| You may not be all that interested in history. Who cares about relatives who lived 100 years before you? Does it really matter when your great-great-great-grandmother was born? In reality, family genealogy is about more than birth dates and death dates, of course. You can learn about your genetic markers for certain diseases or disorders, which can clue you in on tests that you may need to get sooner than later. Some families have a long history of cancer, so finding out this information through death records of the family can prompt many to get tested for cancer early, thus living long, healthy, cancer-free lives after all. The death certificate will tell you many things about a person. It will list the full name of the deceased, the date the death occurred, the address at which the death took place, the age of the deceased and, most importantly, the cause of death. You'll also learn the name, address and relationship of the person who reported the death and the maiden name of a widow left behind. Once you have the death certificate number, you will be able to find the microfilm records associated with that death, which can provide other family history research information. Some death certificates will even list the parent's names, the number of children left behind, the former residence, the physician, contributing causes of death and the place/date of burial. Not all this information will be on every certificate, as it depends when the death was filed. Death records are often found at local libraries. If you know the year of death and the death certificate number, you can usually look up death certificates, death notices and death obituaries on the library's microfilm machine. The death certificate will tell you the cause of death. The death notice will tell you surviving kin, funeral information and the place of burial. An obituary may tell you narrative, biographical data about the deceased too. These services are usually free if you have a library card, although printing charges and official copy charges will apply if you require them for your family history book. The most obvious of the death records is the death certificate. However, you can also look up information from local cemeteries, church records to find out where the funeral was held, probate records to let you know about inheritances given, obituaries, newspaper articles, military records, court records and land/property records for added information on your family history genealogy. Understanding your family's past can help you see where you fit into the historical fabric of society and can inspire your family for generations to come. |
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Thursday 31 March 2011
Using Death Records For Family Trees
Free Genealogy Databases: Researching Your Family Tree Easily
There are free genealogy databases on the Internet, and their history is almost as interesting as the history you will find when creating your family tree or writing your genealogy. These databases are there for anybody to access, and you will find that they contain the names of people in families from many, many years ago.
Why They Exist
They have been created for several reasons. One of them obviously, is to help people to trace their roots. When you are trying to build your family tree, you will find a lot of information that you need in them.
The other reason they exist is that they are records - of people who lived and their families and they can be used in various ways by organizations. Most important are organizations that try to reunite people who have been separated from each other through wars or migration. After the 2nd world war especially, a lot of families that had been torn apart were re-united through these databases.
Scientific Resources
They are also a major scientific resource when it comes to studying genealogy. There are, for example, killer diseases that seem to afflict a small number of people, and looking through these free genealogical databases, you might find that these people are genetically connected.
How they started
How did these databases come about? The initial records of family histories were kept by the Church of Latter Day Saints. The church of the Mormons, through an old tradition, required that records be kept of anyone who underwent saving rites in the church - marriage, baptism, death and so on. Because it was an open church and it welcomed so many people, the records grew and grew.
Eventually, when the internet came along, the church sponsored a project to get these records online, and they opened them up to everyone.
The best databases
There are a few main ones that are thought to have the most extensive records:
rootsweb.ancestry.com
Though it focuses mainly on families from the US and Europe, this free genealogical database contains extensive information. There are records of births, deaths, marriages, baptisms, divorces and they have extended to include government voter records. It has been instrumental in reuniting people who were separated by the 2 world wars, and to date, many social organizations that reunite people continue to use it as well as update it with new data.
genealinks.com
This one focuses on marriages. All you need to have is the name and location of the person you are searching for and it will bring up that person and whom they were married to and the rest of the details that are in the database about that person. It is vast, with about 30,000 recorded marriages for the US alone. It's the most unique because behind the scenes, it questions other smaller databases and gives you back a lot more information.
familysearch.org
This is a project of the Church of Latter Day Saints. It's preferred because of its ease of use; beginners can get data from it quite easily. All they need are the names of the person they are looking for and the event for which you are searching, say a birth or a death. This means that you can use it to track relatives from really far back. It would be instrumental in building the top-tier of a family tree. The other reason this database is preferred is that it includes minorities - you can use it to trace Jews, Hispanics and African-Americans.
olivetreegenealogy.com
This database is somehow different in that it focuses on people from all countries who have special circumstances. It has records of displaced persons, orphans, victims of war and missing persons. These are not easy to find in other free genealogical databases. It's also easy to question as it doesn't require much detail - all it needs is the names of the person. If you are looking for someone who has been missing for a long time, this would be the place to start.
