pictures of you when
you and your spouse were first dating, pictures from family vacations and
picnics etc.
Many of these pictures may have already been put in a photo album but what
good are they doing there? Perhaps it’s time to dig out some of your favorites
and build an online photo album and share them with others in your family!
You will dig up pictures, perhaps, of your brother or sister’s kids that your brother
or sister may have never seen before. They may, likewise, have pictures that
you’ve never seen before of your children. These may have been pictures taken
at a family picnic years ago.
Our family uses www.myfamily.com to do this, but there are other alternatives.
MyFamily.com is still somewhat a free service but you will need to purchase
extra storage space in order to store many of your pictures there.
Most recently I purchased additional ten or twenty megabytes of storage

space for $19.95 for one year. That will hold a lot of pictures.
Once you set up your account, you can upload (add pictures) your pictures to
your own private and secure family web site. The only people that will be
able to access your pictures will be those that you invite to the site.
MyFamily.com will even send a notification to all the rest of the family when
you or any other family member adds new pictures to the site!
In addition to the obvious benefit that this activity will bring, it will provide a way
to protect some of your most precious family pictures from a house fire or other
terrible natural disasters. Even if the original pictures are destroyed, you will
still have copies stored online. What a relief that would be!

Activity # 2 Progressive Family E-mail
Say you want to gather stories and memories of your late grandmother. You
begin by writing your favorite few memories of your grandmother in an e-mail
and then send it to a selected family member such as an uncle, brother, sister,
parent etc.
This family member will read that which you wrote about your grandmother and
include a few favorite memories they have of that same person.
Once finished, per your included instructions, they will forward the e-mail to the
next family member on the list. They can do this by clicking on the “forward”
button in their e-mail program.
Each family member will, in turn, include a couple of their own memories of your/
their grandmother.
Be sure to include some simple instructions and an ordered list of family that the
progressive e-mail is to go to. You will be the originator of the e-mail AND also
the last name on the list.
In the end you will receive back all the memories and stories that have been
written by your close family members.
As a courtesy, you will want to compile all of the memories and stories gathered
into one e-mail or printed pages and send them to all those who participated.
Project Tips:
To start out the progressive e-mail, send an e-mail to everyone that will be
contributing. Inform them of what you are doing, why you are doing it and
let them know what you’d like them to do when it is their turn to add their
memories of the selected individual.
This will create excitement in most of the participating individuals and will also
prod the less eager to participate once they know that the rest of the family is
counting on them to complete the progressive e-mail.
Don’t stop at just one individual. There are others to collect memories of.
Future family progressive e-mails could also be about past family events such
as weddings, picnics or reunions.

Everyone remembers different things from the same events and this will help
preserve memories of the good ‘ole days!
These stories will prove to be a family treasure for years to come.
Activity #3 Drawing from your past

Are you a great artist?
No?
Great, because you DON’T have to be to complete

this very important personal history activity!
In this activity you are going to, figuratively, go back and visit places that were a
part of your life from years past.
Take a pencil and a piece of paper from your printer and begin drawing the
layout of your childhood home. The view to draw is from above the house, as if
the roof wasn’t there; just like those floor plan books that are sold in stores. Draw
basically how the walls divided the home. Include major items in the home
like the fireplace and where the piano may have been.
All you need to be able to draw are squares, rectangles and maybe a few other
basic shapes.
Once you have a rough sketch done of your childhood home, begin going
through it in your mind (and on paper) as if you were walking once again through
that home and begin labeling and making notes on the drawing as things come
back to you.
Treat this whole exercise as if you were giving a tour of your childhood home to
someone who had never lived there and did not know you as a child.
Recall and note on the drawing such things as where your mom had placed
certain pieces of furniture. Did you have a certain spot at the dinner
table that was yours?
Which bedroom was yours and did you share it with a sibling? Do you still
remember how the beds were arranged in that room? Did you fight over where
your side of the room ended and where your sister’s side began? What did you

hang on your walls? You could go on and on. Write down all the details that
come back to you.
Once you finish with the inside, head out the door into the backyard!
Draw where the old tire swing was and don’t forget all your favorite hiding spots
when you played “hide go seek”! Do you remember where you fell and had to
get stitches? Can you still see your dad barbequing dinner in the back yard?
And don’t forget that porch swing you spent those summer nights swinging on.
As you spend time back in that home, you will recall many memories that other-
wise may never have been remembered.
While these memories may not be earth shattering, they are bound to put a smile
on your face and help you remember being a kid again in a time and place that
helped shape you into the person you are today!
Don’t stop with just your childhood home. Draw and “give a tour” of other
prominent places from your past!
Here are some suggestions:
x Other homes you may have grown up in.

x Your first home as newlyweds
x The old church house you attended as a kid
x Your Grandparent’s homes
x Your street that you grew up on
x Place of employment
x Hometown/your part of town
x Schools attended including the playground
Draw and recall any place that has meaning and importance in your past
Activity #4 A Project Never Ending

Life is a stage and, in our own life stories, we are the star of the show!
This next activity is all about giving credit to all of the co-stars that have
and still do appear in your life story! Take a separate piece of paper and start
writing a list of everyone that you have every known! I’m really serious!

