Most families have a memory keeper, someone who decides to write up their family’s stories. This type of research often entails many hours, even years, of work sifting through old photographs and family documents. Over time, the project can snowball into an overwhelming, unmanageable amount of data.

I use my experience in family history research and background in journalism to help memory keepers identify milestone events and contextualise personal experience against regional, national and global events or technological developments.

This layered approach of combining archival research and personal interviews can become a meaningful journey of self-discovery and a compelling gift for an older adult.

Family history research is a very broad subject that encompasses far more than the traditional family tree. Family memory keepers who do not find endless lists of names and dates interesting, can focus on oral histories, such as interviewing older family members about old neighbourhoods or their childhood memories. Others can explore the stories behind favourite heirlooms. Family memoir writers can focus on a pivotal event in a family’s history, such as migration or experiencing a natural disaster.