These databases are available for you to use and should help you access quite a deal of information to get started on your family tree project. They help you research your family history easily and conveniently. Do make sure that you know what is required in order to question each of them. Some need a name, others a name and date of birth and so on. Be prepared with whatever information you already have so that you can search these free genealogy databases efficiently and extensively.
Why They Exist
They have been created for several reasons. One of them obviously, is to help people to trace their roots. When you are trying to build your family tree, you will find a lot of information that you need in them.
The other reason they exist is that they are records - of people who lived and their families and they can be used in various ways by organizations. Most important are organizations that try to reunite people who have been separated from each other through wars or migration. After the 2nd world war especially, a lot of families that had been torn apart were re-united through these databases.
Scientific Resources
They are also a major scientific resource when it comes to studying genealogy. There are, for example, killer diseases that seem to afflict a small number of people, and looking through these free genealogical databases, you might find that these people are genetically connected.
How they started
How did these databases come about? The initial records of family histories were kept by the Church of Latter Day Saints. The church of the Mormons, through an old tradition, required that records be kept of anyone who underwent saving rites in the church - marriage, baptism, death and so on. Because it was an open church and it welcomed so many people, the records grew and grew.
Eventually, when the internet came along, the church sponsored a project to get these records online, and they opened them up to everyone.
The best databases
There are a few main ones that are thought to have the most extensive records:
rootsweb.ancestry.com
Though it focuses mainly on families from the US and Europe, this free genealogical database contains extensive information. There are records of births, deaths, marriages, baptisms, divorces and they have extended to include government voter records. It has been instrumental in reuniting people who were separated by the 2 world wars, and to date, many social organizations that reunite people continue to use it as well as update it with new data.
genealinks.com
This one focuses on marriages. All you need to have is the name and location of the person you are searching for and it will bring up that person and whom they were married to and the rest of the details that are in the database about that person. It is vast, with about 30,000 recorded marriages for the US alone. It's the most unique because behind the scenes, it questions other smaller databases and gives you back a lot more information.
familysearch.org
This is a project of the Church of Latter Day Saints. It's preferred because of its ease of use; beginners can get data from it quite easily. All they need are the names of the person they are looking for and the event for which you are searching, say a birth or a death. This means that you can use it to track relatives from really far back. It would be instrumental in building the top-tier of a family tree. The other reason this database is preferred is that it includes minorities - you can use it to trace Jews, Hispanics and African-Americans.
olivetreegenealogy.com
This database is somehow different in that it focuses on people from all countries who have special circumstances. It has records of displaced persons, orphans, victims of war and missing persons. These are not easy to find in other free genealogical databases. It's also easy to question as it doesn't require much detail - all it needs is the names of the person. If you are looking for someone who has been missing for a long time, this would be the place to start.
These databases are available for you to use and should help you access quite a deal of information to get started on your family tree project. They help you research your family history easily and conveniently. Do make sure that you know what is required in order to question each of them. Some need a name, others a name and date of birth and so on. Be prepared with whatever information you already have so that you can search these free genealogy databases efficiently and extensively.
Margaret Ravenscroft has been a genealogist for over 20 years and has traced her family back to medieval times. If you have found this article helpful, visit Free Genealogy Databases to discover more. Click Here for your FREE Minicourse http://www.genealogyandfamilytrees.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Margaret_Ravenscroft
Sunday 27 March 2011
BMD's - Births, Marriages & Deaths
The civil registration system for births, marriages and deaths was introduced in England on 1st July 1837, and copies of the registers from each district sent every three months to the GRO (General Register Office).The registers can be inspected by the public and copies of the certificates obtained. The genealogical information they include is valuable to family historians.
If you are searching for a BMD before 1837 you will need to consult the Parish Registers, which can go back as far as 1538. Parish priests recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in the parish registers, and copies (bishops transcripts) from many parish registers were sent to the bishops, or archdeacons. In England many of the the parish registers and bishops transcripts can be inspected at the County Records Office, I spent many hours trawling through microfilms at my local office in Northampton looking for my ancestors. Some registers remain with the incumbent at the parish church, though you can make an appointment to view them.
