Some items to be included are the personal record sheet, family group sheets, pedigree charts, and portrait essays. This story of one's life with pictures at various ages, and of schools, and churches is an important entry. People change as do buildings, and many times buildings are razed or lost to natural disasters.

Stories of one's ancestors and inspirational messages and poems can be included. There is really no limit to what you can add, as long as it will fit onto the pages.

The book should express the personality of the compiler and contain the things that are important in his life. Precious things should also me included. Examples of some precious things that can be kept in a Book of Remembrance are:

Blessing and baptism certificates
Birth and marriage certificates
Scholastic achievements
Scouting activities
Military service records
Community service awards
Professional achievement awards
Hobbies and avocations
Favorite organizations
Vacation and travel
Stories and pictures of relatives and friends
Family stories now and back when
Locks of hair

The How To

You will want a good binder and of course, the cost will vary depending on quality, design, and size. Some persons have several binders, if they do not care to expand one book to a great size. I like a large 3-ring book that will expand to approximately 4-5 inches with a plain cover so I can decorate it in my own personal way.

You can use any of the terrific "scrapbooking" assortments found in any of today's craft stores. Look through scrapbook how-to books for clever ideas, then add your own special touches and you will have a one-of-a-kind book. For the inserts buy acid-free plastic photo sheets. You will also need page dividers with tabs. The arrangement of topics and sheets is a personal matter.

My first book was divided into only three sections:

(1) Remembering Times of Accomplishment

(2) Remembering Through Photography

and

(3) Remembering my Progenitors

The last section contained fold-out pedigree charts, my Adam and Eve generations, Julius Caesar generations, other special lines and my family group sheets.

It has been said that statistics are the skeletons but the histories of progenitors provide them with flesh and blood and make them seem to live again. The more one learns of an ancestor, the more interested he becomes in that ancestor and the things that he did. One can develop a deep love and appreciation for his ancestors by learning details about them. History takes on new meaning when one reads about historical events and realizes that his ancestors were there helping to make that history.

Even though a person may not find as many details as he would like of an ancestor's life, if he were able to find what his occupation was and where and when he lived, he could with a little research in history books of that place and time, piece together a fairly accurate account of what the ancestor's daily life was like. If you will begin to do this, you will understand the problems that your ancestors had to face, and why they made cetain decisions or moves that may seem strange to us today.

Insofar as possible, you will write of the same things of your ancestors as you would if writing of yourself. A person should have life histories of at least his father and mother and of each of his grandparents.

A portrait pedigree of your ancestors adds color and interest to your book. Collect as many of their pictures as you can. When one looks at a picture of an ancestor, he becomes a real person and not a mere statistic that appears on a pedigree chart. From a portrait pedigree one can usually see how various famiy traits were passed down from one generation to another.

Most camera shops can make copies of the pictures you have and make them to the proper size. Many years ago I used the Village Camera Shop at 1417 Westwood Boulevard, West Los Angeles. They had a special service for making portrait pedigree pictures. I do not know if that company continues in business today.

Your divisions should reflect you. When adding your family group sheets, you should use some ordering system. I use a system of letters and this system is described in my Lineage Code System Tutorial.

Your life history should be written in such a way that it will tell the kind of person you really are. No one else is as well qualified as you to interpret your life. You are the only one who knows why you make specific decisions or why you did certain things; other people would like to know also.

Your life as well as the lives of your family are worthy of record. All have had some happy times as well as some sad times that are interesting to your friends and relatives. Life is a serious business, but amusing things do happen. A story with a sense of humor will make it more interesting.

I have twelve pages of humorous stories in my original book, collected from all over the United States. Those early Babbs did like to travel!

Of special interest are events or experiences that helped to change the course of your life and to inspire you to do better. The experiences in life that should be preserved in writing are the things that build character and affect one's destiny as well as the destiny of those whose lives are touched by association with you.

Well, there is more, so if you desire additional ideas or help please feel free to email me.

Genealogy Resources: Steps In Time
© 1997, Virginia Marin. All rights reserved.

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