How to Write Your Personal History
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Have you written your personal history?
A personal history is one of the most important gifts we can leave our children and grandchildren. Telling your story allows your grandchildren and even your great-great-great grandchildren a glimpse into your life. Write your history!
One of the items I treasure most is my mom's diary -- from the year she met my dad. After they met, each page has only one word scrawled across it -- Happy. Every page. If you flipped through mom's diary, you would only see happy, happy, happy, happy, happy! What a treasure! My mom's diary was written in the 1930's - 80 years ago. What will your family read about you in 80 years?
It makes me wonder what piece of my own personal history my children will treasure. Join me as I investigate writing my own personal history.
The photo is my dad's family. Do my adult children know the family stories? I am glad we have family reunions on that side of the family. I know they have at least heard some of the stories. I hope they remember some of the tales they have been told.
One of the items I treasure most is my mom's diary -- from the year she met my dad. After they met, each page has only one word scrawled across it -- Happy. Every page. If you flipped through mom's diary, you would only see happy, happy, happy, happy, happy! What a treasure! My mom's diary was written in the 1930's - 80 years ago. What will your family read about you in 80 years?
It makes me wonder what piece of my own personal history my children will treasure. Join me as I investigate writing my own personal history.
The photo is my dad's family. Do my adult children know the family stories? I am glad we have family reunions on that side of the family. I know they have at least heard some of the stories. I hope they remember some of the tales they have been told.
Contents at a Glance
- Family Treasures - A Sketch by My Grandm...
- How Well Do Your Children Know You?
- Family Furniture Has a Story to Tell
- Questions to Get You Started on Your Per...
- More Questions to Ponder for Your Person...
- Where Do I Begin?
- Blog Posts about Personal Histories
- Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your...
- Have you written your personal history?
Family Treasures - A Sketch by My Grandmother
Art is Personal History, Too!
I want to be sure my children and grandchildren know that my grandmother sketched this picture. She signed and dated it 1906! When we were children, the picture hung in our house. For some reason, I remember calling it Gre-Gre!What item in your home is unidentified as a family treasure?
Make a note about that item today! Leave a record, a story of all these family treasures in your house! When your children are in their 50's and 60's and become grandparents themselves, they will suddenly have a keen interest in all family history items. Don't leave all those questions unanswered.
Give your children and grandchildren a beautiful geneology --but please add the personal stories! The stories are the joy of your personal history! Wouldn't you like to know now how your grandmother felt when she voted for the first time?
Write your history
How Well Do Your Children Know You?
Information on the web to get you started today!
- PersonalHistoryHelp.com: how to write great personal histories
- A website designed to teach the steps to follow to write great personal histories
- Personal History - Helping families and communities preserve their stories
- Recording your stories and bindng them into beautiful volumes for individuals, families, communities and corporations.
- Legacies and Legends
- REMINISCENCE & LIFE REVIEW
Lee Q. Miller
Personal Historian
3147 Wimbledon LanePhone: 803-366-3065 - You are Cordially Invited to Share Your Family Legends
- Years ago a guy I was dating told me the story of his uncle who had a shrunken head of a Nazi soldier that he brought back from WWII.He was very proud of his uncle, so I was gentle when I told him that that couldn't be true. In the first place even Nazis didn't shrink heads and certainly not of thei
Family Furniture Has a Story to Tell
Do You Wish Your Grandmother's Furniture Could Talk?
Do make notes about furniture that is in your home that has been passed from generation to generation.On one particular small table, I purchased a small personalized bronze plaque. Engraved on the plaque is all the important information about the piece. From now on, the history of that little table won't get lost for sure! It is screwed in to the bottom of that little table! As long as that little table survives, the story will survive with it!
Remember - you can record your life story. Grab a tape recorder
Questions to Get You Started on Your Personal History!
The Easiest Way to Write Your History
Where did you live when you were in grade school?Who was your first grade teacher?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
Did you have a pet?
What was your childhood address?
Where did you go to school?
Who was your fourth grade teacher?
Can you name all of your teachers and describe them?
How did your family celebrate holidays?
What are your favorite books? your favorite quotes?
What did your family eat for dinner?
Where did your family eat dinner?
If you did not have television, what did you do?
How old were you when your family purchased a television?