Entries in the parish register contain names of people, dates of baptism, marriage and burials, and the names of some relatives, in the case of a burial the wife of a man who was buried, and the names of the parents of baptised children. There may also be recorded the occupation and place of residence of people marrying, being buried or having children baptised. Some incumbents also made "notes" beside an entry so extreme care should be taken when you are transcribing information from the registers, that you note everything from the particular entry as something that may seem insignificant at the time may become very valuable to you as your research progresses.
If you are searching for a BMD before 1837 you will need to consult the Parish Registers, which can go back as far as 1538. Parish priests recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in the parish registers, and copies (bishops transcripts) from many parish registers were sent to the bishops, or archdeacons. In England many of the the parish registers and bishops transcripts can be inspected at the County Records Office, I spent many hours trawling through microfilms at my local office in Northampton looking for my ancestors. Some registers remain with the incumbent at the parish church, though you can make an appointment to view them.
Entries in the parish register contain names of people, dates of baptism, marriage and burials, and the names of some relatives, in the case of a burial the wife of a man who was buried, and the names of the parents of baptised children. There may also be recorded the occupation and place of residence of people marrying, being buried or having children baptised. Some incumbents also made "notes" beside an entry so extreme care should be taken when you are transcribing information from the registers, that you note everything from the particular entry as something that may seem insignificant at the time may become very valuable to you as your research progresses.
Friday 25 March 2011
The Internet & Genealogy
There are an ever increasing number of indexes, transcripts of source material, archive web sites, researchers own family tree's etc appearing on the internet, and it is a great asset to anyone researching their family history. It allows us to communicate with other researchers, and even websites that require payment usually work out cheaper if account is taken of savings on travel expense and time.
Some sites of note on the Internet are:
The IGI, short for International Genealogical Index, contains millions of world wide index entries of mainly births and marriages. They cover the period from the 16th century up to 1906, but do not include any living persons. A word of caution, as it is an index please check the original register in case an error has been made in transcript, also there may be additional valuable information in the original document. This site covers the IGI in detail
The PRO (Public Records Office) at Kew is another invaluable site, it has over 1,000,000,000 documents in the national archive that you can acess online, though nothing beats visiting the archive in person and handling the actual source documents, it seems to make the history come to life.
The SOG (Society of Genealogists) is my third recommendation, founded in 1911 it is Britain’s premier family history society. The Society maintains a splendid genealogical library and education centre in Clerkenwell in London.
The Society’s collections are particularly valuable for research before the start of civil registration of births marriages and deaths in 1837 but there is plenty for the beginner too, including the Free Family HIstory Access area where beginners can get a taste of some of the online sources that will help them start their research.
Some sites of note on the Internet are:
The IGI, short for International Genealogical Index, contains millions of world wide index entries of mainly births and marriages. They cover the period from the 16th century up to 1906, but do not include any living persons. A word of caution, as it is an index please check the original register in case an error has been made in transcript, also there may be additional valuable information in the original document. This site covers the IGI in detail
The PRO (Public Records Office) at Kew is another invaluable site, it has over 1,000,000,000 documents in the national archive that you can acess online, though nothing beats visiting the archive in person and handling the actual source documents, it seems to make the history come to life.
The SOG (Society of Genealogists) is my third recommendation, founded in 1911 it is Britain’s premier family history society. The Society maintains a splendid genealogical library and education centre in Clerkenwell in London.
The Society’s collections are particularly valuable for research before the start of civil registration of births marriages and deaths in 1837 but there is plenty for the beginner too, including the Free Family HIstory Access area where beginners can get a taste of some of the online sources that will help them start their research.
Tuesday 22 March 2011
How to Get Relatives to Contribute to Your Family History
Here are a few of the many reasons to recruit relatives - and often family friends - to help you with your family history:
- Their contributions will make your family history much richer and more interesting to readers
- The individual personalities of your ancestors will come through in the stories and remembrances of contributors
- Family members have treasures, photos of deceased family members and old documents, and especially photos of family heirlooms and hand-me-downs - some you may not even know exist
- Contributors will add comments to what you produce - again adding interest and richness to your family history
- When a person contributes, it will encourage others to contribute
- They will catch mistakes!
