Category: Memories

Claribel’s Family History Adventure

The Story of the Claribel Organ Stop (video)   I would say that most people desire to know about the lives of their ancestors.  A sense of belonging is especially important for children and for youth. A knowledge about the stories from the past is often what gives children of all ages a sense of their place in the world. It...

The Family History Guide – Bringing Families Together

“We all carry inside us, people who came before us.”  Liam Callahan Doing family history can bring us closer to our ancestors who have passed on. A desire for these connections seems to be innate in people everywhere. In this new video produced for The Family History Guide, Joseph Ssempalla describes this desire beautifully as he talks about his family heritage...

Jonathan’s Story

Creating an engaging video that is both informative and inspiring is no small task, but Chris Jones is a master of his craft and accomplishes this quest with ease. Skillfully sharing a personal story with emotion and sensitivity is not easily done, but comes naturally to Jonathan Johnson. As members of The Family History Guide Association, we are having difficulty finding words...

How Will You Preserve Your Memories?

Gemma Green-Hope captures a scene many of us have faced (or might face in the future) as she describes how after her grandmother’s death in 2010, she had the task of helping her father and uncle sort through some of her grandmother’s possessions. She writes, “I inherited some of her clothes to wear, books to read, a bicycle to ride.”...

Making Family History Come Alive – Give the Free Kinmapper App a Try

Google “where did my ancestors live” and there will be about 3,920,000 results (in 0.51 seconds no less!) with suggestions from where to find records to how to interpret plot maps. Can we say that this amount of information can be a tad overwhelming? The Family History Guide lists a link on the Youth Activities Page to a lesson plan produced by the National...

The Family History Guide, Coco, and Your Online Ofrenda

I love a happy ending in the movies I watch, and the Pixar Movie Coco met that qualification with shining colors! Not only is the storyline both magical and intense (with a few surprising twists in the plot) – it is a FAMILY HISTORY movie and in my book, those are some of the best!  Coco is one of those movies that...

The Family History Guide’s Quicklist for Creating Family History Memories

There are times we just need an idea for creating a “Family History Memory” for those we love. It could be that the family has gathered, and there is that perfect moment to involve them in family history. It could be that you have a family reunion coming up, or you are planning a holiday celebration or road trip and...

Are You Ready to Make 2018 a Fantastic Family History Year?

Whether you’re new to family history or a seasoned researcher, the beginning of the year is a great time to evaluate where you are right now in your family history journey, and where you would like to be at the end of the year. What would you like to learn to do? What would you like to improve? Are there...

Crafting Christmas Memories with the Past and Present in Mind

The ideas seem endless for adding a bit of nostalgia to your Christmas decorations and get-togethers – and The Family History guide has a fun suggestion to share.  Check out the “Objects and Heirlooms” category in the Memories Activities of the children’s page (Family History Activities Tab).  Idea C3-11 links you to American Ancestors detailing how to create ancestral tree ornaments – along with this...

Giving the Gift of Family History

Because I am passionate about family history, and because it is Christmas-time, I searched “family history gifts” on Google. There were about 3,870,000 results in 0.62 seconds!   This information leaves no question in my mind that people love to give family history gifts!  These gifts bless lives all around the globe – they “keep on giving,” and can truly make a...