Once a month, I challenge you to revisit your old yearbooks and write down your memories of ONE OR TWO of your classmates in your "Who's Who?" journal. For this project, they do not have to be people you knew well, just people that you would recognize in a photo without captions. Their descendants are your audience, so be as detailed as possible.
Below you will find a sampling of questions, some of which I have about my own father, that I hope classmates will answer. If you have questions that you would like me to add to this list, feel free to contact me. Put "Who's Who?" in the subject line.
List every yearbook and page number you find the individual on, especially if it isn't listed in the index. This is important for people who were shy about having class photos taken, but might be featured on other pages.
Did they have siblings that attended school at the same time? What were their names? If they had different surnames, make sure to list them.
What were their nicknames? List as many as you can remember.
Who were some of their closest friends (that you can recall)?
Which activities did they participate in?
Have you ever been or are you still in contact with them? Provide contact information. If you have old phone numbers or addresses for the individuals, include them as well.
What do you remember about their parents?
If you have been to their childhood home, describe it.
Do you recall any incidents involving this person that might have been recorded in a newspaper for posterity to see?
Who did this person date? If you're unsure, include the name with a note that says just that.
What make and model car did they drive?
What instrument(s) did they play?
Did they sing?
Did they attend dances?
Which classes, if any, did you have with this person?
STEP 1: Add notes that explain your relationship to every person in your address book, social media friends lists and email contact lists. If you used nicknames, be sure to include their birth names.
Why? The first reason that comes to mind is death. You die, your children are left to contact your relatives and friends. Don't make them sort through people who have meaningless relationships with you. If someone is a game buddy, but you don't know them in the real world, say so.
A second reason is memory. Mine isn't what it used to be. I research so many distant relatives in a week that I can't even remember my own name sometimes much less the relationship between myself and my 5th cousin on my fathers side.
STEP 2: The Challenge. Every month, I challenge you to write about two or more of your contacts in your "Who's Who?" journal. Introduce your descendants to the people in your life. Their descendants are also in your audience, so be as detailed as possible in describing your acquaintances, family and friends.
Well written diaries are a dream for genealogists, but your descendants won't thank you for being ambiguous when referring to people, locations and events. The good news is that you can correct vague entries now and save your audience the effort of figuring out who everyone is.
STEP 1: Take the time to put page numbers on the front and back of each page. If a page is blank, number it anyway.
STEP 2: Once a month, skim your diaries for names and places that are vague. For example, "I went to dinner with Mary after picking her up at her parent's church."
In your "Who's Who?" journal, start by labeling a page with the diary date, page number and the entry in question. Then explain who "Mary" is, who her parents are and where "their church" is.
If you've made reference to customs, colloquialisms, or technology that are outdated, explain them so that your descendants will understand what you were talking about. What is this thing they called a "crimper"?
This is also a good time to tell your descendants what you think about what you wrote.
Have you changed your mind or do you still feel the same way?
If you could go back and do it differently, what would you say or do?
Are you remembering or understanding more now than you did back then?
Has new information come to light that shows your entry to be filled with misinformation?
Don't cross anything out. Write a new journal entry explaining the situation. You may wish to make a footnote in the original journal that indicates they should look for more information in your newer one.
If you haven't labeled your photos yet, take an hour a week to do so. You were the one that was there. Do it now, while you can still remember everyone, or at least, while you can remember how to find out who they are.
Make sure you label them with complete names for everybody--even your neighbor who wasn't supposed to be in the photo. If you've scanned them, don't forget to put filenames on the back.
If you are one of the few who have labeled EVERYONE in your albums, I challenge you to take it one step further. Once a month, sit down with your pictures and your "Who's Who?" journal. Answer the questions outlined above in the Yearbook challenge for your family, friends, and acquaintances.
Alternatively, if you haven't put your pictures into albums yet, you can scrapbook instead of using a journal. Ideally, this would be how all memories are displayed so that the photos and stories wouldn't be stored in two separate locations.
If you have any ideas on how to improve this or other projects and challenges, please feel free to contact me.
