Questions to ask an older person?

Question

My great grandmother was born in 1919, and she's thankfully still around! I have always been interested in listening to her talk about the past and would like to know good questions to ask her to learn more. I would eventualy like to compile all of her knowledge and experiences in a book. What are good questions to ask a person from that time era?

Let me add that she was born and raised in the South (Alabama). Anything specific to that area worthy of interest?

Answer 1

I'd imagine good questions for her would be the same as good questions for anyone else. You seem to want to capture some of her memories of the past. You might want to take advantage of her wisdom and experience.

Here are some questions I would ask....

Do you remember learning about the bombing of Pearl Harbor? Where were you? Who told you? What do you remember about that initial time and how did it compare with learning about 9/11?

Tell me about your grandparents? Who were they? What were they like? What did they do for a living?

What are some of your favorite memories?

What advice would you give somebody about life knowing what you know now?

What are some of the biggest mistakes you made in your life and why do you think that they were mistakes? What would have you done differently? (we can learn from other's mistakes)

What are your memories of being a child?

Good luck. This sounds like a great project. You could maybe get her to help you make a family tree and understand who else was in your family.

Answer 2

Ask her how she got food during the great depression. Ask her what rationing was like. Ask her if she ever worked in any kind of support position during the war, at home in factories, munitions plants, riveting airplanes and other war machines, etc. Ask her what it was like to go out in the middle of the night to an outhouse, carry water from a well, use oil lamps for electricity -- assuming she did not have electricity or minimal electricity and running water and indoor plumbing. You might ask her if she had indoor plumbing. Ask her how much candy she could get for a nickel and whether she remembers savings stamps that could be purchased at schools for 10 cents each and placed in a book that could eventually be turned into a bond or saved for the future. Ask her about promises made by the government and not kept. Ask her about the rights of women and how divorced women were treated in her day. Ask her if she was allowed to get credit or vote without her father's or husband's permission.

Obviously, I have already asked many of these questions of people born in that era and I already have several books that simply need compilation and published. I find the stories of older people most interesting and also found that many places in the USA still don't have indoor plumbing and many of the amenities that we take for granted each day.

Oh, you might also ask about birth control, sex, child birth, whether she was allowed to go out in public when she was huge or whether there was a "shame factor" instilled upon our women who were pregnant. Also, the word "pregnant" was not used in public until maybe the late 50s or early 60s, especially on TV! Yep, it wasn't that long ago that women were just baby machines, household slaves, and had no indivudual rights -- they were chattel to their fathers and husbands. Check it out!!!!!

Answer 3

I'm really into this sort of thing. Ask her ANYTHING you can think of. Ask her what family life was like, ask about the depression, the wars, the different eras like the 30's 40's 50's etc. Ask how she feels about the way things are today. Just be curious and ask about anything. It would also maybe be smart to record her if she doesn't mind. Sounds awesome you're lucky to have a great opportunity like this.
Good Luck!

Answer 4

1920 was the wall street crash...this precipitated the depression which lasted until the 1930s when the world once agian went to war. What was the popular dress and activities of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, etc. Politics is an interesting direction to consider. Where were you on VE day?

Answer 5

for some reason a older person recalls there childhood better the older they get. studies have been done on this but that's for another time.
i would ask her about her childhood her friends and family . then progress to her early adult years.
i would also ask her if she thinks society is better now or worse and in what ways it differed
another thing to do is find out from your parents if there are some old pics of people who they don't know as some of them may be your grandmothers great grandparents and only she can identify who the people are . she can also tell you the names and occupations of your for bearers. even if you not into that consider that others will be your kids or grand kids may one day say thank GOD Grandfather YOU wrote all this stuff down.
another thing that is getting to be more and more important for genetic reasons is to learn about who in your family's history was ill with what and what they died from as best she can remember.

Answer 6

Learn as much about your family history as possible. For almost anyone it is a fascinating subject that will interest you for the rest of your life. Being lucky enough to have your great grandmother available to ask is incredible and once she is gone you will wish you had learned so much that she had to offer. Learning about your family will be a gift you can pass down to your own children and grandchildren.

Answer 7

You're way ahead of me. I only became interested in it after most of the folks were dead. Do you know history? Ask questions about the history you've been taught. Someone who went through it might have a different perspective. My family went through the depression. One of my friend's mother was a Holocaust survivor. Ask how they kept their food fresh. Transportation. Survival. Education. (My father quit school in the 8th grade to work to help support the family.) Just think about how your day is & how theirs might have been & go from there.

Answer 8

Why don't you record her conversation or write down her life experience, only ask question when theirs a need other wise just listen. I know what you mean when it comes to listening to people that are older life was so different and yet so wonderful, My mother-in-law mother-in-law would tell me story of when she was growing up and all and it was so interesting and her son thought she was pestering me and she wasn't I enjoy listening to her and now she gone but I remember her stories.

Answer 9

Good for you. I did the same with my grandma on video.
It is priceless, esp. because she is now deceased.
I started with "tell me about your childhood and growing up in Italy and your parents whom I have never met." Sometimes they go off on rabbit trails - but keep steering her back (or let her go if it is really interesting!) As she speaks you may think of more questions to ask.
My grandma was so flattered! Sometimes the elderly think noone cares or wants to listen to what they have to say anymore. THey are to be cherished! ENjoy!

Answer 10

My sister did a similar project with my grandma before she died. Along with asking questions, ask for memorabilia. My sister has a piece of my grandma's wedding dress, photos, a love letter from my grandpa, and (my personal favorite) a school report my grandma wrote when she was 10 or 11 years old describing her family.