There are 10 pages of questions here if you want to copy and print them

Memory Keepers Video Services    A gift you give to yourself and future generations    
       Dave Savage  cell 404 323-8686  dave@davesavage.com 
       Grouped misc. questions  revised  November 2012   10 pages
   Follow-up questions to expand the conversation on any topic are on the last page.

Growing up
Were you often into mischief as a child? How strict were your parents?
What were some of the house rules for behavior?

What chores were assigned to you to do? Did you receive any spending money? If so, what did you do with it?
What were your most vivid memories of your childhood?
What did you do during the summer when you were not in school?
Do you remember a time when you spent the night or days living at the home of friends or relatives?
What did you learn from the experience that may have changed the way you understand others.
What were some of your favorite toys?
What were some of your favorite games?
What were some of your favorite songs?  What records did you buy - have?
 What were some of your favorite TV shows?
What were some of your favorite Movies?
Were there any unusual events in your childhood ie. moving, storms, floods, fires, etc.?
When did you start dating? What rules were imposed at your house regarding dating ie. chaperone, how late you could stay out, where you could go?
When you went on a date, what did you do?
What were the rules in your house regarding the following: playing cards, going to movies, dancing, eating with the adults, girls wearing slacks to school, and "proper manners."
What neighborhood gatherings do you recall?
Did you play street games with neighbor kids?
Do you recall an experience with death as a child or teenager?
Did you participate in any type of recreation or athletics?
Did you or any of your family sing or play musical instruments?
Did you like to read? What were your favorite books as a child? an adult?
Did you learn a hobby or craft as a child or teenager? Did you continue to use it as an adult?
What do you know about your family surname?
Is there a naming tradition in your family?
When and where were you born? How did your family come to live there?
Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen? How did you feel?
Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
What were your favorite toys and what were they like?
Were there any fads during your youth that you remember vividly?
Do you remember your first date? Describe the circumstances.
Do you remember any of the songs you used to sing to me? Can you sing them now?

School
What were the names of your schools and what do you remember about how they looked and felt?
How did you get to school?
What was your favorite subject in school and why?
What subject in school was always the easiest for you?
What was your least favorite subject in school and why?
Who was your favorite teacher and why were they special?
How do your fellow classmates from school remember you best?
What school activities and sports did you participate in
Did you and your friends have a special hang-out where you liked to spend time?
Where was it and what did you do there?
Were you ever given any special awards for your studies or school activities?
How many years of education have you completed?
What did you usually wear to school? Describe it.

Where did you attend school? How far was it from your home? How did you get there?
What subjects did you like best? and least?
Who were your best friends at school?
What memories stand out about your school days?
Where did you attend school? How far was it from your home? How did you get there?

Relatives
Do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives? What did they say?
Do you remember your great-grandparents? What do you know about them?
Who was the oldest person you can remember in your family as a child? What do you remember about them?
Please share some memories of your mother.
Please share some memories of your father.
Please share some memories of your siblings.
Please share one memory of your mother's parents. ?aunts, uncles or cousins?
Please share some memories of your father's parents, aunts, uncles or cousins
What was the location of your house? Is it still standing? What did it look like?
Do you remember your grandparent's houses? Where were they? Are they still standing? What did they look like?

Family life
Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
What kind of house did you live in when you were a child?
Do you remember your family discussing world events and politics?
Do you ever remember not having enough food to eat because times were hard for your family?
Do you remember your first date? Describe the circumstances.
Name a good friend that you have known for the longest period of time? How many years have you been friends?
Has there ever been anyone in your life that you would consider to me your kindred spirit or soul mate?
If so, who were they and why did you feel a special bond to them?
How did you meet the person that you would later marry? Describe them?

Finding your mate / spouse and living together / being married
Do you remember where you went on the first date with your spouse?
How long did you know them before you got married?
Describe your wedding proposal.
When and where did you get married?
Describe your wedding ceremony. Who was there?
Did you have a honeymoon? If so, where did you go?
How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about him/her?
How long have you been married (or were you married)?
What wise advice would you give to a grandchild on their wedding day?
How did you meet your spouse? Tell me about your courtship, proposal, and engagement.
When and where did you get married? Describe the wedding
What was the full name of your spouse? Siblings? Parents? When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?