Who was your best friend in grade school? Are you still in contact?
What was your favorite game?
Did you go swimming? Where?
Did you participate in sports? Which ones?
Who was your best friend in high school? Are you still in contact?
Did you have a bicycle? How old were you when you learned to ride it?
What was your first car?
You probably think your adult children know all of these things about you. Ask them. I would imagine that they do not, and I think that is going to be a surprise to you. Come back to this site and let me know in the comments section. We all think because our children have lived with us their whole lives, that they know all about us. Let me assure you -- they do not.
You can also learn how to create life history videos. Just click here. Or create a spiritual ethical will. Leave something of yourself for your children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, students.
PHOTO: Our Aunt Lillie - oh, the questions I would like to ask her! What a wonderful lady! (Do my now adult children know about my Aunt Lillie? I wonder.)
“Your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will appreciate your story!”
More Questions to Ponder for Your Personal History
What do you think are the 3 most important things in life?What are your favorite books and television shows?
What do you think the world will look like in 2100?
Who is/was your favorite relative?
Who was your best friend in high school?
How old were you when you learned to drive? to cook?
What has been your best decision in life so far?
What has been your worst decision in life so far?
What is the nicest thing someone has done for you?
What was the most serious loss of your life? How did you handle that?
List 10 things that make you laugh.
What is your favorite joke?
Where Do I Begin?
How to Write Your Personal History
Grab a notebook (a spiral bound composition book works well). Set aside one hour to answer the simple questions above. If you do nothing else on your personal story but this, your children will have that little treasure -- and that much is better than no notes at all.
Once you start remembering, you will find many things to write about. Determine to write something in your book once a week, or once a month.
Will you write something once a year at least? Look at the Christmas Journal below. If you only journaled Christmases as you experience them, that would be a wonderful treasure for your children.
Whatever you decide to do, do something! Your children and grandchildren will be so glad you did!
Summer 2009 - My husband and I answered 10 of these questions and I typed them. We presented them to our adult son as a gift. I am sure he filed them somewhere, probably a bit puzzled about why we did that. But 30 years from now, those silly little notes will bring him great pleasure -- and we know that!
Once you start remembering, you will find many things to write about. Determine to write something in your book once a week, or once a month.
Will you write something once a year at least? Look at the Christmas Journal below. If you only journaled Christmases as you experience them, that would be a wonderful treasure for your children.
Whatever you decide to do, do something! Your children and grandchildren will be so glad you did!
Summer 2009 - My husband and I answered 10 of these questions and I typed them. We presented them to our adult son as a gift. I am sure he filed them somewhere, probably a bit puzzled about why we did that. But 30 years from now, those silly little notes will bring him great pleasure -- and we know that!
Blog Posts about Personal Histories
- Milford's History Lives With Richard Platt
- The man whose roots in Milford date back to 1639 is working to preserve local history. By Fred Musante For Milford's official city historian, Richard Platt, history is personal. Platt's family has lived in Milford since 1639, when it was first settled.
- The Mysterious Mr. Zedzed: The Wickedest Man in the World
- Books published since the late 1920s accuse Zaharoff of more or less every crime in the book, up to and including starting the First World War for his personal profit. Subjected in 1872 to stiff cross-examination in an English court, Zedzed claimed ...
- identities of slaves uncovered
- Many of the slaves had been forgotten to the world until the Virginia Historical Society received a $100000 grant to pore over some of its 8 million unpublished manuscripts -- letters, diaries, ledgers, books and farm documents from Virginians dating ...
Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures
If you are artistic, you can use pictures to tell your story. This Artist's Journal Workshop has techniques, exercises and tips to help you. Creat a picture of your holidays and birthdays and other special occasions. What a treasure this will be for future generations.
Have you written your personal history?
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Writing Personal Histories
We grew up in the small town of Pendleton, SC, where, indeed, everybody knew our name! My sister, Ohme, (Nancy) has created a series of personal history pages -- and each one is a treasure indeed. Why not do this for your friends and family? Who could you interview this week? Whose story could you tell?
Why are our personal histories so important?
You do not need to be a member of Squidoo to make a comment. Just scroll down to the white box.
