My mother and her grandfather.

How many memories deserve to be saved and shared? Thousands of priceless family artifacts are hidden in attics and basements. From family snapshots to rare documents like birth certificates and marriage records, these artifacts are waiting to be discovered. As part of our RootsTech Profile Series, we’re sharing stories of families who collaborated with innovative companies to preserve family history for future generations.

How often have you said to yourself, “I wish I had asked grandma or grandpa more questions about their life?” Or maybe you’ve heard friends say, “my mother shared the funniest story about her childhood over dinner last week. I wish I’d written it down!” I know I have said these things many times. I bet we all have. Not only have I wished this about my parents and grandparents, but I’ve also wished I’d taken time to gather stories from my aunts, uncles and cousins. My extended family has fun stories to share, too. Like many of us, I felt like I was losing priceless family stories because I didn’t have a simple way to record them. Then I discovered some software that helps you capture memories before it’s too late. The best part? It brings far-flung family closer together! In fact, it doesn’t matter how far away you live from your loved ones, StoryWorth can help you preserve your family history. Since I signed up, I’ve received 13 stories from my mother who is 75 years-old. I treasure these stories and am relieved that I took time to capture them before she’s gone. What are your family stories worth?

Read on to find out how I use StoryWorth to capture memories from my family members. (You’ll be glad you did!)

So, how does it work?

It’s pretty simple, actually.

• First, you designate someone – and it can be up to six people – as a recipient.
• Then, you will see a list of questions you’ve probably never thought to ask. (Trust me, they’re super fun and interesting!) You can also write your own questions, if you prefer.
• StoryWorth will allow you to arrange your questions in order and omit any questions you don’t want to ask.
• Each week your loved ones will receive an email with a question about their life.
• If they don’t use email, your family members can also record an audio story by phone.
• Your stories remain private unless you choose to share them.
• This is truly family history made simple and fun!

And then what?

Now you can create something special as a keepsake for yourself and your family members to enjoy.

• Simply download copies of your stories at any time.
• Consider ordering printed books, which are reasonably priced.
• Use the collection of stories as a fun conversation-starter at family holidays and get more folks involved!

Here’s a real-life example of how my family uses StoryWorth…

In addition to the excellent questions provided by the team at StoryWorth, you can always compose your own questions. Are there things you’ve always wanted to ask your mother or father about how they met? Maybe you’ve been itching to find out about your grandparent’s first kiss? This is a perfect opportunity to ask them!

Here is one of my questions I asked my mother:

Q: Who had the most positive influence on you as a child?

A: I would surely say Papa Dent – Samuel Posey Denton, my maternal grandfather. He helped me with school projects, like scrapbooks of Tennessee and different things like that. He was always interested in what I was doing! He would always brag on me when I did something. I used to be in talent shows; I would recite and he would say, “this family sure does have a lot of talent in it.” He showed me the correct way to hold my first pair of glasses in order to clean them. I’m sure, like everyone else, he had problems, but he never let it show. He was always happy. He knew how to make each grandchild feel like they were the only one. I was just 15 when he passed away, I was heartbroken. I loved him so much. – my mother, Robbie Pate Carrington, November 09, 2015

Need some ideas for questions to get you started?

Here’s a recent post from Save Family Photos that will help you: 

You can read the full post HERE and find lots of wonderful questions that will help you get started!

The team at StoryWorth is so helpful. If you need any assistance getting started, you can reach out to them anytime. And you can even get a FREE TRIAL – in fact, all Save Family Photos community members automatically get 20% off when they subscribe.

What are you waiting for? Are you losing priceless family stories? StoryWorth helps you capture memories before they’re gone forever!

About the author: Debbie Smartt is a photographer, photojournalist, artist and collector of moments in Franklin, Tenn. She was a photographer and photo editor for Volunteer Voices, a magazine published by the United States Postal Service. During her time there, she won the Communicator Award. Her work had been published in Communication World Magazine; Folk Magazine; Nashville Lifestyles; Cooking with Paula Deen and USA Today. In addition to photography and art, Debbie is a digital archivist and family historian. She also transcribes records for FamilySearch and is a member of Find A Grave. To follow along with her as she preserves family history, check out her tips and tricks on Instagram and Twitter.