Any tips for sorting old family papers?

Question

My grandfather recently passed away, leaving a house full of old family papers. These range from deeds to the family farm from the 1800s to boxes of bank statements, cancelled checks, newspapers.... Everything is scattered around the house in cupboards, trunks and drawers. Any advice for tackling the task of sorting these papers and deciding what is worth keeping (for the sake of family history) and what should be shredded or otherwise done away with? Any ideas about how long it might take? I hope to spend three or four 12-hour non-stop days to get everything sorted... Is this realistic or completely unfeasible? Thanks for any advice from your experience.

Answer 1

my grandmother passed in April - I had to clean out her house and it took a solid week of almost non-stop work - and I had help from my husband a couple of days and my sister one day.

you'll need to keep any deeds/mortgage papers/tax records - along with current bank statements and bills and tax records for the past seven years - also hold onto any birth/death/divorce records you may find - family bibles - legal documents such as wills, trusts, military discharge papers or records of service, etc

old bank statments, bills and tax statements can be destroyed

save newspaper clippings of wedding/birth/death announcements - or other important event documentation (military citations, etc)

get a stack of large manilla envelopes - do an initial sort, stacking items into categories (bank, taxes, bills, etc) and put each stack into one (or more) of the envelopes and label it. Throw out obvious trash during this initial sweep through. After all papers are sorted this way, then go back through each envelope/category one at a time. This time, make three stacks: 1)have to deal with now 2)keep for documentation/preservation 3)give to another family member

condolences on your loss - good luck with this task

Answer 2

What a gold mine you've discovered. I think anything of historical/genealogical value should be kept. I treasure all the old pix of my grandmother from early 1900's, marriage record, house deeds. well you've given yourself an arduous goal and maybe you'll need to adjust that. My concern is(like I would be) 1/2 way into it and say "I'm so tired of doing this, I'm going to toss this, this & this and inadvertently toss something of historical value. I would think checks, bank statements,newspapers that are less than 50 yrs. old could be trashed. think about what you would want future generations to have even from your own life. anything from the 1800's sounds worth it. I don't envy your task but do envy not having the same find. My grandmother kept everything and then some dutiful cousin decided "let's get rid of all this junk" and cleared out her attic. good luck

Answer 3

Don't shred anything until probate is done and the estate is finalized, if you have to go that route.

Once his estate is settled, you don't need anything but the last 7 years of tax records, box those and store them. You might want to ask the IRS how long you should keep them. Mark the box for that date then shred.

Deeds and personal items may be of historic value, if they are very old consider donating them to a historical society, especially if they are of a particular subject. Otherwise, keep a small sampling for yourself, or anything you are interested in. Share the same with family members, and destroy the rest.

Its too bad people don't do that for themselves as they go along in life. What are we saving those things for? Really, who goes back and looks at them or ever reads those letters again? Most of us don't but when in doubt, ask a historical society if there is any value in them. I don't mean monetary value, but historical value.

By the way, you might want to consider wearing something covering your mouth to protect your lungs from the dust you are going to encounter. Keep the windows open, and keeps some eyedrops handy.

Answer 4

i latterly travelled on my own with my very lively 8 month previous, 2hrs and a cease over, then yet another hour 45mins flight, and then lower back a week later (not almost as confusing because it is going to likely be with 12mth-previous twins, yet i'm merely sharing my assistance!). I used foodstuff as the thank you to maintain him quiet for many of the holiday, dry stuff that would not get throughout the two one individuals- raisins, crackers, biscuit (undemanding ones), sippy cup of water. He did sleep for a quick time after take-off, yet not long. I introduced some books and small toys yet they have been greater of a discomfort by way of fact he stored dropping them. I did permit him down on the floor for a flow slowly after the service trolley become long previous, and we walked up and down the aisle and considered out the homestead windows plenty. between the flight attendants had a duck hand-puppet and that stored him amused for a protracted time, so next time I fly i visit probable get something like that and keep it for the holiday so its new and exciting. He additionally spent distinctive time gazing the individuals interior the seats at the back of us, smiling at them and enjoying peekabo with them. He did this on all 4 flights, luckily the individuals have been continually large or merely ignored him! yet maybe you would be able to desire to get seats one at the back of the different somewhat of around the aisle?