RECORDING YOUR MEMORIES FOR OTHERS TO READ
BRENDA KELLOW
dECEMBER 8, 2013
The recent topic on the Genealogy Center blog page is interesting, timely and certainly is something we should all do, now. The title is, “Have You Recorded Your Memories,” dated November 22, 2013, http://glhtainplano.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/have-you-recorded-your-memories/.
The first paragraph begins by telling the reader that certain events are so memorable that we can remember where we were including the sights, aromas, weather, and almost every detail about the event itself. The writer then relayed the day of the President Kennedy was killed. You have many of those kinds of memories, too. I do.
The morning of November 22, 1963 is one I will never forget. It was cloudy and rather chilly. My husband stayed home from work that day because he was laying on the sofa sick with the flu. Our new baby rolled over onto her back for the first time that morning as both of us watched her. I remember picking her up and telling her that I wanted her to watch President Kennedy’s visit to Dallas on the TV. I knew she would not remember it, but I wanted to her know that as a baby she had experienced that historic day. At that time, I had no idea how historic November 22, 1963 would be.
At about 1 p.m. my husband and I were stunned to hear Kennedy had been shot, but we were even more distressed when we learned that he died. The tragedy would forever be a part of our lives and the lives of his wife and two little children.
My father was in the Veteran’s hospital in McKinney suffering from pneumonia. That afternoon I picked up my mother and we visited Daddy in the hospital. The television and car radio gave details of what was happening at Parkland Hospital, the search for the killer and the swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson. People were shocked and openly cried.
On the following Sunday as we exited the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Richardson, we were told that Oswald had been shot and killed by Jack Ruby. Once again, we were stunned.
Maybe you remember where you were and what you were doing the day the space shuttle exploded. On that day, my husband, our two children and I had just exited Central Expressway onto west Campbell Road when the announcement came over the radio. The space program was a part of our lives and the explosion was catastrophic.
Younger generations remember the moonwalk or when the Twin Towers fell. As a family, we rose from our beds to watch the astronaut walk on the moon. The kids were puzzled by the flag appearing to wave in the breeze as was positioned on the surface of the moon. When the towers fell, I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard Diane Sawyer say she guessed we were under attack. My husband was in California on business, one of our children was in Oregon and another in Quebec. My first thoughts were that we had never talked about where we would meet in case of an attack on our country. We had a plan in case the house ever caught on fire, but not for an attack on our country.
I have never written my recollections of these days until now. You must have memories of things that happened in conjunction with historic events. The holidays are a great time to capture memories. Two apps for your cell phones and iPads can help record memories if you are a technophile.
The free Saving Memories Forever, Saving One Story at a Time, app at www.savingmemoriesforever.com is perfect for this holiday season. It records as family or friends recall memories from various age groups during their lives and then store it on their website.
Another free, and fun, app is Corner My Photos, www.cornermyphotos.com. There is one for the Christmas holidays, one with only classic photo corners and several more. If any of you make a Christmas Photo Album as I do, the photo-framing program enhances them beautifully.
You can be creative while recording your treasured memories. I intend to record some memories, and then type them on aged paper and create a memoir album with the photos that I have framed electronically. Fascinate your family now with your memories.
GENEALOGY LIBRARY ACCESS ONLINE: I understand there has been problems accessing the Genealogy Center. Let me help you with this problem.
The library website is www.planolibrary.org. Genealogists choose Genealogy from the left side of the library’s homepage. There is no longer a link to the genealogy page per Cheryl Smith. It is their new look. On the left side you will see the second tab that says “Catalog and Account Login.” Click there and then click “Catalog.” It will open to the Plano Public Library System Catalog. To reach the Blog, on the left side go to the 7th tab and click on “Genealogy.” From there you can access the Blog, and also Department Home, Classes and Seminars, Collin County Images, Partners and Donations, Resources and Services. Clicking on other tabs on the left will bring up more things you might want or need. I hope this helps.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, taught, and lectured on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