Of course, some relatives will be more interested and helpful than others - and some simply may be too busy. Therefore, don't be discouraged if at first, you do not get help from some people. But keep in contact with them and keep them informed because they may become interested at a later time.
It is likely that older relatives may be forthcoming - treat them well!
A good way to get a relative involved is to ask them about their memories of an individual -- biographical material should be a central component to any family history. Experience shows that biographical material is usually the most viewed material in a family history. Some people are likely to tell you memories faster than you can record them! Encourage them to write memories in their own words; some will, some won't, so be flexible - you may be able to encourage them if you say you will edit anything they write.
Example: I asked my sister to tell the story about when our mother attempted to teach her how to kill a chicken on the farm (preparatory to fried or roast chicken eating) - an excerpt:
"When I was thirteen or fourteen, Mom decided that I should learn how to kill chickens (a necessity of life according to her or maybe a passage into womanhood)... She got the chicken out of the coop, laid it on its side, put her right foot of the feet of the chicken, stretched out the neck, and in a very matter of fact way cut off its head. The body of the chicken would flop all over the place."
Now that adds interesting color to a family history!
When a person gives you a contribution, not only should say, "Thanks", but you should also tell all possible contributors about it - knowing about specific contributions will encourage more contributions.
Give relatives a document outlining possible contributions. This serves a double purpose because it will also be a checklist for material that you will include in your family history. Here is a starter list:
- Remembrances and "stories" about an ancestor - idiosyncrasies, uniqueness
- Old photos - ancestors, family reunions, pets, homes, etc.
- Digital photos of hand-me-downs, artifacts, documents, etc.
- Private correspondence, e.g., old letters for a digital scan image
- Wedding licenses and old legal documents
- Military documents and photos
- Obituaries, newspaper articles, other published material
- Memories of what was different "back then"
- Their contributions will make your family history much richer and more interesting to readers
- The individual personalities of your ancestors will come through in the stories and remembrances of contributors
- Family members have treasures, photos of deceased family members and old documents, and especially photos of family heirlooms and hand-me-downs - some you may not even know exist
- Contributors will add comments to what you produce - again adding interest and richness to your family history
- When a person contributes, it will encourage others to contribute
- They will catch mistakes!
Of course, some relatives will be more interested and helpful than others - and some simply may be too busy. Therefore, don't be discouraged if at first, you do not get help from some people. But keep in contact with them and keep them informed because they may become interested at a later time.
It is likely that older relatives may be forthcoming - treat them well!
A good way to get a relative involved is to ask them about their memories of an individual -- biographical material should be a central component to any family history. Experience shows that biographical material is usually the most viewed material in a family history. Some people are likely to tell you memories faster than you can record them! Encourage them to write memories in their own words; some will, some won't, so be flexible - you may be able to encourage them if you say you will edit anything they write.
Example: I asked my sister to tell the story about when our mother attempted to teach her how to kill a chicken on the farm (preparatory to fried or roast chicken eating) - an excerpt:
"When I was thirteen or fourteen, Mom decided that I should learn how to kill chickens (a necessity of life according to her or maybe a passage into womanhood)... She got the chicken out of the coop, laid it on its side, put her right foot of the feet of the chicken, stretched out the neck, and in a very matter of fact way cut off its head. The body of the chicken would flop all over the place."
Now that adds interesting color to a family history!
When a person gives you a contribution, not only should say, "Thanks", but you should also tell all possible contributors about it - knowing about specific contributions will encourage more contributions.
Give relatives a document outlining possible contributions. This serves a double purpose because it will also be a checklist for material that you will include in your family history. Here is a starter list:
- Remembrances and "stories" about an ancestor - idiosyncrasies, uniqueness
- Old photos - ancestors, family reunions, pets, homes, etc.
- Digital photos of hand-me-downs, artifacts, documents, etc.
- Private correspondence, e.g., old letters for a digital scan image
- Wedding licenses and old legal documents
- Military documents and photos
- Obituaries, newspaper articles, other published material
- Memories of what was different "back then"
My name is Dale Garden and I help people learn to write their own online family histories. I provide learning resources for people to learn to do family trees, to edit and manage photos and to learn blogging as the best way to write and publish online family histories. And when justified, I offer personal one-on-one assistance.