This may sound crazy and you will never truly finish it, but you will be amazed at
how many people that have been a part of your life thus far.
Look at the four walls that surround you right now. I have no doubt
that if you had an 8X10 portrait of all of the people who have been a part of your
life, you could cover the walls and ceiling many times over.
The names will hopefully prompt mostly good memories, memories that you will
want to record in your personal history. Beside each name, put a note describing
who that person was to you.
We are shaped in part by the environment that surrounds us. The people
in our past are a huge part of that environment.
Write any interesting story that your list of names might inspire.
Activity #5 Reconnect with your Cousins

This one is a bit lengthy but please bear with me on it.
Did you grow up with many if not all of your cousins around? With the trends
in today’s world, as an adult, you most likely haven’t stayed close to them. With
the way people move away from home for jobs, for example, families are losing
touch with each other at a faster rate than ever before.
In my case, there are 14 of us on my mother’s side of the family.
As kids, we spent long summers together at family picnics and at each others’
houses.
As an adult, I’ve seen them only sparingly over the past 18 to 20 years. Some I
have not seen or spoke with at all.
I am one of those who had to move away so I’ve had to rely on a little news, here
and a little new there, concerning my cousins through my mom.
Some have children who are just graduating from high school. The last time I
saw the, they were just infants! I don’t know their spouses much at all.
It is not possible to keep in touch with everybody in a family line forever, I know
that, but there is value in keeping closer to your first cousins. A set of
grandparents (living or not) are your common bond.

It wasn’t too long ago where cousins, for the most part, grew up and lived
their lives in or near the same community. This broadened the family
support structure that played an important part in society.
With cousins being more like strangers in today’s world, families disband,
dissolve and go their separate lineal ways faster. This can’t be a good trend!
Here is what I plan to set up and you may want to try it as well.
Set up your own discussion forum at www.yahoogroups.com
This is a free service and it will allow you to keep it a private group just for
you and your cousins. You then have the ability to post one message and each
of your cousins will receive the message; a great way to keep in touch!
You will also be able to share photos of each other, your kids and make up
for lost time. It’ll be a great way to reconnect.
Discuss and reminisce about those old-time family picnics, grandma and
grandpa and your parents/aunts and uncles (the middle generation)! If what
I just referred to as the middle generation is still living, they need to be a
part of your group especially.
After all, won’t this help in writing your family history?
It may take a little effort and a phone call or two to find your cousins’ e-mail
addresses but it will be well worth the effort.
I’d be very interested in hearing of your success in this activity.
E-mail me at boyter7@yahoo.com
Activity #6 Four Generation Pedigree Charts

Fill out a basic four-generation pedigree chart. Go further back if you can. You
can find and download a FREE chart here
http://broadcasting.byu.edu/ancestors/charts/
Print out the chart, fill it in and put it in your Memorygrabber binder.

Activity #7 Family Group Sheets

Complete a family group sheet for each family unit that you can. For example, do
one for your own family, those of your aunt and uncles and also do one showing
your parents as children. If you have this completed already great, but if you
haven’t, get family group sheets from Ancestor.com for free. Just download
them, fill them in and print them off…stick them in your binder.
http://broadcasting.byu.edu/ancestors/charts/
Activity #8 What Does your Bookshelf Say

About You?
List all the books on your bookshelf. Make notes about
the books you read the most often, those you have never
read and how some of them were acquired (i.e.
purchased, had then given to you etc…) Click the link
below and read more about this activity: “What does your
bookshelf say about you?”
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Activity #9 Play Family Trivia

Do you remember the original Trivia Pursuit game? Imagine, if there was a trivia
game made up entirely with questions just about your family, how do you
think you’d do?
Before the next big family get-together, ask everybody to come up with 20 family
trivia questions and bring them to the family get together.
Once together, write these questions on index cards and ask the questions,
awarding points for the most correct answers.
Who would be crowned champion? Would it be you?
Sample questions might be:
x Name the one class that Michael never passed in high school
x How long did grandpa date grandma before they married?
x Where did mom and dad meet?
x Jeff was gone two weeks in April 1982; where was he?
If the game were to be played at a larger family gathering (not just immediate
family), then the questions should be made from a wider perspective to include
aunts, uncles and cousins.
The object of the question writing and the game itself is to have fun and to spark
good memories that will lead to family history type conversation.
Don’t miss the opportunity to have a video camera rolling when this game is
being played. You never know; stories may be told here that may never be told
again.
Look here for more information on this activity:
http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/game.html

Activity #10 Build a Timeline Chart
This activity is a little more involved than the timeline that you completed near
the beginning of this book.
Special Birthday of an Elderly Relative
Use colored butcher paper to create a larger-scale timeline of the life of an

elderly relative. Present it to them as a gift at a special birthday party.
In preparing it, hang the long rolled-out paper across a wall and allow about two
horizontal inches per year. (Two inches per year is only a suggestion).
Write short accounts of his/her life on contrasting colored paper.
Include:
x Photos from all stages their life

x Copy of Birth Certificate
x Marriage Certificate etc.
Across the top be sure to show world events such as World War II, Vietnam
and Korean Wars, The Great Depression etc. These and other such events
shaped, for better or worse, their lives.
This will be a great learning experience for you and will be a much appreciated
and unique gift.
Don’t do it alone though. Enlist the help of other family members. You can’t
remember and do everything. A cooperative effort of many will make the
timeline chart fuller and more complete.
Family Reunions
For your next family reunion, use a giant sheet of butcher paper to create
a family timeline. Encourage all family members present to contribute events
and photos to this giant family timeline.
Invite them to write directly on the timeline or you might consider providing
Post-It® Notes that can be written on and easily stuck to the timeline chart.

