What will it take?

Everyone has stories worth telling. 

I grew up hearing stories from my grandparents and parents about incidents in their lives. I even find myself telling my children and grandchildren about stories of my childhood and my life. I also tell stories of my brother's life because he is not here to tell them.

My Dad had an accident with his hand and that gave him the time to write the stories his grandchildren were always interested in hearing. 

My Dad had never been one to sit around. He liked to keep busy and active. Even in his mid 80s he was playing golf and tennis, working out at the gym and taking walks in the beach. He scoffed at some of his friends who sat at their computers all day. Doing what, he didn't know. The scope of his technology was programming their TV box and wiring up the stereo throughout the house.

Then one day he was in the workshop and ran his fingers through the saw with the wood. Two were just nicked but one tip was cut off. At the hospital they were able to put it back with a thin rod sticking through and up to hold it together. No more golf, tennis or gym! 

My cousin's husband gave him his first computer, showed him how to use it, and that was the beginning of a 180 page biography of his life with family and friends.

He did it all on Word, with help from family from time to time to show him how to add images and fix something he messed up because of worsening glaucoma. He then had copies made and spiral bound at Staples.

For me it was a Christmas gift from my daughter of Storyworth that started me on that journey. I answered a year of questions and added photos to make books for my children, which they got the next Christmas.

What will it take for you to write YOUR stories?

   

Where were you when the lights went out?

That's an age-old question. Where were you when you heard Kennedy was shot, or what were you doing when you heard the towers were bombed?

It is also a question we should ask of our ancestors when writing a narrative, or even a timeline. 

If you had ancestors in New France or New England in 1663 they would have experienced the big Charlevoix earthquake. Or perhaps the 1732 one of Montreal?

Those who lived during one of the many Street Railway strikes, like that in Montreal in 1904 or London in 1918 may have cheered or booed in the streets depending which side they were on. Perhaps it was Your ancestor that threw the brick that made my great-grand uncle crazy?

Where were your female ancestors when they were given the right to vote, and when is the first time you found one on a voters list? Were your ancestors involved in one of the voting scandals?

Where were your Australian ancestors when men were finally permitted to vote, the first railway came into being, or the Norwegian guy introduced skiing to the country during the gold rush?

Not many disasters had such a global affect as did the sinking of the Titanic. It is most well known because of all the hype building up to the maiden voyage and because the passengers were from many countries and in many walks of life. Maybe your ancestor was not on the Titanic, but what about their friends and neighbours? What about those involved in the rescue, any connection there? How did they hear the news? Sitting at the table, having coffee and reading the local morning newspaper? 

If not the Titanic what about another ship disaster? My grandparents were Salvationists and friends or acquaintances with many who lost their lives when the Empress of Ireland sank in 1914.

Look for historical timelines not just for the country but for the city or area where your ancestor lived (check local newspaper headlines too) and imagine how your ancestor felt or reacted and weave it into their stories. 

Check the almanac and newspapers for environmental facts for the stories. What time of day or year was the occurrence? Was it sunny and warm? Windy and rainy? Or perhaps cold and snowy? What time were sunrise and sunset? Does that area have a long or short twilight? Was there a full or quarter moon? 

Where was your ancestor when the lights went out?

12 Days of Christmas Ancestors

If you didn't have time to do 25 days of Advent posts, 

how about trying 12 Days of Christmas Ancestors?

The 12 Days of Christmas is the span between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the magi. So starts Christmas day December 25, and ends January 5th, with Epiphany on the 6th. If you wish you can start December 26 and end January 6th. 

So the rule would be to match an ancestor to one of the gifts of the poem (song) "The 12 Days of Christmas". I like this old version, but you can use whichever you want. 

Broadside:"The Twelve Days of Christmas"

You can check out my last year posts of 12 Days of Christmas for inspiration, but you can interpret the gifts any way you like to fit with your ancestors.

I will be doing this, something to do in the quiet after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and hope many of you will join me. I look forward to reading your interpretations of the song. Some of them look a little tricky! 
Are you up for the Challenge? Let's use hashtag #12DaysOfAncestors

You can download the list of links from all the 12 days here. 

A Gift of Stories

Those of you who are getting to know me, and follow this blog and The Days of Their Lives blog, know that I am all about telling the stories of our ancestors. My cousins, aunts, siblings, children and even some of the older grandchildren all enjoy the articles I've posted and the books I have published about our ancestors and their families, their lives, their successes and their struggles. 

But what about MY stories?  That is the question my daughter asked herself and thought about as she was thinking about what gift to get me for Christmas. It is fine to learn all about the ancestors, but the kids wanted to know about my life too! What was it like growing up? What were my thoughts and dreams?

me age 7

I was surprised and delighted to receive (via email) the gift of StoryWorth. 

