A roundup of the most popular (and helpful!) posts from Modern Heirloom Books to help you prompt and preserve family stories this Thanksgiving season.

family historyDawn M. RoodeNovember 10, 2024Thanksgiving memory-keeping ideas, family stories around the Thanksgiving table, how to do family history at Thanksgiving holidayComment

How to ask good follow-up questions in a family history interview

Five easy ways to get the best stories from your family member just by responding thoughtfully to their answers (hint: it starts with really listening!).

family history, the art of listeningDawn M. RoodeOctober 28, 2024what is an open-ended question, how to ask good follow up questions in a family history interview, what types of questions get the best family stories, tips for family history interview questionsComment

The power of a follow-up question

Whether you’re interviewing your parents about their childhood or gathering family history info from your grandparents, good follow-up questions are key.

family history, the art of listeningDawn M. RoodeOctober 9, 2024why follow-up questions are good, family history interview techniques, is there such a thing as a bad family history interview questionComment

Friendly reminder: Your personal story is part of a broader family history

While your memoir is telling your stories in your words, a family tree chart outlining your relationships has a real place in that book—here’s why.

family history, memoir & writingDawn M. RoodeSeptember 9, 2024should i inlude a family tree in my personal history book, when to include a family tree in a memoir, how to make my memoir more relevant to my familyComment

In conversation about “the gift of family stories”

Podcast host Melissa Ceria and personal historian Dawn Roode discuss the importance of family history preservation and finding solace in stories after loss.

dawn's musings, family historyDawn M. RoodeJune 24, 2024dawn roode and melissa ceria in conversation about family stories, the loss encounters episode guest dawn roode, melissa ceria on the family history book her father gifted her family, the gift of family stories, podcast recommendation for memorykeepersComment

To read or not to read? How to handle a deceased family member’s personal letters

Discovering a stack of handwritten letters can feel like winning the family history lottery—but is it always the right thing to read (or share) them?

dawn's musings, family history, remember lost loved onesDawn M. RoodeMay 27, 2024is reading my ancestor's letters an invasion of privacy, is it wrong to read letters from someone who died, should i read someone else's personal letters, are letters always valuable for family history Comments

4 Unique family history finds from RootsTech 2024

From a conference hall filled with more than 150 family history vendors, I have hand-picked my favorites—here’s why you’ll love them, too.

family historyDawn M. RoodeApril 1, 2024rootstech 2024 faily history vendor roundup, the best family history services found at rootstech 2024, family history recommendations for travel and designComment

Are you weighed down by the stuff of your family’s memories?

Boxes of old letters, family photos, and mementos from a generation ago can feel like a burden if they’re passed down without context. What to do with them.