What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen? How did you feel?
Where and when did you get married?
What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?
What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?
What was your relationship with your in-laws?  What did they think of you?
Describe your wedding ceremony. Who was there?
Did you have a honeymoon? If so, where did you go? Did it meet your fantasy and expectations
Where and when did you get married?

What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?

How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?

What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?

Parenthood
How did you find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time?
How many children did you have all together?
What were their names, birthdates and birthplaces?
Do you remember anything that your children did when they were small that really amazed you?
What is one of the most unusual things that one of your children did regularly when they were small?
What was a funny thing you can remember that one of your children said or did?
If you had it to do all over again, in what ways would you change the way you raised your family?

What did you find particularly difficult about raising children?
What did you find most rewarding about being a parent?
In what ways did you spoil any of your children?
In what ways were you a strict or lenient parent?
In what ways do you treat each of your children differently?
How did you decide what to name each child?
What stands out about each of your children as a small child, adolescent, and teenager?
What houses have you lived in since marriage? Where? Describe them.
What trips have you taken as a family? Which have you enjoyed the most? Any special memories?
What holiday traditions did your family share? Eating certain foods, meeting in certain places, gifts, those invited, etc.?
How did you find out your were going to be a parent for the first time?

Why did you choose your children's names?

What was your proudest moment as a parent?

What did your family enjoy doing together?
If you had it to do all over again, would you change the way you raised your family? How?
What did you find most difficult about raising children?
How would you structure universal parental training?  What should be taught and how should it be done”

Grandparenthood
How did you first hear that you were a grandparent and how did you feel about it?
What advice do you have for your children and grandchildren?

Your work and career journey
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
What was your first job?
What kinds of jobs have you had?
How did you decide on or come to your career?
What did you think about the money you were earning?
How long did you have to work each day at your jobs?
How old were you when you retired? Voluntarily or involuntarily?
What was your first job? Where? What did you do? How much did you earn?

If you could have had any other profession, what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice?

What job/s did you/your spouse have to support your family?

Making your way through life
What were the some hard choices that you had to make? Do you feel like you made the right choices?
Who were people that had a positive influence on your life? Who were they and what did they do?
Is there a person that really changed the course of your life by something that they did?
Who were they and what did they do?
Do you remember someone saying something to you that had a big impact on how you lived your life?
What was it?
How would you describe yourself politically, socially and economically?
As you see it, what are the biggest problems that face our nation and how do you think they could be solved?
What wars have been fought during your lifetime? How did you feel about them?
If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
If you served in the military, were you ever injured in the line of duty?
What were the circumstances and what were your injuries?
In what ways has the way you looked and presented yourself to the world affected your life?
Where have you lived as an adult? List the places and the years that you lived there?
In what ways did the places you lived affect your outlook on life and the way you live and view the world?
Why are you living where you are today?
Do you wish you lived somewhere else (If so, where would it be)?
In what ways has your health and  health problems change your life?
Do you have any health problems that are considered hereditary in nature? If so, what are they?
How have you viewed exercise and what impact has that had on you?
Do you have any bad habits now or in the past? What were they?
Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?
Have you ever been in a serious accident?
Has anyone ever saved your life? Describe.
Have you ever saved anyone else's life? Describe.
What is your experience with hospitals? If so, what for?
What would you like to change about yourself?
Have you ever had an experience that you would consider to be super-natural or psychic? Did you ever know something was going to happen before it actually did? What was it?
Do you or have you had repeating themes in your dreams?
What church, if any, do you attend regularly?
Describe your religious beliefs in detail.
How do you life differently because of them
What is a scary thing that happened to you personally?
What types of music do you enjoy?  What do you listen to mostly?
In what ways has music been a part of your life?
In what ways are you creative?
What things have you made that others have enjoyed?
How would you describe your sense of humor?
What activities have you especially enjoyed as an adult?
What are and have been your hobbies?
What are amazing things that have happened to you?
What were some embarrassing things that have happened to you?
Have you ever met any famous people? Describe what happened.
What organizations and groups have you belonged to?
Have you ever won any special awards or prizes as an adult? What were they for?
Have you ever earned a spontaneous standing ovation?
Describe a time and place when you remember feeling truly at peace and happy to be alive.
Where were you and what were you doing?
What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited and what was it like?
What is the longest trip that you have ever gone on? Where did you go?
What has been your favorite vacation? Where did you go and why was it special?
What pets have you had?
Do you have a favorite story about a pet? What is it?
What are your car or truck stories?
What are some of the cars you’d put in your fantasy garage?
Is there anything you have always wanted to do, but haven't?
How do you describe yourself to yourself?
If you had lived your fantasy life what would the story be?
Do you enjoy participating in music, art, gardening, needlework, sewing, carpentry, mechanics, etc.? Which members of the family did these activities?
What was your first car? How much did it cost?
What are some of your car or truck stories?
What do you consider your special talents or abilities? What do you do best?
Are there any "words of wisdom" you would like to pass down to future generations?
Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel is still valuable to you?
Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?