Later, these photos and events can be neatly converted to a smaller version,
reproduced and sent out to members of the family and/or displayed at the next
family reunion. Completed family timelines can also be included in a family
newsletter or posted on the Web.
It’s still important to include world events along with family events. Just
remember that there are no right or wrong ways of completing your chart.
This activity will bring family closer together as they see before them how
closely intertwined their lives are and always have been back through the
years!
…And How About One for Yourself?
A large format timeline is the perfect way to take a good look at your own life.
It will be very eye-opening and, if preserved, will be a treasure for your posterity.
For many this may be the perfect way to get started on their autobiography.
It requires very little writing. As you are adding notes and photos, life
experiences are bound to come rushing back to your memory.
Once you have your timeline completed, have a family member or friend video
tape as you point to and explain each item on your chart.
As you go over, on camera and point out each item, you may feel like a weather
person on the evening news, but it makes things so easy and you shouldn’t
run out of things to say!
Activity #11 Video Tape Everyday Life

This activity is especially important if you decide to combine and edit
an interview video with other videos.
It’s safe to say that most all video shot on home video cameras are of special
events such as birthday parties, reunions etc. This really doesn’t capture the
true, day to day, person.
Why not shoot a supplemental video? Even if it is never edited,

this supplemental video will depict everyday life; things done on a regular basis.

These are the things that we usually pass off as being not interesting. Believe
me, these things have a place in the story!
If you are planning to edit the interview video (or other home video) on your
computer, then this extra footage will be just the thing needed to really add
fullness to your production!
Suggested Activities to Include in a Supplemental Video
Show the subject of the life story interview…
…Walking down the street, jogging, bicycling or playing with the dog.
Interacting with people close to them such as walking with a friend or

playing games with their grandchildren.
Take some video of them doing what they do on a typical day such as
grocery shopping, weeding the garden, working in their wood shop or
playing a round of golf.
How about shooting a little video of grandma or mom sitting at her sewing
machine or catching grandpa or dad sleeping in their easy chair?
The additional things that you could video tape of their lives are many and, with
some editing, it will add so much to a family video project.
Activity #12 Pass on Stories from your

Childhood
If you have children or grandchildren, this activity will be a great way of
remembering all those days of yesteryear but it will also someday be a
tremendous gift to your descendants.
The best way to explain this activity is to give you a few examples.
If your granddaughter is turning ten write, in a journal or letter just for her, what
you and life was like when you were ten.
If your grandson was starting first grade this year, write your memories of your
first days of school.
If your daughter is heading off to college, recall and write down your memories

of your life at the exact same stage (even if you never went to college).
Continue to do this over the years for each special little one in your life!
Depending on the age of the young family member, you may want to send
a copy of what you write to the family member immediately. But if they are
too young to comprehend what you wrote, hold on to it and give it as a gift
to them when they are a little older.
You should retain a copy of everything you write, though, for yourself.
Activity #13 Wedding Reception Reminiscing

Anyone in the family getting married anytime soon?
If you answered yes to the questions above, you may wish to consider this
next activity.
During the reception there will be, as you well know, everybody and anybody
that has been closely associated with the bride, groom and the family in general.
Many of them will have known the bride and/or groom since they were children.
Don’t miss this great opportunity, as everyone is just sitting around and talking, to
get some of these individuals to say a little something on video for the bride
and/or groom.
Suggest to them that they, along with a few congratulatory words and best
wishes, relate a cherished memory or two that they remember from the
bride’s or groom’s childhood and growing up years.
This will make everyone involved feel good inside. Reminiscing always does!
This will make a great impromptu gift for the bride and groom.
Not only will the bride (for example) enjoy hearing people tell about their special
memories of her growing up, but it will help the groom realize just how special
and loved the lady that he just married truly is.
The above example, of course, works in reverse. The bride will learn more about
her Prince Charming and realize how lucky she was to find such a great guy as
she watches and hears the stories about her groom on video.

Activity #14 Memories of Those That Have

Passed On
Sadly, for many of us, our parents and/or grandparents have already passed on,
but nobody knew them like you, your siblings and other family members.
If they aren’t able to speak on tape or write about their life, there is one more
hope and that hope lies with the rest of the living family.
When my grandfather passed away in 2000, the grandchildren (all adults), aunts,
uncles, and grandmother put together a collection of our favorite memories
of grandpa.
Some of his great grandchildren will remember him some; most will not
remember him at all.
In this activity, contact the rest of the family and request of them their favorite
memories of the deceased family member.
Each family member came up with two favorite memories of grandpa each. Once
gathered, my cousin Cindy typed them up and made copies for everyone.
Grandpa was too great a man and lived too great of life to not be known
and remembered by his great grandchildren!
This simple activity will pay big dividends, if even just one great grandchild
comes to know her great grandfather a little bit better.
As a bonus, it also really did our hearts well. Grandpa was a remarkable man,
who loved his family. This activity helped to lift more than one heavy heart
in our family.
In the end, of 26 separate stories were written about grandpa. Everyone came
up with separate and different memories of their favorite times with grandpa!
No two people came up with the same memory.
So give this activity shot and see what it will do for your family as well.

