Remember, your own history will eventually become family history! Record these 16 things about yourself to preserve your life story for future genealogists.
I don't know why these things occur to me, but they do. Yesterday I went in search of the origin of prison stipes, and here's what I found.....
The Canty family of Pike County, Alabama is huge. Our FAMILY ROOTS book holds more than one thousand names that span 9 generations. We now know of several branches of the family that are not yet included in the book. My maternal Aunt, Ruby Canty-Rudolph, now 93 years old and fourth generation descendant of our […]
We've rounded up our fifteen favorite family reunion games including some for the family history buff, the spunky kids, and the strategist.
One of the best ways for people to get to know each other is to play a game of People Bingo! It’s easy to play, just give each person a Bingo card, and make sure everyone has a pencil or a pen. The Bingo players move around the area trying to be the first to […]
Family reunion bingo is a great ice breaker activity for family reunions or parties of any kind. I created a family reunion bingo card several years ago that we have used over and over again.…
This Williams family reunion guest book is great to keep all your family memories and keepsakes, each family members can sign their name, address, email, telephone number and messages. This family reunion guest sign-In book is a great for family events, family vacations, family celebrations, social gatherings and family activities. The Book Contains: Space for 354 guests to write name, address, contact info and messages. 118 pages on white paper Matte paperback cover Size at 8 x 10 in / 20.32 x 25.4 cm | Author: Ajw Books | Publisher: Independently Published | Publication Date: Nov 18, 2018 | Number of Pages: 122 pages | Language: English | Binding: Paperback | ISBN-10: 1731518935 | ISBN-13: 9781731518934
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Anyone that has had to organize a family reunion knows the difficulties. Differing schedules and attitudes are only half the story. Here are some tips!
Reunion Booklet Souvenir books are quite popular keepsakes given away at family reunions. Most share history and photos and reunion activities, but they leave much to be desired when it comes to content and creativity. Including a few of the following ideas will make your next family reunion souvenir book a lasting treasure: The Cover The cover needs to be both meaningful and attractive. Include a family photo or a photo of a family landmark. Using Photoshop Elements, segments of a photo of the murals on Bethel AME Church in downtown Columbia were used to create the reunion book cover on the right. The colors used were selected from the photo, and the reunion theme was also included. Color ink is costly, however, you may want to consider splurging on the cover since the family reunion booklet is a memento that can be passed down to future generations. You can find many more great ideas and predesigned templates at African American Family Reunion Planner Organizer. Back Cover If your budget allows, you can surprise your family with something other than a plain back cover. See the slideshow for the back cover of this reunion booklet. A historical photo of The State House was matted and layered on a background matching the front cover with an embellishment. A quote from the testimony of an ancestor who testified during Reconstruction at The State House in Columbia in 1876 is included below the photo. Combining the actual words of an ancestor along with a corresponding historical landmark is a great way to inspire family members to want to learn more about history and ancestors. Welcome letter from officials Contact state and local officials to write a welcome letter to include in your reunion book. Often officials will suggest local attractions, and your family may want to extend their visit in order to sightsee. Recent family history findings Contact your family historians to find out about any recent findings that could be included. Include an article detailing findings, family group sheets, and photos to help family members understand how they are related. Be sure to include sources in case other family members want to begin researching their family history. Extended family and in-laws whose ancestors knew each other are most often overlooked in family history research. They have information and oral history that should become a part of the family repository. Family news Use the reunion book to share interesting news and announce special occasions and accomplishments that happened since the last reunion. Remember to include a memoriam for any loved ones who passed away. Today's news becomes tomorrow's history. Spotlight Select a family member to spotlight. Conduct an oral history interview and include a past and recent photo. An interview of the oldest living family member is a great way to help family members get to know each other and learn more about their heritage. Fun worksheets Get younger children in the family involved by creating worksheets for the family reunion souvenir book especially for them. These can be generated online and printed free. See Word Search Maker and Create a Crossword Puzzle. See this slide show: Ideas for a family reunion book Family History Playing Cards created here: Heritage Makers Create your own account here: Heritage Makers Playing Cards price: $24.95 contains 54 cards extra cards $0.50 each customizable front side high gloss finish, rounded corners Bookmarks Bookmarks: Bookmarks are great souvenirs. I took a photo of a site we would visit as a group and designed bookmarks. Be sure to cut the bookmarks out before laminating them. Souvenir Mugs from Discount Mugs: Souvenir Pens Pens: I designed pens at the following website: