Elder Interview
Choose a few questions from the list or make up your own. If you would live to cover a lot of questions, rather than exhaust the storyteller, have a few sessions rather than one really long one. Some of these questions may be very emotional for people to recall and to hear. Allow time for everyone to absorb the stories and encourage a time of thanksgiving at the end.
Possible Questions for Elder Interview
What is your full name? What do you know about it? Do you have a nickname?
Is there a naming tradition in your family?
Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?
When were you born? What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them personally affect your family?
Where were you born? How did your family come to live there? Was it a place that was new to your family or not?
Did you have a favourite place to go outside of your home? Was it a secret?
What was your childhood home like? What did the kitchen smell like?
What is your earliest childhood memory?
What language did your parents speak? Do you speak it? Why or why not?
How did your family earn a living?
What was your favourite thing to do for fun?
Was there any illness in your family?
Did you lose any members of your family when you were growing up?
Did you have family chores? Which was your least favourite?
Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them?
Do you have a favourite story about one of your parents?
What was school like for you as a child? How did you get there? Did you leave home to attend?
Did you have a favourite teacher? Why?
What was the hardest thing about school?
Who were your childhood heroes?
What were your favourite songs and music?
Who were your friends when you were growing up?
What was your religion growing up?
Did you attend church? What was that like? What was the music like? Did your friends go?
Who have been the most important people in your life related to your faith journey?
Describe a typical family dinner. What was your favourite food?
Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?
How were holidays celebrated in your family? What was your favourite holiday? How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?
Are there any special heirlooms, photos, bibles or other memorabilia that have been passed down in your family?
Did you get married? What do you remember about your wedding day?
If you didn't get married, what was that like?
How did you find out you were going to be a parent for the first time?
What was your proudest moment as a parent?
What was your profession and how did you choose it? If you could have had any other profession what would it have been?
Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?
How has your faith changed over the years?
What accomplishments were you the most proud of?
What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?
