20 Questions You Can Use to Capture Grandma’s Story

Now is a great time to start, especially if your grandmothers are living. You learn about them by asking questions. If they have passed away, ask your family to share memories with you. Now is a great time to start, especially if your grandmothers are living. You learn about them by asking questions. If they have passed away, ask your family to share memories with you. Then preserve what you learn for future generations at FamilySearch.org/meetmygrandma.

How to Record Your Grandmothers’ Experiences

You can write down the experiences as you hear them. If you have a recording device, you can record them. If you have a smart phone, you can use the free FamilySearch Memories app to make audio recordings as you listen.

20 Questions to Ask Your Grandmother

Think of things you would like to know. Would you like to know what clothes they wore and what music they listened to? Would you like to know what problems they had? As you think about what you would like to know about each grandmother, ideas will come.

Here are some questions you could use. Skip or modify the questions to make them appropriate for your grandmothers and their lives.

1. What is your name and what are the names of your parents and brothers and sisters? How did your parents choose your name? Does it have a special meaning? Did you have any nicknames?
2. When and where were you born? When and where were your parents and brothers and sisters born?
3. What kinds of things did your family do together when you were young?
4. Who were some of your friends? What did you do with your friends?
5. What schools did you attend? What were your favorite subjects? Who were your favorite teachers?
6. How did you meet Grandfather? How did he propose?
7. When and where were you married?
8. What are your children’s names and when and where were they born?
9. What are some special memories you have about your children?
10. Where have you lived?
11. Have you had jobs? Who did you work for and what did you do?
12. Do you belong to a church or a religion? How has it affected your life?
13. In your religion, what callings or positions have you served in?
14. What did you do to get through the difficult times in your life?
15. Do you have holiday traditions? What do you do for the holidays
16. What are some of your favorite things? Favorite colors? Favorite flowers? Favorite books? Favorite songs? Favorite foods? Favorite pets?
17. What trips or vacations do you remember? Which one was your favorite?
18. What are some personal experiences that have especially touched your heart?
19. What are your favorite things to do now?
20. What do you hope for your children and grandchildren?

Preserve Your Grandmothers’ Stories

Now that you’ve recorded the stories, why not share them and preserve them for the future generations of your family? Adding the stories to Family Tree will protect them from natural disasters and changes in technology and from being accidentally deleted or thrown away.

Add the Stories to Family Tree

September 22, 2014 By Paul G. Nauta

Add stories to one grandmother at a time.

1. Go to FamilySearch.org and sign in. (You can get a free FamilySearch account if you don’t already have one.)
2. Click Tree, and click your grandmother’s name.
3. On the summary card, click Memories.
4. Add the stories.
   • If you wrote the stories down, click Stories, and add the story.
   • If you recorded the stories on a smart phone, use the smart phone to upload the audio files. (You can include up to 15 minutes in an audio file. Add as many files as you need.)

Add a Grandmother to Family Tree

When you sign in, if you don’t see a grandmother on Family Tree, you can add her. Click the Add Wife link where her name should be listed. If your grandmother is living, click Add Person. If your grandmother has passed away, add the information to Find Person and look for her in Family Tree.

For more information about adding your stories about your grandma to FamilySearch.org, visitFamilySearch.org/meetmygrandma.