Values and Beliefs
In this section tell where you stand on sometimes controversial topics.
Of course skip the ones that you do not wish to answer. But remember, most
likely only members of your family ever see your answers.
Look at it as an opportunity to share your well thought out opinions and hard-
earned knowledge with your descendants who may never
have the chance to meet you. Use a blank sheet of paper to expound at length
on any subject you wish.
How have you come by these beliefs?
By knowing how you believe and how you came about believing as you do,
you will help your descendants better understand you as a person.
What are your feelings on…?
Aids
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Abortion
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Divorce
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Death Penalty
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Pornography
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Mandatory Military Service

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
UFOs
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Life On Other Planets

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Homosexuality
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Discrimination
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Death & Dying

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Monogamous Relationships
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Life after Death

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Proper Dating Age/Rules

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Legalization of Drugs
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Which issue concerns you the most? (Choose one from above or one of your
own.)
What have you done to support this issue?
[ ] I’ve donated money
[ ] I’ve donated my time
[ ] I’ve done nothing but plan to ______________________________________

Politics & Social Issues
Where do you stand on these topics?
Who spends your money better, you or the

government?_____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Taxes, out of
control?_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Do you believe in any government

conspiracies?____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Do you really worry about

overpopulation?__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Ozone hole, real or junk

science?_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Foreign
Policy___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Environmental movement, is it earth

worship?________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Do you believe in
recycling?_______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Gun
Control__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Public Schools, give your

grade___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Endangered Species
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Paying
Taxes___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Poltically I define myself as
[ ] conservative [ ] liberal [ ] moderate [ ] other

Easy Journal
Print out several copies of this page and use it to quickly jot down journal entries. It can
be used as a daily, weekly or periodic script for writing down recent happenings when
you are in a hurry! You’ll look forward to this because it really is quick and a lot of fun!
Today’s Date___________________________
Day of the Week________________________
Today’s
Weather_________________________________________________________
I went
to_______________________________________________________________
Where I was most of the

day_____________________________________________________________
I’m
Reading_________________________________________________________
Watching ________________________________________________________
Excited About ____________________________________________________
Wearing _________________________________________________________
Eating/Drinking __________________________________________________
Hearing _________________________________________________________
Dreaming About
________________________________________________________________
Learning ________________________________________________________
Talked to ________________________________________________________
Sent/Received Email from

______________________________________________________________
Made me happy __________________________________________________

Made me mad ____________________________________________________
Accomplished ___________________________________________________
Remembering ____________________________________________________
Planning ________________________________________________________
Introspect Questionaire
I shop heavily with coupons [ ] yes [ ] no

I like to cook [ ] yes [ ] no
I read a newspaper everyday [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m an early riser [ ] yes [ ] no
I am grumpy in the morning [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a vegetarian [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a smoker [ ] yes [ ] no
I eat too fast [ ] yes [ ] no
I am a recycler [ ] yes [ ] no
I like to play card games [ ] yes [ ] no
I often have people at the house [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m spontaneous [ ] yes [ ] no
I like crossword puzzles [ ] yes [ ] no
I can whistle [ ] yes [ ] no
I like being on the phone [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m often late [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a shopoholic [ ] yes [ ] no
I read in the bathroom [ ] yes [ ] no
I often get headaches [ ] yes [ ] no
I own a cellphone [ ] yes [ ] no

I talk in my sleep [ ] yes [ ] no

I’m told I snore a lot [ ] yes [ ] no
I usually have to have the last word [ ] yes [ ] no
I know who I am [ ] yes [ ] no
I get out of bed immediately with the alarm [ ] yes [ ] no
I have fired a gun [ ] yes [ ] no
I don’t mind being photographed [ ] yes [ ] no
I’ve flown in an airplane [ ] yes [ ] no
I’ve forgotten more than one anniversary [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a morning person [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a night owl [ ] yes [ ] no
I’ve gone to movies alone [ ] yes [ ] no
I always have a book I’m reading [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m entrepreneurial-minded [ ] yes [ ] no
I save old letters and postcards [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a fast talker (smooth talker) [ ] yes [ ] no
I often speak before I think [ ] yes [ ] no
I write letters regularly [ ] yes [ ] no
I love the computer [ ] yes [ ] no
I go on walks often [ ] yes [ ] no
I fold my underwear [ ] yes [ ] no
I often say “I love you” [ ] yes [ ] no
Others would describe me as outgoing [ ] yes [ ] no
I drink alcohol [ ] yes [ ] no
I set my clocks a few minutes ahead [ ] yes [ ] no
I dream in color [ ] yes [ ] no
I generally like people [ ] yes [ ] no
I find it hard to tell people no [ ] yes [ ] no
I keep a diary or journal [ ] yes [ ] no
I exercise regularly [ ] yes [ ] no