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Quickcutters
Dec 17, 2011 @ 7:12 pm | delete
- I have kept a jouranl for about 27 years. Some things in it are not so good but it shows how my life was in real times and how i felt what i was doing. I have all ways wanted to write out a small book to leave my daughter and grand kids.
Also, I have a box full of my own mothers writings. It's all mixed up and in several different note books but it's there to read.
Thanks for your lens it has made me think about how i need to get back to writing.
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georgetsaviel68
Sep 18, 2011 @ 8:29 pm | delete
- Hi look good, I have written a book on my family history and had fun doing it.
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Genjud Sep 9, 2011 @ 1:13 pm | delete
- I really like your lens. Gives me a lot of ideas to try with my own genealogy. Thanks.
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Genjud Sep 9, 2011 @ 1:13 pm | delete
- I really like your lens. Gives me a lot of ideas to try with my own genealogy. Thanks.
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EchoTarpeian
Sep 5, 2011 @ 5:32 pm | delete
- great lens! I also love the diary: Happy Happy Happy:) truly a lovely treasure...
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DavidDove Sep 4, 2011 @ 6:31 am | delete
- OK, I'll try again, want to do it, this will help. thank you
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cgreen7090
Aug 31, 2011 @ 7:40 am | delete
- I love, love , love the "happy, happy, happy" in your mom's journals....precious!
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Momsbusy247 May 29, 2011 @ 1:09 pm | delete
- Opps... forgot, Blessed by a Squid Angel!
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Joan4
May 29, 2011 @ 1:41 pm | delete
- Thank you for that super squidangel blessing!
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Momsbusy247 May 29, 2011 @ 1:08 pm | delete
- I think it is so important for families to preserve their history and to share it with the children. Such a lost art these days!
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Ruthi
May 28, 2011 @ 6:13 pm | delete
- I don't (yet) have it all written in one place. It filters into each piece of poetry or prose I write. My family doesn't like it much when I tell "my side of the story". But, tell it I shall.
How I miss not being able to favorite lenses! This one would surely be a favorite. I think I'm going to have to do a "Favorite Lenses" lens to keep track of them.
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Donding May 15, 2011 @ 11:50 am | delete
- A great lens. Those family stories are a very important part of your family history. I'm putting this on my lens roll...;)
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NancyOram
May 14, 2011 @ 10:00 pm | delete
- Joan, you may have a specific reason for putting this in the 1940s Nostalgia, but it could also fit in Relationships & Family » Family History. Great lens!
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Joan4
May 14, 2011 @ 10:13 pm | delete
- Thank you, Nancy! I had not seen that Family history category at all! Perfect! Thank you!
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GramaBarb
Apr 12, 2011 @ 11:00 am | delete
- Even tho this great lens is not in my Grandparent neighborhood - I felt compelled to bless it. A I feel so strongly about this subject.
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vallain
Mar 31, 2011 @ 10:25 pm | delete
- Back for a third visit to this lens. Blessings on it from a roving Squid Angel.
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Jewelsofawe
Mar 27, 2011 @ 4:01 pm | delete
- Great lens Joan! I had to give it a blessing!
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ndasika Mar 26, 2011 @ 12:41 pm | delete
- I have never written my personal history. I have thought about it but I did not the essence of having one. By reading this lens, you have given me a reason to start writting one asap. Thanks for sharing this information with us.
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lovelylashes
Mar 22, 2011 @ 1:28 pm | delete
- I keep a journal which I consider to be my personal history. It's not quite as organized as what you describe but I think it works. Great lens!
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tandemonimom
Mar 17, 2011 @ 4:08 pm | delete
- Love the "happy happy happy!" ** BLESSED ** and featured on Blessed by Tandemonimom!
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Yawapi
Mar 13, 2011 @ 9:50 pm | delete
- I got started by researching my family history and talking to older relatives - what a cast of characters!
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Waxing-Lyrical
Feb 7, 2011 @ 12:52 am | delete
- The memories of our past, and indeed our present, are an essential part of our lives and it would be sad to see those lost in the midst of time. Blessed.