All about writing online family histories: http://dgaweb.com
Subscribe to my ongoing blog about writing online family histories: http://familyhistoryblogging.wordpress.com/
All about writing online family histories: http://dgaweb.com
Subscribe to my ongoing blog about writing online family histories: http://familyhistoryblogging.wordpress.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dale_Garden
Monday 21 March 2011
English Occupations: Finding More About Your Ancestor
Whilst rooting around in your family history, you will learn what your ancestors did for a living - at least as far back to the early 1800s. This is often one of the most fascinating aspects of discovering who your ancestors were. Whether they were a lowly agricultural labourer, or a highly respected surgeon or magistrate, the curious and wide range of English occupations can lead you to further knowledge of how they lived their lives on a day to day basis. For some people it can be exciting to discover that a creative gene, such as writing or painting has made its way down to the present.
Much of this information can be found on the census, at least back to 1841, and sometimes beyond depending on the availability of records. Some earlier parish records did mention a man's occupation, and other records, such as directories, wills, property deeds and tax records can also give occupational details.
Many of you will have come across occupations that are now obsolete, and will often need further explanation. What, for example, is a night soil man? Or a calenderer? Or a fag ender?
The first of these might have been found in any large town or city, emptying dry toilets in the days before plumbing. Not a job I would like to imagine any of my ancestors doing - but fascinating nonetheless.
The other two are connected to the textile industry, and will usually be found in those industrial areas where cotton was being produced - for example, Manchester. A calenderer was just a generic term for a textile industry worker. A fag ender was someone employed to trim off loose bits of cloth known as fags.
If you trawl through the census records for specific areas, you will of course find a wealth of occupations connected to that area's industry. Sticking with Manchester for the moment, you will find many jobs associated with the cotton industry, and among the weavers, winders, packers and piecers you might also come across Fustian cutters (cloth workers who trim corded cloth), beamers (people who handle materials before weaving), billiers, billy roller operations or billymen (all terms for cotton spinners) or even an impleachers (cloth weavers).
When you find that an ancestor's origins are in a particular area, it is worth while finding out about the major industries there, because this will no doubt have had some effect on your ancestor's life, even if he (or she) was not directly involved in it.
For example, shoemakers are known everywhere - but a shoemaker working in Manchester would probably have had a different experience to a shoemaker who worked in a more rural area, or on the coast. Is he making shoes for factory workers, agricultural labourers, fishermen or for the well-to-do?
If your ancestor moved around, it was very likely it was to find work. Undertaking a bit of historical research on the local industries can give you a good indication of why your ancestor moved from one town to another. My own great-great grandfather started out as a bricklayer in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and moved to Birmingham where he became a builder and employer. You only need to find out about the building boom going on in Birmingham in the mid-19th century to work out why he made the choice to move!
Some occupations can lead you to finding further documentation. For example, workers in skilled trades may well have started out as an apprentice, and you may find the apprenticeship records at the local record office. These can give you further details about his origins and parentage.
If your ancestor worked for a big company, it may be worth finding out whether there are staff records in existence. If the company still exists, they may even keep their own set of archives.
Not only are occupations interesting in themselves - they can lead you to find out further information, whether it is more family records, or information about how your ancestor lived, and under what conditions. Much information about trades and occupations can be found on the internet, and there are many books about various trades and industries. The Society of Genealogists publishes a range of books entitled "My Ancestor was...."
Old English occupations are varied and wide-ranging, and they can tell you much about your ancestor. Make sure you always follow up this line of enquiry and find out as much as possible about what he (or she) did for a living.
Much of this information can be found on the census, at least back to 1841, and sometimes beyond depending on the availability of records. Some earlier parish records did mention a man's occupation, and other records, such as directories, wills, property deeds and tax records can also give occupational details.
Many of you will have come across occupations that are now obsolete, and will often need further explanation. What, for example, is a night soil man? Or a calenderer? Or a fag ender?
The first of these might have been found in any large town or city, emptying dry toilets in the days before plumbing. Not a job I would like to imagine any of my ancestors doing - but fascinating nonetheless.
The other two are connected to the textile industry, and will usually be found in those industrial areas where cotton was being produced - for example, Manchester. A calenderer was just a generic term for a textile industry worker. A fag ender was someone employed to trim off loose bits of cloth known as fags.