I consider myself a romantic [ ] yes [ ] no

I fear public speaking [ ] yes [ ] no
I always wear my seat belt [ ] yes [ ] no
I love to dance [ ] yes [ ] no
I’m a good money manager [ ] yes [ ] no
I am frugal (thrifty) [ ] yes [ ] no
I play a musical instrument [ ] yes [ ] no
That Which I Fear
Our fears are telling and usually have a reason and a story to go with it. This
section gives you a chance to rate things you fear. If there is an interesting
reason why you fear some of these things, please make mention of it in the
comments section immediately below the item.
Here is an example of fear playing a role in my family. My grandma Ledbetter

was so fearful of the water that my mother never learned to swim and I can’t
remember a time that my mother has actually gone into a swimming pool.
My parents saw to it that we took swimming lessons, but I remember my

grandma telling me to be “real careful around that water Mike”.
I fear:
Flying [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Guns [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Public
Speaking [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________

Losing my job [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Snakes/Spiders
Bugs [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Not being able to provide for the family

[ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Not being able to pay for kid’s college

[ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Growing old [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Change in general [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: _______________________________________________________
Heights [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: ______________________________________________________
Going in the water [ ] not at all [ ] moderately [ ] extremely
Comments: ______________________________________________________
Additional Notes and Information:

My Medical History
A medical history can be a great help to your children and grandchildren. Many
things are hereditary and the information you provide will help your family
in the future.
Optionally, if there has been a history of any of the illness mentioned below in
your family, you will want to write this down as well…even if you, yourself,
haven’t had the condition.
A good example of this would be to mention if your grandfather passed away

from a heart attack or if your grandmother had high blood pressure.
Warning: Respect the privacy of family who are still living, especially. It is
highly recommended that you get their permission and/or let them know what
you are writing and why. If you include medical information in your
autobiography, remember that it is not meant to embarrass, but rather to
provide valuable information to those who come after you.
Discuss the following:
My hearing is_____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
My vision is ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Have you ever had, been diagnosed or experienced any of the following?
Heart Disease [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment: _______________________________________________________

Heart Attack [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment: _______________________________________________________
High Blood Pressure [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment: _______________________________________________________
Respiratory Problems [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment: _______________________________________________________
Cancer [ ] yes [ ] no
Comment: _______________________________________________________
Drug or Food Allergies [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment: _______________________________________________________
“Bad Back” [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment: _______________________________________________________
Diabetes [ ] yes [ ] no
Comment ________________________________________________________
Physical Handicap [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment ________________________________________________________
Major Operation [ ] yes [ ] no

Comment ________________________________________________________

List the medications that you regularly take:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
List any other medical conditions that you wish:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

History and Nostalgia Links
Take a stroll back over the previous century. Below are links to some of the very
best nostalgia sites on the Net!
You’ll be able to relive those magical moments of your youth and yesteryear. Be
reminded of the fads, culture and happenings from all the decades.
“I can’t believe I forgot about that” will be your thought as you are whisked back
in time.
These sites are sure to bring up stories that you’ll want to tell. I’d recommend
using a separate sheet of paper to record these stories. Then place it in your
binder.
The Kingwood College Library of American Cultural History: The

Twentieth Century - Don’t let the boring name fool you. This site is so full of
stuff from your past that you’ll likely be there awhile. This site is put together by
Reference Librarians so you know it’s good and all-inclusive! I listed it first for a
reason! http://www.nhmccd.edu/contracts/lrc/kc/decades.html
http://www.badfads.com
This site takes us back through 100 years of fads that you either wished would
stay forever or you hope will never come back. This site has recently added quite
a few pop up ads, but the site is really worth taking a look at.
Another great web site that takes you back!
www.Yesterdayland.com

Old Vehicles of all Kinds - Here’s a cool web site that is sure to send you
thinking back, recalling and reminiscing about all the vehicles you or your
family has owned over the years. Many of our memories are associated
with the vehicles that we had at a particular time in our lives.
Check it out! Go to the Gallery (Note: This web site is a little difficult to navigate,
at first, but don’t let that stop you).
http://cars.motorcities.com/
Old Station Wagons – Did your family own one of these? See if you can find it
in amongst these 449 models with pictures!
http://www.stationwagon.com
http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/gallery.html
Great Old-Time Radio Programs – Fibber McGee and Molly, Dragnet and Gun
Smoke are just a few of the old radio discussion forums that are on this web site!
If you’re not old enough to remember them, your parents or grandparents will!
http://www.lofcom.com/nostalgia/phorums/index.php?f=23
Your source for the history of nostalgic and old time radio series and news!
http://www.otr.com/index.shtml
Golden Days of Australian Radio

http://www.wiredaudio.com.au/whatson/nostalgia.html
Old Lunch Boxes – Did you have one as a kid? Check out this museum of old
lunch boxes and take a walk back through your past.
http://www.spookykids.com/lunchbox/grimbox.htm
Your Hometown – Use government statistics and information to gather

information about your hometown. See how your hometown and county have
changed over the years! Compare it to how it use to be
http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/usaco%2Dstateis.html
The 20th Century – A daily accounting from 1900-2000

http://timelines.ws/20thcent/TWENTIETHCENT.HTML
Hyper History A creative timeline format showing major events of the 19th
century http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/facts.html