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clouda9
Feb 1, 2011 @ 12:58 pm | delete
- Flying in cuz now I have my wings...My Angel Blessing today is SWAH :)
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poddys
Feb 1, 2011 @ 6:39 am | delete
- My wife and I met through our love of family history, and are saddened by knowing so little of our ancestors. I did begin to write about my life in my "About Poddys" lens, but I have a lot more to write. Actually I am researching a novel about an incident that my Grandfather was involved in as a young man, and although I have 1 uncle still alive, he really didn't know his father because he was off to boarding school, and the children weren't involved in their parents lives. So sad really. I think we all ought to write our memoirs. With a word processor, there really is no excuse.
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nightbear
Jan 31, 2011 @ 2:05 pm | delete
- I know exactly how important this is. I don't have children, but I am a child and my parents nor grandparents had nothing written down and now they are all gone. I have nothing of my family and it makes me feel so lost and alone. I would have loved it if they would have taken the time to do as you suggest here. We all make the mistake of thinking there is always tomorrow. Do it now! Time is an uncertainty
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WhiteOak50
Jan 31, 2011 @ 8:32 am | delete
- This is a very informative page my friend. Unfortunately, I do not have children to leave notes too, nor anyone in the directly family that I wish to do so with. BUT this guideline is fantastic for those who have families such as your's. You are such a wonderful role model Joan. Very good job with this page.
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Teddi14
Dec 24, 2010 @ 10:57 pm | delete
- Great job on this lens. I got some more ideas to add to mine. :-)
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ajgodinho Dec 20, 2010 @ 10:13 am | delete
- This is a great idea for a lens and on a wonderful topic that can be passed on for generations. I guess in this day and age, it's become much easier to record personal history. A lot of us like to write, but it's nice to have a guide like this to jog the mind and make it orderly. **Blessed by a Squid-Angel**
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eclecticeducation
Dec 19, 2010 @ 11:26 pm | delete
- Great lens! Blessed!
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aj2008
Nov 8, 2010 @ 2:51 pm | delete
- Oh what a lovely idea for a lens Joan. But you know, some of us on Squidoo, including you my friend, are leaving a legacy for our children and grandchildren right here on Squidoo.
Some of it is there already. All those lenses about our personal experiences and those of our nearest and dearest. But what we have to do is remember to keep writing them every so often ;)
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vallain
Oct 12, 2010 @ 8:12 pm | delete
- This is such an important point to get across to people, that they should write down their memories. I've lensrolled this to:
Octogenarian Self-Publishes Memoirs
Write Family Memories for Our Echo
Self-Publishing with Blurb
Writing Triggers for Family Memories
A Family of Writers: Handing Down a Writing Tradition
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clouda9
Sep 17, 2010 @ 10:26 pm | delete
- Dropping back in to say WOW! I sure do appreciate the nuggets of information about How to Write Your Personal History!
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RebeccaE
Sep 13, 2010 @ 8:42 pm | delete
- an excelelnt idea, and so wonderful. beleive it or not I am just starting, mostly for fun, but also because I think it is of value.
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Draconius
Sep 12, 2010 @ 12:22 pm | delete
- This is a very good idea I had never thought about writing my personal history, not sure i could include alot of the things I had done in life as some things that I am not proud of but it is a part of what made me who I am today! Thanks
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Stazjia
Sep 5, 2010 @ 6:03 am | delete
- I so wish my mother and father had written personal histories. My mother's memories are fading and my father died in 1987. I hope this will encourage more people to write about their lives. Blessed by an Angel.
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Joan4
Sep 5, 2010 @ 6:45 am | delete
- Thank you for the angel blessing, Starjia! we are working on our histories. I do think it is so very important for all of us to do! Even a list of favorite books, favorite songs, favorite movies. Everything counts!
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pkmcr Sep 1, 2010 @ 12:14 pm | delete
- An incredibly informative lens and given my interest in Genealogy the whole concept of writing a personal history is one to take on board. You have been blessed by a passing Squid Angel :-)
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Joan4
Sep 1, 2010 @ 12:21 pm | delete
- Wow! Thank you, Paul!
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OhMe
Jul 31, 2010 @ 9:22 am | delete
- Lensrolled this to Our Tate Family Reunion and all the Pendleton Memory Series
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Sylviane_Nuccio
Jul 29, 2010 @ 8:20 pm | delete
- Very interesting lens. Loved it and great tips too.
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by Joan4
Joan4
I hope you are already writing a personal history for your children and nieces and nephews. Please leave a history of some kind for those who will follow... more »
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