Conversation guide
Questions to ask your grandparents
Your grandparents are the only people who can tell you what your family was like before you existed. The stories they hold — about your parents as kids, about a world without phones, about the people whose names you've forgotten — disappear the moment they do. Bring a recorder. Ask slowly.
Their world growing up
Open with the small, specific, sensory things. They unlock everything else.
- What did your street look like when you were ten?
- What did your house smell like on a Sunday?
- What did your parents do for work?
- What was your favorite meal as a kid? Who made it?
- What did people do for fun before TV?
Family history
These are the questions that fill in the family tree no one drew.
- Where did our family come from before this country?
- Who in our family do I remind you of?
- Who was the black sheep? The favorite? The peacemaker?
- What's a family story that almost got lost?
- What did your parents' parents do for a living?
Love and partnership
Ask how, where, when. They'll remember details you didn't expect.
- How did you and Grandma/Grandpa meet?
- What did you wear on your first date?
- What's the secret to staying married for that long?
- Was there ever someone else you almost married?
History through their eyes
Textbooks give you dates. They give you the feeling in the room.
- Where were you when [major historical event] happened?
- What's something the history books got wrong?
- What changed in the world that you never thought you'd see?
- What do young people today not understand about your generation?
What they want you to know
Save these for last. Let the silences sit.
- What's the best decision you ever made?
- What's something you wish you'd told your own kids?
- What do you want me to tell my children about you?
- What are you most proud of?
- If you could relive one day, which one?
Don't just read about it. Start.
Preserve helps you collect the stories, voice, and lessons of the people who shape your life — whether they're still with you or not.
Preserve someone you love →