Seniors record stories to preserve personal history

Donna Gold of Stock­ton Springs, Maine, discovered family stories she had never heard when she traveled to California to record her great-aunt's memories of pogroms in Ukraine and the family's journey to the United States.

"It has meant everything to me – I had no history before," Ms. Gold says. "My grandparents, all immigrants, seldom talked about their lives in Eastern Europe or their families." She has also recorded the stories of her father, her mother-in-law, and clients who hire her.

"As the people I've interviewed age, these [interviews] become essential records of the vibrancy of their lives," Gold says. She prefers written formats: "A book can be held, browsed, cherished. A camera can get intrusive, whereas a tape recorder easily gets forgotten in the throes of the story."

Amy Yelin of Arlington, Mass., spent months recording her father's experiences, which included fleeing from Poland to escape Nazis. "When I finally asked him to share his story, I thought he would get angry or sad, but he seemed to really want to talk about it," she says. "It opened up something for him, as he continues to tell the stories. It was a wonderful experience. It brought us closer, and now I have all this history documented for my own two sons to read one day."

Natalie Caine of Los Angeles is taping interviews with her mother on everything from dating and marriage to spirituality. She keeps a small notebook in her purse to write down questions.

Some families take unconventional approaches. Robin Blakely of Kansas City, Mo., made a music-video DVD, showing her 87-year-old mother doing two things she loves: sewing and gardening. "It's keepsake cool," Ms. Blakely says. She plans to record her mother's "Grapes of Wrath" days, when the family moved from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl. Despite widespread "grim and gritty" portrayals of those times, Blakely says her mother "recalls the experience as a joyful adventure, with lots of camp songs she can still sing." 

To encourage people to document their lives for future generations, Joan Day of Concord, N.H., speaks at senior centers and assisted-living facilities. She suggests starting by jotting down memories as they occur, perhaps breaking them into categories: life as a child, your childhood home, your first mode of transportation, entertainment, holiday celebrations, and religious observances.

Mr. Stack of Project StoryKeeper calls procrastination "the biggest stumbler." Making a case for not waiting, he explains that collecting stories helps people understand the path their life has taken and the lives they have touched.

"Once people get over their initial anxiety about being interviewed, it becomes very comfortable," Stack says. "The more they tell their stories, the easier the stories become to tell, and they tell them better – more eloquently."

Gold offers this advice: "I urge people to simply turn on a tape recorder and ask questions. They will never regret it."

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