I choose the colors and wording. http://www.personalizedpensusa.com/ Pens are a great keepsake to remind us of family and a memorable reunion. Souvenir T-Shirt T-Shirts: Design a t-shirt that reflects the theme for your reunion. I designed our 2009 Johnson-Vance Family Reunion t-shirts. Be sure to save the design in a format that the vendor can use, such as .jpeg. See sample on display. It can be difficult finding a good vendor. I searched and found a great one with reasonable prices: Roger Leaks [email protected] 803-414-4175 Family History Display Online Reunion Guide at Blogger Family Reunion Web Site: Family Reunion Web Sites help to inform family about upcoming dates and events, accommodations. This is also a great way to post local attractions for family coming from out of town. They can plan activities around the reunion agenda. Blogs are free and easy to post information and photos. Family Newsletter: Family members send in information and photos they would like to share with the entire family such as births, graduations, promotions, and these items are published in a newsletter every two years. Many software programs come with templates for newsletters so all you need to do is copy and paste the photos and text. Souvenir Calendar at Heritage Makers Create your own account here: Heritage Makers 11 x 8.5 Calendar from $29.95 Celebrate your memories all year round with your own keepsake calendar. Personalize each page with photos and text, then add holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and appointments that are important to you. 11" x 17" open / 11" x 8.5" closed Twin-loop wire bound with die cut hole for hanging Velvet, acid-free, lignin-free paper High-quality digital printing Post Cards at Heritage Makers Create your own account here: Heritage Makers 5 x 7 Postcard from $1.79 Share your joy with delightful announcements, invitations, or seasonal favorites. Our popular postcards are a fantastic alternative to the traditional greeting card. Completely customizable Printed on premium velvet paper Landscape or portrait options Photo and journaling space Family Directory: It is an ongoing process for our family to keep track of everyone's contact information. This has helped us draw closer as a family and keep abreast of those who live far away. We publish a family directory every two years. Family History for the Young We are sure to include activities to hold the interest of children young and old. Visit the following for ideas: Teaching Kids to Be Ancestor Detectors Helping Children Love Family History 10 ways to pass family history on to your children Getting Started with Your Family History (Great Pedigree Charts for youth!)
Come and learn some new group games to make your next activity and get together a whole load of fun!
Contemplation. Scrutiny. Deliberation. Ever find yourself in a state of reverie over how you got here? How you came to be in the very place you are right now? Do you wonder… “Where did …
Hit the online road with this travel guide of starter tips and websites guaranteed to rev up your genealogy search.
Family reunion bingo is a great ice breaker activity for family reunions or parties of any kind. I created a family reunion bingo card several years ago that we have used over and over again.…
North and South Korea hold a reunification event for families separated since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
“Sang Chol!” 92-year-old Lee Keum-seom exclaimed, as she fell into her long lost son’s arms at a holiday resort in North Korea Monday.
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Award-winning newborn and family photographer in the Pittsburgh area, with over 15 years experience.
Aunt Lynn has shared fun matching games at our family reunions and parties for years. She has adapted the game to fit many different reunion themes, baby showers, wedding showers and family h…
Last night I decided to journey across the ocean to see if I can figure out my German ancestry. Needless to say, I didn’t get very far, but I did find this interesting website. It displays the surname on a map! Looks like they are still clustered together in a central area in Germany! Pretty fascinating stuff! I came across this website with links that allow you to map your Surname within any country. Since one branch of my family originated from Germany, I thought this would be both fun and interesting! How I stumbled upon this website is a mystery to me, but it did prove itself to be entertaining. I started researching in Germany because I knew that is our family’s heritage and the surname is a German name. Once I located the majority of my family’s Surname I didn’t stop there! I continued to look at other countries for more. I searched England, Ireland, Scotland, and surrounding countries (Czech Republic, Austria, etc). The result of these searches proved that the surname I was researching is primarily centralized within a region of Germany, more than any other country. Where does this information take me? I’m not certain yet. I have never attempted to cross the ocean to research genealogy in the past, but this appears to be a fun adventure. Now, I need to research how to “research” German ancestors at this point. That alone will be an adventure! Here is a link to the website which contains a list of countries to search. Be aware that some of these are written in a different language. However, I found they are easy to navigate. Surname Distribution Map Happy researching! Have you mapped your family surname before? What interesting information did you find? If you are looking to Map Your Surname, I found the website linked below an easy one to navigate. You can find it HERE
Family Jeopardy is the perfect family reunion game for your next gathering. All it takes is a little bit of research to create this cool game!
