When I was a child, I had a great-aunt who had a great number of family and local area stories, all stored in her fertile mind. She was the quintessential ‘maiden’ aunt and one of the main aims in her life was helping others. Just about everu day, my mother, my brother, sister and I went to visit my grandmother and her sister, my great-aunt. She would tell all these wonderful stories about the activities of family members or things that had happened in the local area (Monroe County, West Virginia), I can’t remember much about them because, llke most children and young people, I took them all for granted, paying llittle real attention to them. There was one about a Lewis(she was a Lewis) hiding from the Indians under a large rock. I wish I knew where that rock is, or was. There was another about someone losing a team of horses in a local swamp; I’ve heard this story debunked. True or not, they were wonderful, had at least a grain of thruth to them,and they were lost because no one took the time to write any of them down ti oreserve them for future generations. Part of our family history is lost, and our history is part of who we are. I am fortunat to have had interesting ancestors who did a lot of interesting things, such as founding a county or community, engaging in politics (not all of it is bad), serving in the Revolutionary or Civil (or other) wars and developing land. Most of my oral history is gone, but,fortunately, much has been written over many years about the accomplishments and activities of many of my ancestors. The missing oral history would have greatly enriched what has been recorded.
So, if you have older family members, ask them about their memories. They have a lot to contribute, would be dellighted to be asked, and all their unique stories can be preserved before it’s too late.