TV Land Online Remember all those shows you use to watch back in the day? I
bet you have forgotten about some of these shows completely. Go to this site
and relive those days of Chips, Bonanza, I Love Lucy and others.
http://www.tvland.com
Children’s Books – Did you ever read any of these classic children’s books as a
kid? This site has an extensive list of links to children’s books of all eras.
http://collectbooks.about.com/hobbies/collectbooks/msubchildrens.htm
Time Capsule – Type in any date such as a birthday, wedding day or any day
you can think of and this site will tell you what was going on in world and national
news, entertainment and sports. It also tells the average cost of items such as
milk, homes etc… Print these pages and put them right in your personal history
binder! http://www.dmarie.com/asp/history.asp
Your Surname – This site will produce a color-coded U.S. map showing the avg.
distribution of your surname in each state. Find out where the rest of the family
lives. Give it a try. I had lot’s of fun with this! http://www.hamrick.com/names/
Baby Boomer Collectibles – Do you remember any of this stuff? Here is a

gallery of collectibles that are sure to trigger memories.
http://collectibles.about.com/hobbies/collectibles/msubject16.htm
Britsh TV from the 60s

A look at some great British shows from the 1960s, including pictures.
http://home.clara.net/digger/sixties/tvlist.htm
Everything about the Fifties

A terrific site that covers the 1950s well!
http://www.fiftiesweb.com
Drive-in Theatres – Those that are still with us and those that are gone (state by
state).
http://www.driveintheater.com/index.htm
Flashbacks
http://www.1960sflashback.com/

Friends & Associates
Up to this point in this book your history as been exclusively from your perspective. Now
what needs to be done is get the perspective of those you closely associated with in
days gone by.
Here you will make a list of friends and associates who you will interview (however
informal). I think you’ll be amazed at the stories and memories that you may have
forgotten but that they haven’t. Of course you’ll want to interview your siblings and
parents, but what about that high school friend that you have been meaning to get back
in touch with – but haven’t.
Or what about that old friend from college that you lost track of. Don’t forget your old
military pals either.
Well here we are going to set out to find these people and get reacquainted. Then all
you do is what you’d do anyway…talk about the “old days”. Jot down notes about the
memories that they might spark…afterwards write the memory down in more detail.
Such fun to be had! Below are links to sites that can help you contact your long lost
friends. You may not find them all of them, but I think that you’ll find many of them.
Good luck!
http://www.ussearch.com will definitely FIND who you are looking for but this
service does cost a fee. Check them out!
BigFoot.com An all around great way to find people

www.bigfoot.com
Old friends that you want to find:

1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________

4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________

Family Involvement
“Today’s family happenings are tomorrow’s family

history”
Don’t overlook the little things that you are doing everyday that will mean a lot to you and
your posterity in the future.
Here are some suggestions to consider:
Instant messages - Save a copy of your chats and instant messages that you
have with family members. Of course do this with the permission of the other family
member and be sure to delete anything that may be offensive to any other family
member, now or in the future. In other words don’t talk bad about anybody. They
themselves or their kids may read it someday. If you don’t save these transcripts, you
are really losing a very valuable family record!
Emails – Same thing goes for your emails. Many of us are quick to hit that delete
button but next time think before you delete. Print a copy and save it in your family
history book or journal.
Newsletters - If the majority of your family is still not online, you may want to
consider starting a monthly newsletter. This is a great way that my wife and I kept in
touch with my brothers and sister and my parents.
One month my wife and I would write the newsletter and then send a copy through the
mail. Then the next month, another family member would write a short family newsletter
about his/her family’s news and send out a copy of it to all of us. Each month thereafter
we’d rotate the assignment. These letters are an invaluable source now of family
happenings of yesteryear. It took very little effort to do.
If most of your family is online already then I’d recommend MyFamily.com
This web site provides a great way for families to stay in touch and communicate across
the miles.

Miscellaneous
Have you ever been robbed or held up?
What do you believe will be the major world events of the next
decade?
If you could cure one disease which one would you cure? Why?
If a movie was made of your life, who would you want to play
your part?
If there was one person from your past, who

you have lost contact with, that you’d like to find
again, who would it be and why?
How has the world changed in your lifetime?
What inventions have you seen come about? For example, car, airplane, VCR,
Internet, remote control etc… Tell about your experiences with these items and
others.

A Treasure Hunt!
Are your dresser drawers like time capsules?
Would going though boxes in your storage be considered an archaeological dig?
Unless you are obsessed with having a perfectly clean house, I’m
willing to bet that you have several “vaults” of historical treasure
right there in your home. It’s not going to be hard for you to put
together your personal history after all. You’ve done a lot of the
work already and didn’t even realize it.
These, so-called, vaults are full of things that “tell” your life’s story.
These treasures uncover:
x What we treasured in years gone by

x What was important to us then
x Old friends that we haven’t thought of for years
x Life in a simpler time
x …and so much more
It’s human nature to store things and not want to throw out things
sentimental. Things like high school yearbooks and that instruction
guide that you still haven’t thrown away to that first dishwasher that
you ever purchased. You were so proud of that thing do you
remember?
But it’s not just the sentimental things that we keep.
We keep records or every kind because “I might need this someday so I’d better not
throw it away”. Sound familiar? These are things such as old checkbook duplicates.
Yes…old checkbook duplicates!
Here’s how!
Most of us keep old checkbooks for years after the fact. Included in these duplicates are
years worth of daily accountings of what we spent money on and places we’ve been.
They may help you remember when a gallon of milk didn’t cost $3.00 and your electric
bill was under $20. You might find the old carbon copy check you wrote for:
x Your baby’s bassinet or crib

x That old “classic” fixer-upper car you bought years ago for $500
x Traveler’s checks you purchased to go see your son or daughter graduate college
x That special anniversary gift for your sweetie all those years ago

