In many families there is a person who is generally known to be the family historian - the one person who everyone believes has the most information about the family tree. Ask your relatives who they think would know the most about your family and, if the same person's name keeps coming up, then that is where you start your search. Other good people to start with include your mother and father and grandparents. One more important thing to keep in mind as you are making your list of people to talk to is whether there is someone in the family who is really getting on in years. While it is sad to think about, they won't be around forever. Additionally, they may become mentally, verbally, physically or visually impaired, which may affect their speech, tolerance for a long interview, or ability to remember people, places and events.
Some people might be hesitant to talk about themselves, thinking that they don't have any information of value or that their stories really aren't worth hearing. Convince them otherwise. Everyone's story is unique and all of us deserve to be remembered.
Tip! Oral history doesn't have to mean a one-on-one formal interview. Some of the best stories come from getting a group of family members together around the kitchen table with a cassette or video recorder running in the corner.
