Keeping our Family’s History Relevant: A Quick Review of My Recent Presentation

Earlier this week I was invited to present a program to a ladies’ group at the church where I’m employed. I had a year to prepare, and used every bit of it! I set up a Trello board (one of my FAVORITE apps) and added content to it as I came across appropriate material. Then last month I put the Presentation together and packed up the items I planned to display. I wanted to create the atmosphere of Family History so I displayed many of the “heirlooms” I own. Here are some pictures of my displays.


I made table centerpieces with my Dad’s old books, topped by a pair of my baby shoes. One group was Bibles, one was high school yearbooks, another was German Lutheran books and the other table had school books on it.

The Hostesses of the group meeting also decorated the tables in Halloween style, since the meeting was held on Oct 30.

Here’s a portion of my presentation:

I’m calling this presentation “Keeping my Family’s History Relevant” for a couple of reasons.
1. The word Genealogy is often used to describe the study of our Family History. I learned in Jr High that ‘ology’ at the end of any word meant “The Study Of” so we could interpret “Genealogy” as the study of our Genes. That’s growing in popularity today with the advances in genetic testing through our DNA. But that’s not what I’m talking about. And to call it Family History implies the connotation of HISTORY, which often turns people off. So I refer to it as my Family’s History, so then it’s about my family.
2. The word Relevant is defined as “of Contemporary Interest”. The facts and stories of my ancestors make up my Family’s History. I want my family’s history, their past, their story, to be of interest to those in my family today. I want my grandchildren to know who my grandparents were. Think about this. I’m a grandparent. I know who my parents were. I know who my grandparents were. It just happens that my paternal grandparents, my Dad’s parents, played a significant part in my early life. When my twin brother & I were just 2 years old, our mother chose to leave her marriage and start a new life with someone else. When she drove away, she took the only transportation Dad had to get to work, so he moved with my brother & I to his parents’ home 10 miles away. They allowed him to drive their car to his workplace and they gave us a HOME. In 1951 Dad remarried and in 1952 we moved back to the home we originally lived in. But those 3 years we lived with our grandparents, from age 2-5 were very formative years. The home was stable and our grandparents were very loving to us. I became very close to my “Grandma and Grandpa Margheim”.

I know and love my children and my grandchildren. And I want them to understand the
effect my grandparents had on forming who I am today. I’m right in the middle of those 5 generations of Family. But those 5 generations can span a time frame of 100 years. My grandfather was born March 15, 1900 and my granddaughter was born exactly 100 years later, on March 16, 2000!
When I’m gone, if I haven’t told my children about my grandparents, they won’t be able to pass that information on to their children. And what my grandchildren will know of their ancestors will only consist of their parents and grandparents. Just 3 generations! It has been said it takes only three generations to lose oral family histories. We are the connecting link between our grandchildren and our grandparents. If I want my children and grandchildren to know those who still live in my memory, then I must build the bridge between them. Objects, keepsakes, and artifacts can build those bridges in tangible, accessible ways that will make the memories feel more real to younger generations. There’s not just a story to tell or a photograph to look at, there’s a rocking horse, a silver spoon, a typewriter, or a quilt that can bring the stories to life. My grandchildren will have no knowledge of their family’s history if I do nothing to preserve it for them. That which I don’t in some way record will be lost at my death. That which I don’t pass on to my posterity, they’ll never have.
Family history isn’t just about looking at the past. It’s also celebrating and preserving the present for generations to come. After all, your adventures today are the family history of your descendants tomorrow! And no one can tell my story better than I can!
Research indicates that the more children know about their forebears—where they grew up, illnesses they struggled with, and tough trials they went through—the greater their self-esteem and ability to deal with life. Our grandchildren can learn helpful lessons from the lives of their ancestors. And don't we all want that for our grandchildren and great grandchildren?”
This is a brief summary of the sections in the booklet I handed out to the attendees:

To wrap up my presentation, I gifted each woman with this notebook to use as their Journal in recording their memories, as we discussed at this meeting. We’re going to gather in October 29, 2018 and each woman will have the opportunity to share a Memory from her journal. We all look forward to a fun time!

After the compliments and gifts I received in appreciation for my Presentation this week, I know our meeting next year will be one of the highlights of my year!