We would like to encourage you to write your family history.
It is never to late to start documenting for posterity.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
1. HOW DO I START?
Begin your story with the background of your family before they settled in the
county.
Why did they move here and where did they settle?
2. WHAT DO I WRITE ABOUT?
Describe the family’s trip to Coal County, mode of travel, first homes,
kind of work.
What type of homes were built? Where did the material for these homes come from?
Did your family raise their own food? You could describe how they stored it.
Did they raise and/or process their own meat? How was this done? What did they
do for a living? What did your ancestors do for entertainment? Tell about your
family’s trials and tribulations, the joys and hardships. Family customs
and family feuds, children, pets, and humorous incidents.
3. WHAT ELSE SHOULD MY STORY INCLUDE?
To the best of your ability, give complete names of family members, paying
close attention to correct spelling. Try very hard to give names of towns,
lakes, passes, etc. that are important to your family’s story, again
checking spelling when possible. Don’t
forget to add in death dates and places of burial, cemetery names and county
and state if different from Coal County.
Last, but very important, include and check as many family dates as possible.
Dates are important and if you cannot be exact, explain it,
“about 1900” or “ in the spring of 1910 or 1911”
4. HOW DO I WRITE A STORY THE WAY THE EDITORS WANT IT?
Write your story in your own words --- it will not be re-written ---
The way you tell it is part of your heritage.
5. HOW MANY STORIES CAN I WRITE AND HOW LONG CAN THEY BE?
Write both your mother’s and your father’s story, and write two
(2) typewritten pages, double spaced. FREE for each side of your family. You
may go over the two page limit. There is a charge of $.50 per line for each
additional typed line over two pages, per story.
6. HOW DO YOU WANT THE STORY TYPED?
Type your histories on regular 8-1/2” paper, double spaced using 1/2
inch margin and the
computer default type in size of either 10 or 12 points. Place your name address
and phone
number in the upper-left hand corner of each page and the story title in the
upper right hand corner of the page. If you cannot type it, contact one of
the representatives and we will help you. You can E-mail your story, or mail
it on a disk in a word, text, or pdf format, if possible. If mailed, please
enclose a hard copy.
7. WHAT ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS?
A Family photo is not necessary for your history but “a picture is worth
a thousand words.” Photos of early as well as present family members
or “family get-to-gathers “ add
much to your family history. As each photo makes you story more interesting,
you should use as many as possible.
The charge for a single column photo (2-1/2” wide) is $7.50, a two column
photo (5-1/2” wide) is $14.00. Your first $7.50 for each story is FREE.
No photo’s can be returned, please send only reprints or digital photo’s to: CCGSOK@yahoo.com
8. HOW SHALL I MARK THE PHOTO’S AND
TELL THEIR STORY?
On the back of your photo’s, lightly print your photo number and your
name and address.
On a separate sheet of paper, write a short explanation (caption) for each
photo. Be sure to identify each person in the photo, giving full names. Whenever
possible, explain the occasion of the photo.
Or send the photo in an E-mail with the descriptions to CCGSOK@yahoo.com
9. SEND TO THE COAL COUNTY GENEALGOICAL SOCIETY
Please make it clear that you want this included in Book 3 also.
Book 3 has no planned date of printing.
But we are sure someone 20 years from now will think it's time to update the last 20 years.
So why not have some stuff ready to be added.
Mail to:
Coal County Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 436
Coalgate, OK 74538