Religious, Political, social and economic preferences
Did you attend a church? Where was the church? What was it like?
Why do you belong to the congregation that you attend?  How did you get started there?
How do you live differently because of your religious beliefs or participation?
Were there any special "religious" events in your lifel?
Did you have a favorite verse? Hymn or song or ritual?
Tell me about your religious  / spiritual beliefs in as much detail as you can?
What religion do you call yourself?  What do you do or believe that makes you that religion Vs. others?
How do you define or describe the God that you believe in?
How do you define or describe any other supernatural entities that you believe exist and may have influence or control over people or situations?   (saints, angels, guardian angels, evil spirits, souls  etc.)
Do you believe in the after-life? In what ways is it important to you that it exists in the form that you envision?
What do you think it will be like?
Politics
How do you describe your political outlook?
Were you involved in political party affairs?
What impact did political views have on your immediate or extended family?
Are your social and economic  views in alignment with your political party support?
+++
Reflections on your life

Have you felt a calling during your life toward a profession or way of life?
What experiences have you had to push you or have you reconsider that path?
What wise advice would you give to a grandchild on their wedding day?
What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?
What are your fondest memories of PARTICULAR PEOPLE?
Is there anything you have always wanted to do and would still love to do if someone would arrange it?
Is there anything you have always wanted to do but the opportunity done due to a wide variety of reasons.

Do you have any role models or vision on how you’d like grow older?

Life in the military
If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
How did your military experiences change you?
During your service, can you recall times when you were afraid or in danger?
What are your strongest memories from your time in the military?
What lessons did you learn from this time in your life?

Do you still have nightmares from things you saw or did in wartime?
Are there people you still miss and grieve for from your war experiences?

Remembering a loved one
Tell me about _____.
What is your first memory of _____?
What is a treasured memory of _____?
Are you comfortable/ can you talk about _____’s death? How did _____ die?
What has been the hardest thing about losing _____?
What would you ask _____ if he /she were here today?
What do you miss most about _____?
How do you think _____ would want to be remembered?
Can you talk about the biggest obstacles _____ overcame in life?
Was there anything you and _____ disagreed about, fought over, or experienced some conflict around?
What about _____ makes you smile?
What was your relationship like?
What did _____ look like?
Did you have any favorite jokes _____ used to tell?
Do you have any stories you want to share about _____?
What were _____’s hopes and dreams for the future?
Is there something about _____ that you think no one else knows?
How are you different now than you were before you lost _____?
Do you have any traditions to honor _____?
What has helped you the most in your grief?
What and when are the hardest times for you that triggers the happy and grief feelings ?

Questions to follow up the answers from the above questions

Experiences
What did you learn from the experience?

What would you do differently now?

How did the experience affect you?

What was your first impression?

What concerned you about the situation?

What/who helped you accept/understand the situation?

What else would like to know about it?

What still confuses/mystifies you about it?

What secrets or little known information do    you know about what  happened

Things
How did you learn to enjoy it?

What secrets do you know about it?

What happened to it?

How should it be taken care of?

What else can you tell me about it?

In what ways are they similar / different?

People
What did or do you admire about him/her?

What fun secrets do you know about them?

What else do you remember about them?

Anything unusual you know about them?

What happened to them?

What do you enjoy about him/her?

What do you hope they will do about it?

What do you suggest they do now?

What’s the solution from your point of view?

In what ways are they similar and different?

Who do they resemble in looks or behavior?

What caused them to be that way?

What did they die of?

What illnesses or conditions did they have?