If you trawl through the census records for specific areas, you will of course find a wealth of occupations connected to that area's industry. Sticking with Manchester for the moment, you will find many jobs associated with the cotton industry, and among the weavers, winders, packers and piecers you might also come across Fustian cutters (cloth workers who trim corded cloth), beamers (people who handle materials before weaving), billiers, billy roller operations or billymen (all terms for cotton spinners) or even an impleachers (cloth weavers).
When you find that an ancestor's origins are in a particular area, it is worth while finding out about the major industries there, because this will no doubt have had some effect on your ancestor's life, even if he (or she) was not directly involved in it.
For example, shoemakers are known everywhere - but a shoemaker working in Manchester would probably have had a different experience to a shoemaker who worked in a more rural area, or on the coast. Is he making shoes for factory workers, agricultural labourers, fishermen or for the well-to-do?
If your ancestor moved around, it was very likely it was to find work. Undertaking a bit of historical research on the local industries can give you a good indication of why your ancestor moved from one town to another. My own great-great grandfather started out as a bricklayer in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and moved to Birmingham where he became a builder and employer. You only need to find out about the building boom going on in Birmingham in the mid-19th century to work out why he made the choice to move!
Some occupations can lead you to finding further documentation. For example, workers in skilled trades may well have started out as an apprentice, and you may find the apprenticeship records at the local record office. These can give you further details about his origins and parentage.
If your ancestor worked for a big company, it may be worth finding out whether there are staff records in existence. If the company still exists, they may even keep their own set of archives.
Not only are occupations interesting in themselves - they can lead you to find out further information, whether it is more family records, or information about how your ancestor lived, and under what conditions. Much information about trades and occupations can be found on the internet, and there are many books about various trades and industries. The Society of Genealogists publishes a range of books entitled "My Ancestor was...."
Old English occupations are varied and wide-ranging, and they can tell you much about your ancestor. Make sure you always follow up this line of enquiry and find out as much as possible about what he (or she) did for a living.
Ros is a professional genealogist and runs a UK ancestry tracing service for UK and international researchers who need help with their UK ancestry. Ros offers a one-stop-shop tracing service for all UK ancestors, or record look-ups in Warwickshire and Birmingham. Find out more at Tracing Your Ancestors
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosamunde_Bott
Sunday 20 March 2011
Getting Started
A good place to start is by speaking to your immediate relatives, parents, grand parents, aunties, uncles etc and finding out as much information as they can give about your ancestors. One important tip to make you aware of right away is that you must always always corroborate any information they give you by checking with the relevant historical sources.
When you interview your relations make copious notes about anything and everything they tell you, do not omit any information thinking it not to matter or too trivial, because as sure as eggs are eggs further down the line with your research it will fit in somewhere. If you can use a voice recorder so much the better, then you can transcribe the interview in your own time. Remember to keep the tapes or discs so that you can review them later if needed.
You might well discover as I did some years ago that one of your relatives might already have done some research of their own and have a lot of information that they can share with you. In my case an aunt had done a little research and had filled out her findings with her own recollections, which gave me a good deal of information to work on. I did find however that some of her recollections were inaccurate when I looked at the relevant historical information, hence the recommendation to always corroborate, but at least I had a steer on where to start looking.
Its is also important to interview your relations sooner rather than later, the longer you leave it the more chance that fading memories cannot recall important snippets, or heaven forbid that someone passes away before you have spoken to them. So make it a priority before it is too late.
When you interview your relations make copious notes about anything and everything they tell you, do not omit any information thinking it not to matter or too trivial, because as sure as eggs are eggs further down the line with your research it will fit in somewhere. If you can use a voice recorder so much the better, then you can transcribe the interview in your own time. Remember to keep the tapes or discs so that you can review them later if needed.
You might well discover as I did some years ago that one of your relatives might already have done some research of their own and have a lot of information that they can share with you. In my case an aunt had done a little research and had filled out her findings with her own recollections, which gave me a good deal of information to work on. I did find however that some of her recollections were inaccurate when I looked at the relevant historical information, hence the recommendation to always corroborate, but at least I had a steer on where to start looking.
Its is also important to interview your relations sooner rather than later, the longer you leave it the more chance that fading memories cannot recall important snippets, or heaven forbid that someone passes away before you have spoken to them. So make it a priority before it is too late.
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