Family Story Friday

One valuable role that the Deschutes Historical Museum volunteers fill is that of the keeper of stories. Oral histories are collected from folks whose families have deep roots in our community, and those stories are transcribed for future readers.

A personal experience illustrates how important these stories are: A year ago, while visiting my mother, I decided to try collecting some stories about her childhood. Thanks to some helpful guidance from the DHM oral history interviewers, I was able ask open-ended questions, and elicit details. However, I found that my mother’s memory was faded enough that she could no longer remember details, or was not confident in her answers. Thankfully, I have a recording of these brief conversations with her.

A year later, Mom passed away. While cleaning out her files, I found a treasure: the transcription of an oral history interview that was done with her in 2012. The questions all related to her childhood, her grandparents, school days, siblings, all the stories that I had hoped to capture! It is a record that none of my family knew about, and we are all so excited to have it.

There is a lesson here: collect stories while you can! You do not have to be a grandparent for your stories to be valuable. Ask all the questions you have always wondered about, while the answers are still there. Share your stories while they are still vivid in your mind.

We pose a challenge to you: This year, as your family gathers together for the Thanksgiving holiday, make a plan to share stories and exchange memories. Plan your discussions ahead of time, listing topics you would like to share. Make this a new family tradition: Family Story Friday.

This idea is inspired by volunteer Linda Heuser and by “The Great Thanksgiving Listen,” a program from StoryCorps, the non-profit organization for sharing and keeping stories: StoryCorps.org

by Tracy Alexander, Membership Officer
Reprinted from The Homesteader, the monthly newsletter of the Deschutes County Historical Society