The Value of Our Family's Stories

I'm still gathering names and dates for my genealogical database, but now I'm to the point where I email or call up relatives that I haven't talk to for years, and we get off on many tangents so each call turns into a lively and fascinating conversation. I had one such call yesterday morning.

If I can get a few more calls in, and receive replies from some emails I sent out, I may get this wrapped up as well as it is possible, and then - when I can get my printer to work again! - start putting together my new editions of the genealogies and family stories to set up for sale on my genealogy website.

I do not plan to produce printed editions, except in rare case of seniors who have no computer or printer to print out the e-books for themselves, nor the resources to bind them. I can offer, as a very special service then, to print out the book of their choice, bind it and send it to them, but I will charge for this service.

Oh, I had interesting experience and epiphany on Sunday evening as I was transcribing, and trying to condense the large, 4 lb book I produced in 1988 - after a 3 year process of translating my Gr'ma Kroeker's journal over several decades and then writing up a fairly detailed history of her life, mostly from her perspective.

Back then I had no income. I produced this book as Gr'ma's "godly inheritance" for her descendants using whatever I found for the taking in my parents' home, or that was given to me, including 2 Gestetners to crank off the pages, and then binding them by hand with a toothbrush to put the glue into the spine.... Well, that's all a long story. But I've often wondered since if I didn't go into far too much detail in that book. (I kept hearing Mom's constant reminders throughout my life to finish what I started and to do it thoroughly).

Well, Sunday night I came to the part where my Mom was gored by a cow. I was only 4 1/2 years old at the time, so my memories are vague, and probably absorbed mostly from the things I overheard from the adults in my life. However, because I had followed Gr'ma's journals fairly closely I saw exactly what day that happened, and how long it too, before she was taken to hospital as everyone thought she was going to die. Then, some weeks later she was taken to the University hospital in Saskatoon for some major repairs and re-construction of her internal organs.

Suddenly I was glad that we had Gr'ma's details journal to see when and how things happened!

I am still trying to tighten up my writing, but I will certainly leave important events like that in this edition of, "A Godly Inheritance," though I do hope this will not weigh 4 lbs.

Hey, as I get older my memory gets fuzzy too, and I need this kind of reference point for our family's stories. Our younger generations will only be able to claim and own these stories if they are available to them in English. :)

Listen. This applies to your family's stories as well. What can you do to preserve them?

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The Artist Put a Girl Inside the Tree

A friend sent me a link to this video. It is truly astonishing. I thought you would enjoy this as well.

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