For Reluctant Relatives—A Family History Questionnaire

Obtaining information from relatives about their family histories can be difficult. For four or five years, I had asked my aunt to write a brief history of her youth. My father had died when I was a toddler, and she was the only one left who could tell me about my father, my grandparents, and several other family members. I tried many tactics, but I got no results until I decided to send a questionnaire.

I included about twenty questions, left space for answers, and mailed it—with a brief note inviting my 82-year-old aunt to use more paper if she needed. To my surprise, she returned the questionnaire—filled in completely, with each page covered on both sides. At the top of the questionnaire she had written, “Send more questions. I love this.”

Up until then, I had been using the wrong technique. I had asked her to write “all about” herself. I had sent an outline of items that should be included in a personal or family history. I had sent her a “blank book” to encourage her. But it was the questionnaire that unlocked her memories.

If one method of asking for information doesn’t work, don’t give up! Try another. Above all, persist, keep praying, and listen for the inspiration that will come to help you record your family’s history. Barbara Stockwell, Springfield, Oregon