Hopefully your mind is now churning with ideas. I found about four or five “good stories”
to tell in each checkbook that I went through.
This was actually a lot of fun even though I can’t believe all
the money that I have spent over the years. I used to ask
myself, “where did all my money go”? Well, now I know. -
So get to looking. Drawers and old files can be like time

capsules. The deeper you dig the further back in time you
go.
Here are some ideas of what to look for:
1. Old recipes that date back for years

2. Old rocks that may be in your yard that you picked up from places you’ve been
3. Old letters that you wrote but never sent
4. Old letter that you received
5. Papers from a job you use to hold
6. Lists of goals, success and achievements from the past
7. Travel brochures to places you’ve been
8. Travel brochures that you ordered for places you wanted visit but never did
9. Appliance guarantees for every appliance you ever purchased
10. Old newspaper clippings
11. Magazine pictures that you clipped out to remind you of things you enjoy
12. Poetry you’ve written
13. Children’s old report cards
14. Lock’s of hair
15. Old driver’s license
16. Drawings
17. Old photos that you never put into an album
18. Old craft project kits that you were sure that you’ve someday finish
19. Old books you’ve bought
20. Old calendars with notations about appointments, meetings and social events etc…
21. Old wellness checkup paperwork showing your babies weights and measurements at
certain points in your babies first years
22. Dried flowers
23. Old clothes patterns
24. Your old high school varsity sports letter that never was sewn on a jacket
25. Old paintings from when you loved to paint
26. Favorite quotes that you collected. Why were they important to you back then?
Keep going. You’ll be surprised with what you find and hopefully most of the things you
find will put a smile on your face.
All flat items that you find should be put in acid-free sheet protectors and put in your
binder. Your posterity will someday thank you for it and they will feel all the more closer
to you.
Remember, one generations junk is another’s heirloom.

Resources
FREE BONUS: “The Family History Jumpstart E-Book”

A compilation of highly interesting stuff. It loaded with
all the inspiration, motivation and instruction one needs
to bring out the family historian in all of us. This e-book is
currently not available for the Mac computer (sorry).
http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/jumpstart.html
Find out how this book can help your business or organization
gorw! Click the link below for all the exciting details!
http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/rebrander.html
Just like adding an extra hard drive to your computer. Get

up to 100 MB of PRIVATE and SECURE storage space for
your stories and family history for $4.95 a month. If you use a
word processor to write any of your history I highly
recommend you use a service such as Xdrive. You can’t afford to lose what
you have already written! I’ve been an Xdrive customer for more than two
years and highly recommend them!
One of our families favorite sites is http://www.myfamily.com ! It’ll bring your

family closer and it provides a great place to store your family photos. If you
haven’t got your FREE family web page yet go and get one now! It’ll take only
but ten minutes and you don’t need to know anything about making a web page.
You’ll be proud of your work.
FREE SOFTWARE:
Click the box or the link below to download
your free copy of Legacy Family Tree. It is a highly
acclaimed genealogy software program. It’s
a fully functioning program [ not a demo] and
yours free from Legacy!

Articles:
“Tell the Story Behind The Photos” http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/photos.html
“ Create a Family Album” http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/album.html
“ Family Historian” http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/historian.html
Unique Tool: http://www.freetranslation.com

iDo you have anything that needs translating? Perhaps you have an old family
bible that you can’t read because it is in German or Spanish!
iEver come across a web page that you couldn’t read because it needed
translating?
iWant to speak with living, but distant, relatives who may not speak your
language?
Try this web site!
http://www.freetranslation.com Translate a word, a sentence or even an entire
web site and it takes just seconds! Even if you don’t have anything that needs
translating, this is so much fun you’ll probably go looking for things to translate!
http://www.planetalumni.com
Here are some additional alumni sites. You will want to check them all because
an old classmate or friend may have signed up at one service but not the other.
Some of these sites charge for premium services. Many show international
listings as well.
http://www.reunion.com
http://www.classmates.com
http://www.alumni.net
http://www.reunionswel.com/
http://www.classreunionsearch.com
http://www.gradfinder.com
http://www.schoolnews.com
http://www.militarybrats.com
http://users.capu.net/~mcl/osb/osbmain.htm - Military
Family History Links Worth Your Time

Here is a list of discussion groups that I frequent and find exceptional for
information and inspiration and support from others who are also writing their life
stories.

