NCSCOTS-L Archives

From: "Joe & Laura Schmidt" <>
Subject: Fw: Family interview form
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 07:53:50 -0700

>Hi,
>
>I found this on the internet, and thought I might pass it along to all of
you,
>so that you can make whatever use of it that might make sense.
>
>Happy spring,
>
>Dick Shoemaker
>********************
>
> Guide for Interviewing Family Members
>
>
>The purpose of this questionaire is to guide you in
>recording the life experiences of a member of your family.
>The information you record will become an important link
>between you and your descendants.
>
>At the top of a sheet of paper write: the full name, and the
>date and place of birth of yourself, your mother (maiden
>name), your father, your brothers and sisters, your spouse,
>and your children: and the date and place of marriage for
>yourself, your brothers and sisters (with spouse's names),
>and your children (with spouse's names).
>
>Write your thoughts on sheets of good quality paper,
>numbering each answer to correspond to the appropriate
>question. Write your name on each sheet, too, and leave
>room to add new thoughts later.
>
>Grandparents
>
> 1. What were the names of your mother's parents?
> 2. When and where were they born and where did they
> live?
> 3. What did they do for a living?
> 4. Do you have personal memories of them?
> 5. What were the names of your father's parents?
> 6. When and where were they born and where did they
> live?
> 7. What did they do for a living?
> 8. Do you have personal memories of them?
> 9. Did you know your grandparents well?
> 10. What do you remember hearing about your GREAT-
> Grandparents?
> 11. Did you ever meet them?
> 12. Did your great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents
> come to the US from a foreign country? Any stories
> told in your family about the crossing? Do you have
> any relatives in foreign countries?
> 13. What traditions are still practiced in your family?
>
>Childhood
>
>The family house
>
> 14. What type of house did you live in as a child?
> 15. Other buildings on the same property?
> 16. If you moved during your childhood, tell where and
> when and what you can remember of each house and the
> family circumstances and the reason for the move.
> 17. In what room did you eat? Kitch? Dining room?
> 18. How was your home heated?
> 19. Did you have a fireplace?
> 20. What kind of kitchen stove did your parents cook on?
> 21. What fuel was used?
> 22. Did you have to buy the fuel or was this a chore,
> such as cutting wood, with which you had to help?
> 23. Did you always have electricity? If not, when did
> you get it?
> 24. Did you ever use candles or kerosene lamps?
> 25. Did your family have a cellar? Where did you store
> food?
> 26. Where did your family get water? Was it plentiful?
> What methods were used to conserve water?
>
>Family relations, responsibilities, conditions
>
> 27. What was your position in the family? Oldest?
> Youngest?
> 28. What were your duties as a small child?
> 29. Who cooked the meals? Who did the ironing?
> 30. Did you buy or make your own clothing?
> 31. When did you learn to cook and who taught you?
> 32. Did you ever learn to sew? Crochet? Knit?
> Embroider? And who taught you?
> 33. Did you ever learn the mechanics of a car and who
> taught you?
> 34. Did your family keep in touch with distant family?
> 35. Did you visit relatives often?
> 36. How did you get your mail?
> 37. What do you remember about family pets?
> 38. Were you especially close to anyone in the family?
> 39. How did the family spend its evenings?
>
>Family income and livelihood
>
> 40. What did your father do for a living?
> 41. Did your mother ever work outside of the home?
> 42. Did you contribute to the family income?
> 43. When did you get your first job outside of the
> family?
> 44. Did your family have a garden?
> 45. Who did the work on the garden?
> 46. What kinds of vegetables did you grow?
> 47. Did your family have fruit trees?
> 48. Who did the canning?
> 49. Did you raise chickens?
> 50. What kind of meat did you eat?
> 51. Did you keep a cow for milk?
> 52. Did you make your own butter and cheese?
> 53. Did anyone in the family sell eggs or butter?
