Telling, Preserving, and Sharing the Family Story

You’ve gathered memories, documents and records. Now comes the part your family will actually read. A list of facts is easy to forget; a well-told story gets passed down. This last part shows you how to write it, keep it safe and share it.

From facts to a story

Compare these two ways of presenting the same research:

Every detail in the story comes from a record or an interview. The difference is that it’s told in order, with the place and the time around it.

Write an ancestor profile

Start with one person and aim for a page or two. A simple shape that works:

1. An opening moment. One scene that makes the reader curious: the arrival, the wedding, the day the letter came.
2. Where they came from. Family, birthplace, and what life was like there.
3. Turning points. Moves, marriage, children, work, war, loss.
4. Everyday life. Home, neighbors, church, food, what a normal day looked like.
5. How they’re remembered. Family stories, sayings, traditions they left behind.
6. Sources. Notes at the end showing where each fact came from.

For your own story, our guide to writing your personal history and free starter kit work the same way.

Build a timeline with context

Put their life beside the history of their time. It helps you, and it helps readers understand why things happened.

Fact or family tradition?

Keep the family legends; they’re part of the story. Just be honest about what’s proven. Phrases like these let readers tell the difference:

• “The 1910 census shows…” and “Her death certificate gives…” for documented facts
• “It’s likely that…” for conclusions drawn from the evidence
• “Family tradition says…” for stories that haven’t been proven

Cite your sources

Footnotes or endnotes are fine. For each fact, note who created the record, what it is, when it was made, and where you found it, so anyone can find it again. Our lesson on citing your sources has examples.

Handling painful or sensitive discoveries

Research sometimes turns up things a family didn’t talk about: an adoption, a child born before a marriage, a divorce, a prison sentence, a stay in an asylum, a parent who wasn’t who everyone thought, or ancestors who were enslaved or who enslaved others. A few guidelines:

• Check it first. Make sure the record really is about your person before you share anything.
• Protect the living. Don’t publish details about living people without their permission. Most online trees hide living people for this reason.
• Talk before you post. Share difficult findings privately with the people closest to them first.
• Give context. Explain the times and the circumstances, with compassion. People were more than their worst day.
• Record it, then decide. Keep the full truth in your research files. You can choose what goes into a story for the wider family.

Label your photos

An unlabeled photo is a mystery your grandchildren can’t solve. For every photo, record who is in it (left to right), when and where it was taken, the occasion, and who identified the people. On prints, write lightly in soft pencil near the edge on the back. Never use a ballpoint pen. For digital copies, put the names in the file name or description. More tips in Organizing Your Digital Pictures.

Preserve it

• Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, on two different kinds of storage, with one kept somewhere else (a relative’s house or a cloud service).
• Scan well: photos at 600 dpi or more, documents at 300 dpi or more.
• Store originals properly: acid-free folders and boxes in a cool, dry, dark room. Avoid attics, basements and garages.
• Name files clearly so they make sense without you. (Here’s a simple system.)
• Spread copies around. A story that lives in five homes survives a flood in one.

Share it

• A family history book. Print-on-demand services make a few bound copies affordable. (How to create a family history book)
• A shared digital archive. A shared folder, or the free Memories section of FamilySearch, so relatives can view and add photos.
• A family website or blog. (Free family website options)
• Recorded interviews. Share the audio with the people who were interviewed, and their children.
• A story for younger relatives. At a reunion or holiday, tell one five-minute story, show one photo, and end with a question for them.