Memoirs and More – A small but very active discussion group

Description: Memoirs and More is a group for anyone interested in lifewriting,
autobiography, making a scrapbook, therapeutic/healing writing, or just interested in
creative journal techniques
Signup here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/memoirs-and-more/
Life Writers Digest- A free e-newsletter for people who write their lifestories
http://www.turningmemories.com/lifewritersdigest.html
Putting the Polish on your LifeStory Rough Draft

http://www.turningmemories.com/polish.html
Five Do-able Tips for New Lifestory Writers

http://www.turningmemories.com/fivetips.html
"I stopped thinking about writing and simply wrote. I've gained a sense of
fearlessness."
Take this Vicarious “thrill ride” through the 1900s
Grandfather Tell Me More by Leo VanMeer

This book will do good for both old and young. After reading this
great book, written by 94 year old Mr. VanMeer, I felt as if I had
lived all throughout the 1900s.and that I could relate even closer
to what life must have been like for my grandparents and great-
grandparents as they grew up through the early and mid 1900s.
It’s a vicariously thrilling ride through the 1900s that you don’t
want to miss!
Here is an excerpt from its Preface…
“If someone before January 1, 1900, had written a

prophetic narrative, foretelling the twentieth century
and it’s accomplishments, would anyone have
believed the account?
Even far-sighted individuals might have experienced

difficulty foreseeing wagon-rutted roads replaced by a
paved and numbered, nationwide highway system,
alive with motor vehicles.

Who would have believed that aircraft, weighing tons,

would transport freight and passengers through the
air, at the speed of sound across oceans to other
continents; or computer-controlled rockets carrying
astronauts to the moon?
Only science fiction buffs might have accepted radio,

television, fax, a world-wide telephone system, and
computers as well as countless other innovations. It’s
extremely doubtful anyone, that first New Year’s Day,
could have even remotely visualized the emerging
world we senior citizens have been privileged to
witness and experience.”
Use this link to get a copy of “Grandfather, Tell Me More”

http://www.vanmeer.com
At last check, they were experiencing some problem with

their order page. If you find that this is true, please contact
me at michael@familyhistoryproducts.com and I will let you know when
the problem is resolved.
Send a blank e-mail to timsboyter7@sitesell.net receive the

FREE InfoProduct Masters course… It’s an intensive 5-
Day email course on creating, producing and online-selling
your very own infoproduct. This course refers to the book
that taught me how to put Memorygrabber together. If you
have an interest, hobby or passion--you can do it too!
There are over 1,200 pages of know-how in this book and I
whole-heartedly recommend it to you!
Thanks, once again for your purchase of the Memorygrabber™! Please

email me at boyter7@yahoo.com with any questions or comments!

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The Memorygrabber www.FamilyHistoryProducts.

Contact Michael at feedback@familyhistoryproducts.com

Memorygrabber is  1999-2004 Boyter Information Products

Memorygrabber Table of Contents

This book is dedicated to the eternal memories of:

Velva Ledbetter (1919-1985), my maternal grandmother

Clinton Carl Boyter (1919-2000), my paternal grandfather

First, I want to thank you for purchasing Memorygrabber¥

a. I don’t write that well

b. I can’t think of what to write

c. My life has been pretty boring and bland

d. I don’t know where to start

Well, Memorygrabber is the exact opposite of a blanket writing tablet. I made it

Memorygrabber is all encompassing and is a massive compilation of thought-

a. Being an overly great writer

Of Journals and Legacies

It was when I was eleven, that my parents gave me a plain-looking, hardcover,

I stuck with it through my teenage years. One of the most satisfying

I have been the beneficiary of several journals written by some of my ancestor. I

A personal history becomes a family treasure than enables children to emulate

Upon completing Memorygrabber™, you will have a written or recorded product

x “This is what I’ve done with my life so far…”

x “This is what I’m doing now…”

x “This is what I believe and think about things in life…”

x These are world events that shaped my life and generation…”

x “This is what I plan and hope to do in the future…”

Some of the questions, lists and activities contained in Memorygrabber may be

Emphasis is also placed on you describing the other members of your

If your life story was a painted portrait on a piece of canvas,

There is another reason for the emphasis on family members in Memorygrabber.

“Brother Helping Brother”

By happenstance, I came across another individual with my

In an attempt to figure out how the two of us were related, he told a

One or both of the brothers had supposedly endangered

It was a bizarre feeling!

I immediately knew exactly how we were related!

All because you recorded it in your autobiography!

Memorygrabber¥ is designed to be easy to use. One of the hardest parts

Memorygrabber™ can be used in several manners:

You can use it to:

1. Write your own life story.

2. Write the life story of another.

3. Record your life story on audio or video tape.

4. Conduct personal history interview of others on tape.

5. Work on it with a parent to preserve stories from their life.

6. Work on it with a grandparent to preserve their life story.

7. Create meaningful scrapbook page layout ideas

Regardless of how you use this book…

…print out a copy of Memorygrabber™.

Whether you plan to write, conduct a family history interview or be interviewed, it

Scribbled notes on a piece of wrinkled paper is much better than NOTHING!

This is where you need to make a decision.

x Prepared us big southern breakfasts

x First person that I knew to have Cable TV

x Always worried about our safety at school

Be sure that your short answers are complete answers!

…And isn’t that the purpose of preserving biographies and

“Prepared Us Big Southern Breakfasts”

“Grandma was from Kentucky and she was an excellent at

I remember feeling a bit guilty knowing how early she’d get up in

A JOURNAL FROM THE PAST

Do I ever think how extremely lucky I am to have such an accounting of his

THE OTHER SECTIONS IN THIS BOOK

Memorygrabber is 1999-2004 Boyter Information Products