Every week I will get an email with a prompt to tell a story.  My story will be sent to the person who bought me the gift and anyone else I want to add to the list. This was part of the email I received...

Your stories can be as long or as short as you want, and you can even include photos! The one purchasing the gift can choose/ask questions or have random questions sent. You can take as long as you want to answer the questions and catch up any time.  The questions are saved on your account. 

At the end of the year I will receive a beautifully bound 6" x 9" book with all my stories, that I can share with or pass down to my children and grandchildren.

You can buy this for a family member, or even for yourself!

I can't wait to get started!!!

Relevant Link 

StoryWorth - use this link to get $10 off if you decide to purchase. 

Grandparents Day Challenge

National Grandparents Day is celebrated at different times of year depending on the country. In Canada and the US it is this coming Sunday, September 10th.

No matter when or where it is celebrated, I love any opportunity to celebrate my grandparents. I always loved to sit at my grandmothers side while she told me stories about her childhood, her parents and her grandparents. 

CHALLENGE:

Tell a story as told to you by one of your grandparents!

Write your story on your blog and comment about it here below. 

If you don't have a blog, post it here in the comments or in the comments on our Facebook group page.

I look forward to reading your stories!

Crossing the Atlantic in 1745

My husband's ancestor came to New France from La Rochelle, France sometime before the first census in 1666. 

La Rochelle Harbour 1762; by By Claude Joseph Vernet

Many New France settlers came from this seaport in the 1600s.

Jacques Nolin was brought to New France under contract for Nicolas Juchereau sieur de Saint-Denis, soldier and fur trader, who was also taking care of the holdings of his absent uncle, Noel Juchereau sieur DesChastelets. Jacques was called Jacques Nolin dit DesChastelets.

Radio Canada tele, Canada's French television station, is now airing a show called...

 "La Grande Traversée". 

Ten "colonists" flew to La Rochelle and are now travelling to Quebec City aboard L'Esperance, a three masted schooner like the one my husband's ancestor arrived on. They dress, eat, work and live aboard as our ancestors did many years ago. These modern colonists also had to sign a contract before boarding the ship.

If you don't understand French it is pretty easy to follow, and you can also join the adventure in English on their interactive website. If your ancestor came from Tourouvre or another place overseas at that time they would have had the same experience. 

If you missed the first episode you can watch it online at the network website or perhaps on demand. It started April 11th and airs Tuesday nights on Radio Canada.

I hope it will be a good representation of the voyage and not too much of a reality show. 

Old Folks Tales

My old neighbor Malcolm lived alone since his wife died many years before, hadn't many visitors, and liked to sit on the ratty old couch that graced his veranda. Malcolm was about 94 when we moved in next door.  My kids used to like to go sit with him on a warm summer's day, and hear tales of the old days.  Tales of the days when soldiers, Indians and horse and buggies were seen in the village. My girls loved it! Only a couple of years later Malcolm's family moved him away to a home and he lived to the ripe old age of 102.

My grandmother, Sadie Mavor, was in the province-run Centre d'Hébergement de LaSalle the last few years of her life. She looked forward to the days I brought my four children to visit her. What hit me, was that so did most of the other residents living on her floor. Many of them had no visitors and liked having my well-behaved (*smile*) children around to tell their stories to. Especially during holidays.

The elderly love to reminisce. They remember more of the past than of the present and want to tell their stories. If you go visit the elderly in the town of your ancestors you can hear the stories of an era gone by, and just maybe they knew your ancestors. 

In the 1800's there was often only one home for the needs of the aged, infirm and orphans. After WWI my husband's grandfather had no work and could not look after his family. He travelled to find work and the older sons got live-in work on farms, but my husband's father and his sisters were put in the Home for the Aged and Orphans run by the Grey Nuns. Soon their mother was able to get work in the kitchen there to be near her children.

Relevant Links:


Old Folk's home Toronto 1800 - report

Victorian Benevolent Home and Hospital for the Aged and Infirm, AU 1926 

Methodist Church Home for the Aged - New York 1850-1950

The Otterbein Home  - Ohio 1913-1966

Annual Report of managers of Old Man's Home of Philidelphia 1875

Annual Report of managers of Home for Aged Women Rhode Island, 1860

Annual Report of the Chapin Home for the Aged and Infirm NY - 1875, 1882 

Home for the Aged, Columbia, Hudson NY - 1893

Orphan Home and Asylum for the Aged and Infirm; Lutheran Church, PA (several)