Family booklet idea

[Wordtaster]

If I can extract myself from continuing research to find out more about my family (it has to end sometime right?) I am considering compiling my not inconsiderable amount of information into some sort of booklet. Has anybody done this?

At the moment my information is held on the computer of course, backed up onto an SD card and then printed off in reduced text size as additions are made. Nothing pretentious I hope, just a record of my own thoughts and memories added to my family research to pass on to my kids in what I hope will be a neat form.

Just thought I would share an idea which no doubt has been done by others on here in the hope of some suggestions on things like cost and possible problems.

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Wordtaster,

Good idea !!

I'm moving this topic to the
 FH Programs, Organisation, Presentation board
as there are lots of other ideas there about how to present your family history so others can see it.

See also: Topic: RootsChat Topics: Organising and Presenting your Family History
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,158638.0.html  for more ideas.

And please let us know the reactions
this is a recurring problem,
- how to interest others for our obsession hobby, or
- how best to present our researches to others

regards,
Bob

[KGarrad]

I use RootsMagic4 - and that already includes an option to publish a book!

I have full control over page size (A5 is included) and the contents of each "Chapter".
I can save the resultant book as PDF (Adobe Acrobat), HTML (Web/Internet), Plain Text, or RTF (Rich Text Format suitable for a Word Processor), and so therefore I can add other information that RM4 can't easily handle.

I am sure that other FH Software does something similar?

But - what a good idea!

[Harlem]

Hi Wordtaster

I tried to imagine what they might want to read, and decided not to go for the full details  - e.g. 'in 1851 they lived in x street with four children and he worked as a y. In1861 they had moved to z and another two children had been born whose births were registered . . . But I can't find the baptisms. He was still working as a y.'  I decided people wouldn't want to read much of that.

I already had a start because I had written a few things that people had asked for . E.g. great granddad had been a soldier in India and I had his records, also some family stories and the census and other stuff, so there was a story there ready to be told. I would suggest you start with two or three like that, and then let the rest take shape around it. I just used WOrd. I now have eight chapters - one for each of my great grandparents lines.

Mind you, no one has asked to read the whole thing!

Happy to tell you more if you like.

Harlemswife

[Wordtaster]

Thanks guys.

The idea really came from having a copy of my grand aunts all to brief memoirs sent over to me from the States by her daughter. Fascinating to read all about her parents and her family life in Croydon England at the turn of the century along with memories of her war work.

I have a private blog running which I have laid out similar to your suggestion Harlem. Not an easy task as it can be very subjective of course. I have outlined in some detail my early life and memories which is then followed on by memories of my parents along with photographs etc, and then going back through the years along my paternal and maternal line adding what and where I can.

Just to give you a flavour, this is a small extract about my paternal grandfather;

'By the post war years of 1950’s Harry and Emily went their separate ways. It may be said about Harry that from the uniform of war, he more than likely wanted a return to the uniform of ways past as head of house and those he had once known whereas Emily set in her ways of routine and self-sufficiency did not.  For whatever reason both went their separate ways with Emily living her life up in Leeds and Harry in and around Croydon....'

Weaved in with each of course are such things as birth and baptism certificates along with those all important census returns - and avoiding including copies of death certificates - to much information I think! Also thanks to Google earth it's been amazing to find houses where they once lived still standing (and take copies) or in other cases completely and utterly gone.

Regards all.