Are you planning an epic family reunion this summer? Do you have photos in boxes or on your phone from a past reunion? In just a few hours, you can create a beautiful book worthy of any coffee table. Two years ago, my mother broached the subject of a family reunion being planned at Martin’s Cove in Wyoming. The reunion would be for the descendants of Charles Cannon Creer, her grandfather. His mother, Sarah Jane...
Family history and serendipity go together. Talk to any genealogist or family historian and you’ll hear stories of amazing finds – cousins who email with just the information needed, family bibles that turn up in unusual places, the headstone you find in the cemetery when you’ve almost given up searching. I’ve had my fair share of serendipitous moments, but today I’ll share just one: revisiting the house that William H. Kelsey built. As a young...
Have you ever spent an hour at the doctor’s office waiting for your turn, wishing you had something more interesting to do than scanning Facebook? Try the FamilySearch Tree Mobile App! I just discovered the “Descendants with Tasks” feature and it’s pretty smooth. You can go to an ancestor, view their profile, and click the menu button to see the “Descendants With Tasks” option. There you’ll see a list of all that ancestor’s descendants who have “tasks”...
by Ana Maria Cannon Stories That Bind Us One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting outside at night on the front porch, listening to my father tell jungle stories. Dad worked as a geologist, drilling for oil and water in countries around the world. As a young geologist right out of college, he landed his first job in the Amazon jungle. It was there that his daily experiences evolved into some of...
What are you giving your dad this Father’s Day? Here are some ideas that won’t take long but can be made meaningful by including a little family history. This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission but it doesn’t change the price of the item. Thanks! Custom Bottle labels Use an old photo of Dad or another family photo to customize his...
Do you need to inject some life into your next family reunion? You might want to try adding an “Amazing Race” element. In today’s guest post, Ann Jeppson, shares ideas that you could adapt for your next family adventure. – Diana by Ann Jeppson My father’s family has lived in Lehi, Utah for four generations, so we have a lot of family history that is connected to the town. We wanted the younger generations to feel...
Last year, my grandmother planned a reunion for her ten children and 50+ grandchildren. I asked her if we could include some family history activities during the week and do a “family tree gathering,” so she put me in charge of Family Home Evening on Monday night. I wanted to plan an activity that all the adults would enjoy and even the smallest children could be involved in too. After giving it some thought, I decided that acting out...
My Grandfather’s Coat by Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock, teaches about the hard work, thrift and conservation of our ancestors. This book club post will share discussion questions, family story ideas, and an activity you can do with your own kids to teach about these important values. This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission but it doesn’t change the price of the item. Thank...
Do you need a laugh-out-loud kind of book for your summer reading? You might want to give Funny in Farsi: A Memoir about Growing up Iranian in America a try. In honor of fathers everywhere, this Family Locket Book Club selection for June is a hilarious look at author Firoozeh Dumas’ Iranian family and their adventures adjusting to the culture of southern California. (This post contains affiliate links. if you click the link and make a purchase,...
How much do you know about the military service of your family members? Do you wonder about the events that shaped their lives? How can you honor their sacrifice? In the next few weeks we have several opportunities to consider their part in preserving our country’s freedom: Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day. Like most World War II veterans, my dad didn’t talk much of his war experiences. When he passed away five years ago, all...