> 54. If you lived on a farm, what crops were planted?
> 55. Who did the work? Family? Hired hands?
>
>Days, seasons, and special occasions
>
> 56. What did Saturday mean to you?
> 57. What did Sunday mean to you?
> 58. Did you attend church on Sunday?
> 59. Where did you attend church?
> 60. How did you spend Christmas?
> 61. What kinds of gifts did you receive at Christmas?
> 62. Did your family observe Easter?
> 63. How and where did you observe the Fourth of July?
> 64. How was your birthday celebrated?
> 65. What kinds of gifts did you receive on your birthday?
> 66. Did your family entertain often? When?
> 67. Did your family attend picnics? Family reunions?
> What do you remember about them?
> 68. How did you keep cool in the summer?
> 69. What did you wear in the winter to keep warm?
> 70. Do you remember any blizzards or tornadoes or floods?
>
>Friends and Games
>
> 71. What did you do for recreation?
> 72. Did you or your brothers or sisters have any hobbies?
> 73. Who was your best friend?
> 74. What did you and your friends do when you got
> together?
> 75. Did you and your playmates play any organized games?
> 76. Did you ever learn to swim?
> 77. Did you participate in youth organizations?
>
>School
>
> 78. Where did you go to school?
> 79. Did you ever attend a one-room schoolhouse?
> 80. How did you get to school? If you walked, how far?
> 81. What do you remember about these walks? Did you walk
> alone or with friends?
> 82. Were these walks a hardship in winter?
>
>Transportation and surroundings
>
> 83. Describe the size of the town where you lived or
> shopped.
> 84. Where did your parents shop?
> 85. How large or small were the stores?
> 86. If you lived in a small town or on the farm, did you
> ever go into the city to shop?
> 87. What was the largest town you remember visiting when
> you were young?
> 88. Did you ever travel on a train while you were young?
> 89. Did you or your family own a horse and buggy?
> 90. When did your family acquire its first car? What
> make? How much did it cost?
> 91. When did you learn to drive a car?
> 92. Where did your family go on vacation?
>
>Outlook
>
> 93. Whom did you admire most when you were young?
> 94. When you were small, what did you hope to do when you
> grew up?
>
>Higher Education and Career
>
> 95. What education did you get past high school? Did you
> study in your adult years?
> 96. Did your family support, oppose, or encourage you?
> 97. Who influenced you most and helped you to develop
> your skills?
> 98. Would you choose the same career if you had it to do
> over?
>
>Marriage and Later Life
>
> 99. When and where did you meet your husband or wife?
> 100. How and when did you get engaged?
> 101. When and where did you marry?
> 102. Did you go on a honeymoon?
> 103. Where was your first home?
> 104. What is your spouse's occupation?
> 105. Where and when were your children born?
> 106. Did you or your spouse go into military service?
> 107. If your husband went into service, what did you do
> while he was away?
> 108. What memories do you have of war years?
> 109. To what organizations have you belonged?
> 110. Have you been politically active during your
> lifetime?
> 111. Which presidents have you voted for?
>
>Philosophy and Outlook
>
> 112. Do you have a philosopy of life to share with your
> descendants?
> 113. Do you have a favorite philosopher, teacher, or
> writer who best expresses your philosophy?
> 114. Do you have religious leanings or strong religious
> beliefs?
> 115. In your opinion, which have been the greatest
> advances or inventions of all?
> 116. What things have given you the most pleasure or
> satisfaction?
> 117. Is there anything that has caused you perpetual
> concern? What events or trends have disturbed you
> most in your lifetime?
> 118. What has been your experience in regard to the
> following?
> a. Answers to prayers?
> b. Necessity and power of love?
> c. Will power as opposed to being ruled by one's
> feelings?
> 119. What do you consider to be your most important
> achievements?
>
>
>Abstracted from Virginia Allee's "A Family History
>Questionaire" in October 1978 FAMILY HERITAGE MAGAZINE.
>.
>

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