What Will Happen to Your Family History Stuff?

By Dorothy Pretare

Almost everyone has some family history items.  A few people may have only family stories or a photo, but others may have a Genealogy Room with full file cabinets, bookcases, boxed, etc. Many of us have spent years of hard work, time, and money to research our families.  Let’s identify 1) types of family history stuff and their possible locations, 2) your hopes and possible options, and 3) some steps to help ensure your hopes/wishes will be honored.

Types of family history stuff and their possible locations
Family history items can take many forms, including loose papers; photographs and slides; family heirlooms (like the family Bible, jewelry, household items, tools, etc.); video and audio recordings; notebooks; digital files; posted online family trees; DNA results, etc.

Do you know the locations for all your stuff?  Those items may be in file cabinets; bookcases; stacked on your desk or on the floor nearby; cardboard boxes or plastic tubs; family heirlooms stored anywhere in your residence; your computer plus external hard drives or/and thumb drives or CDs and floppy disks; Internet websites (both family trees on genealogical websites or/and cloud backups of your computer); in “Your Mind” (family stories and your life experiences); etc. Hopefully, none of the items are stored in the attic due to the temperature fluctuations or in the basement, where water damage could occur. Will your family know you have family history items in all those locations?

While you are thinking about your items and their locations, consider creating a quick Family History Stuff Inventory or whatever you wish to name it.  The entries might be “Photographs in guest room closet”, “Genealogy papers in a file cabinet by my desk”, “Notebooks in family room bookcase”, “Grandma Ida Jones china in the dining room hutch”, “Boxes from Aunt Sue Smith in the southeast corner of basement”, etc.  Later when you organize your stuff, you will be updating this Family History Stuff Inventory. 

Your hopes and possible options
What do you hope will happen to your family history stuff?  We don’t want our hard work dumped! Most of us hope a family member will take over our research, appreciate what we have done, continue the research and share it with family members.  Talk with your family to determine who may be interested.

There are several ways to help enhance your family’s interest in their ancestors and the work you have done. 1) Share stories about ancestors – in both verbal and visual formats. 2) Show them family heirlooms or a book you have created and tell them about it.  3) Ask them to help you do something, like taking pictures or doing research, etc.4) Maybe pass a family heirloom to an interested family member, etc. Any of these actions could ignite someone’s interest to preserve and continue your research.  If you have a person willing to assume responsibility when you are unable to continue it, provide them now with brief written instructions including a list of all websites where you have placed Family History information, list of family history locations on your computer and copy of your Family History Stuff Inventory.  Also, place a copy of that information with your Will. Be sure they know where to find your passwords.

If your family doesn’t want some or all your family history items, consider selling the item or donating it to an organization in the area where your ancestor lived.  The organization might be a historic or genealogical organization, maybe even a State Archive or university. If none is found, then try the major ones, like Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana; FamilySearch.org; Fiske Genealogical Library in Seattle; Library of Congress; Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, MO; New England Historical Genealogical Society or an Ethnic Organization. Since each organization will have its own regulations, review them and contact the organization in advance.  Of course, they would appreciate a donation to help cover the cost of preparing your items for sharing at their site.

Some steps to help ensure your hopes and wishes
Be sure to make many backup copies of your digital files on a regular schedule. Remember Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS).  Keep a few backup copies outside of your home in case of fire and in another part of the US in case of natural disaster, which could include using Cloud Storage. If you don’t use a computer, be sure to make photocopies of your important documents and share them with other family members.

Add a Genealogical Codicil to your Will. This document will include the list of items plus person(s) or/and possible organizations to receive them.  Since this document is a supplement to your Will, you can change its contents easily. There are several examples on the Internet when you search for “Genealogical Codicil”. 

Quickly write a draft or video record yourself sharing the family stories you have heard – later you can prove or disprove them.  Otherwise, these family stories may be lost forever.  Also, consider writing briefly about experiences in your life, in a way so your great-grandchildren will understand it.  Imagine how excited they will be to learn about your life!

Organizing your stuff will make it easier for you, your family and/or organizations.  Also, when it is organized, it will reduce the physical space required to keep the important items.  Watch for my next post on “Organizing Your Family History Stuff”.

Share your Family History information online by uploading your Family Tree information to sites like FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage, Ancestry.com, WikiTree, etc.  Also, consider other online options like creating your own Blog, using Social Media like Facebook, etc.  These methods will make the data available to others and preserve it. You could connect with other people researching the same ancestors, obtain copies of photographs, help to solve a brick wall or meet distant cousins.  The cautions include other people may copy your research work and not give you credit. When uploading information, be sure the Living People are marked accordingly so their names and information won’t be accidentally displayed on the website. Also, be aware of any Copyright issues.

Another way to share your Family History information is by publishing blogs, e-books or paper bound books.  These could be about the family stories you heard or/and about your life experiences.  No matter how simple you might think your life is, record information about some of your experiences. (My grandchildren enjoyed reading my Life Story. They could not imagine living without electricity or running water. Nor the experience of attending a one-room schoolhouse with 1 teacher for 20 to 25 students in grades 1 thru 8.) Remember to compose the stories in a way your great-grandchildren will understand them. Of course, the younger generations enjoy visual items, so consider making a video where you are telling the story while pictures are being displayed.

Summary
Talk with your family and take the necessary steps to ensure your wishes will be honored.

Watch for my post on “Organizing Your Family History Stuff”.  Organized stuff will help you in your research plus your family and/or organizations want organized stuff so the items can be appreciated.

Do act now because each one of us doesn’t know our future – need to downsize or develop health issues. Your family and heirs will be happy you did!!

Dorothy Pretare