As family historians we recognize the need to gather our family stories, but what happens when we uncover stories that were never discussed? What if we found our family was part of one of the most dramatic and disturbing eras of the 20th century - the Holocaust of World War II? In Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones we learn the remarkable story of her family's survival as Polish Jews. Georgia made the discovery of her family's past when she was 14 years old. Like many of us, she was fulfilling a school assignment to research more about her family...
Family history stories: research is showing that they contribute to a child's resilience and strength. But what about adults? What can we gain from a family member's experiences, thoughts, and feelings? I set out to write this article for Veteran's Day. I wanted to finally get down in writing my mother's memories of sending off three brothers to fight in World War II. With almost all of her generation gone, my time for getting the rest of the story is diminishing. In so doing, I was touched and strengthened. I gained hope for my generation and future generations. Veteran's Day,...
Do you have any members of The Greatest Generation still living in your family? Have you recorded their stories? If you're not sure why those who united their efforts during World War II to defeat evil were dubbed "The Greatest Generation" by journalist and author, Tom Brokaw, you might want to join us in reading his book this month. Veterans Day, celebrated on November 11th, gives us the perfect opportunity to remember the men and women who sacrificed so much in defending our country. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw Brokaw begins the book with his experience of standing on...
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 that remained of his military service were his sailor pants, some photos, his discharge papers, and a couple of paragraphs in his personal history outlining...
"Well-behaved women seldom make history" was penned by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in 1976. Do you have a well-behaved woman in your family's history? A woman who lived through the astounding changes of the 20th century and quietly worked to make a difference? To celebrate Women's History Month, you might want to reexamine her life from a different perspective and tell her story. I discovered a single scrapbook page that my grandmother, Florence Creer Kelsey, made over sixty years ago. From those scraps of paper and some research on my part, another facet of my grandmother's life emerged:...
