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Archiver > APG > 2007-10 > 1191272942


From: AVLady/Tate/King <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Help! In need of family stories!
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 14:09:02 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <470114A6.80902@circlemending.org>


With so many people blogging their family histories on the internet, I suppose I'm wondering why those individuals aren't contacted personally to be a part of the project. I'm sure they wouldn't mind since their stories are already out there.

I guess I'm not really seeing the purpose of soliciting for stories from the Rootsweb community when the internet stories are free and easy to obtain.

I agree there are a lot of questions that should be asked prior to submitting very personal stories to an unknown person/project. How will each story be verified for authenticity since they must "be from your own family"? Some of the family stories I have took me years, tears and more than a little sweat to receive from some very stubborn relatives. I'm not sure I want to part with them so easily and I'm pretty sure the relatives I received them from won't be so willing to prove their stories to an outsider should they be called upon to do so to prove authenticity.

Just curious.

Stubby Tate
Marietta, GA

Jean Wilcox Hibben <> wrote: Greetings, fellow APGers.

Some of you may have already heard about my dissertation project, and
some have already submitted stories to it, but for those who have not,
here is my plea for help.

I am a doctoral candidate in folklore and my dissertation is on family
stories. Since my concentration is American folklore, the stories need
to be American in origin, but immigration stories are acceptable. They
need to be stories that have endured over at least 2 generations (things
your grandparents told you or maybe what your parents shared that they
learned from their parents, grandparents, etc.). Stories need to have
had some sort of impact (however slight: even that the story inspired
you to research your family lineage) ... in other words, why did the
story manage to survive? Stories must also be from your own family
(though if you have a client who has a great story, please encourage
that person to submit it!). I am collecting stories from the
genealogical community as that is the population I am eventually
generalizing to, but stories need not be proven true ... in fact, some
of the questionable stories that have endured and even impacted families
are the most intriguing. I am following the general cataloging of
folklorist Stephen Zeitlin at the folklore center in NY.

As an enticement, I am offering to donate $1 per story (that meets the
criteria) to the genealogical society identified on the submission form
(yes, this is ethical as I am not soliciting by offering to pay directly
to submitters). I expect to be compiling the data by early spring 2008,
so the sooner the stories are submitted, the more time I have to work
with them (donations will be made once the analysis is complete ...
hopefully by June 2008). If you would be willing to submit your stories
and/or present this opportunity (perhaps as a fundraiser) to your own
genealogical society, please see the details and submission form at:
. Sample stories can also be
found at that website: , click on "Dissertation
project."

I appreciate this list for the many bits of information I have received
over the past years and now hope that some of you good folks will assist
me in this area. Thank you so very much!!

Best,
Jean

--
Jean Wilcox Hibben, MA,CGsm
Riverside County, California

Member, Association of Professional Genealogists
Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild
President, Corona (CA) Genealogical Society

CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for certification of Genealogists used under license after periodic
evaluations by the Board;the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.








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