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Family history questions to ask your grandparents.

Family history questions ask for names, places and dates as well as stories, so you can find the records later. Here are 16, in four groups, with notes on what to write down.

See the book

Draw a family history question

What were your parents' full names, and your mother's name before she married?

What to write down

Write names in full with the spelling they give, and ask how sure they are. A town plus a rough year ("Ohio, about 1938") is enough to start a search in census or church records.

Mark what they remember first-hand and what was passed down. Both matter, and a later reader will want to know which is which.

Names

What were your parents' full names, and your mother's name before she married?
What were your grandparents' names? Do you know where they were born?
Were any names changed, shortened or spelled differently over the years?
Who were you named after, and why?

Places and moves

Where was each of your homes, town and street if you remember?
Did the family move from another country or state? When, and why?
Which relatives stayed behind, and did the family keep in touch?
Where are your parents and grandparents buried?

Work and everyday life

What work did your parents and grandparents do?
Did anyone serve in the military? Where, and when?
What church, club or community was the family part of?
What language was spoken at home when you were small?

Keepsakes and records

Is there a family Bible, letters or papers with names and dates in them?
What object in the house has a story, and who should have it next?
Which photos do you have of your parents and grandparents? Who is in each?
Who else in the family remembers more about this than you?

Questions people ask next

Is this the same as genealogy interview questions?

Yes. Genealogy questions focus on names, places and dates; these add the stories that make those facts a family.

What if they don't remember a date?

Ask for something near it: which house they lived in, who was president, how old a sibling was. A rough year is still useful.

Does the Kept Stories book have a family tree?

Yes, one family tree page, plus a chapter called "Where I come from" with 8 questions about family and roots.

The full book

All 44 letter-size pages in one PDF
Grandma and Grandpa covers in the same file
62 questions with wide lines, 5 photo pages, a family tree and a letter to the grandchildren
Print as many copies as your family needs

The free sample and the question list stay free. The book adds every chapter with room to write. Printing and binding are up to you.

Kept Stories book

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Format: PDF, 44 letter-size pages
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