Do your loved ones know the significance of items you would like preserved for posterity? Are they aware that that bundle of yellowed letters you have stashed away are letters your grandfather wrote? Or that that those crumbly old recipes sticking out of that cookbook belonged to your great-grandmother? Do they know that the stack of postcards in the closet contain correspondence from a special uncle and that your favorite aunt made the as a wedding gift? Take the time to not only make sure these items are preserved in a safe environment, but also that their significance is noted so that it won’t end up in the trash or on the table at a yard sale some day.
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Several years ago I began listing items in my china cabinet that have been handed down to me from my mother and grandmothers. At first, I merely typed the description and who it once belonged to. Then before I realized it, just about every item had a story behind it. I ended up with 25 single spaced pages! Since I’ve been delving more into genealogy and “discovered” Ancestry.com…..I am now taking photos of these items, downloading photo and descriptive story of each item. Last year I began doing the same with special Christmas ornaments/decorations. Example: An old nativity set has been under my Christmas tree since I was a little girl, picking out the figures at Woolworths with my Dad. I am now 76. When this project is completed, it will be more like a “history book”. My three adult children are very pleased this is being done.
Just another thought about making sure things are marked like the cards, etc.-If you know that a parent ot ancestor has correspondence, photos, etc. pertaining to ancestry and such, and they become aged or ill, please go to them and get those things at least copied (if not already done),or better yet, get them to be saved ASAP. By saying “save”, I mean from another individual coming in and co called ‘cleaning out Grandma’s, or Mom’s basement for whatever reason. I had this happen and all the correspondence & pictures were carried out to the trash barrell and burned just days before I got there to ask about them. what a shame. Guess that uncle figured if it was nothing he was interested in, no one was, and it was no good to anyone.
My father’s (b. 1896, d. 1978) collection of postcards circa early 1900s has been a boon to the discovery of my McCarns relations as well as others. A direct descendant of the McCarns family who knew little of his family now has found a United States full of them with a little help from the postcards. They give dates, locations (homes and vacation sites) relationships (Aunt Lizzie, Uncle George)and health status, WW I training sites and just so much more. They sat in a trunk for many years and most are in pristine condition. Each holiday, a collection of those that commemorate that holiday are displayed in my home for all to enjoy. What treasures.
Could someone guide me towards the ‘correct’ way to save many many receipts from the 1850s on, which were saved by my husband’s ancestor. I found them in envelopes in a scrapbook that his grandmother saved. They are often small strips torn off tablets. There are annual tax receipts, receipts having to do with purchase of goods and, I believe, land. My thought is to sort by type and use acid-free scrapbookings paper and tape and mount them. They could then be scanned and enjoyed. I also have pages torn from two family bibles that need to be saved. Should I send copies to the NGS. If this is not the correct forum for this question, I apoligize. I wouldl appreciate any suggestions, however. Thank you
There is a word missing in the article, and I wonder what it is. ” . . . your favorite aunt made the as a wedding gift?” Can someone supply the word after “the”?