Margaret Randall, Founder of TellOurLifeStories.com and Paul Stokstad of NewspaperARCHIVE.com will explore the world of the past in archival newspapers and discover ways to use them to enhance and inform the writing of life stories. Details that people don't remember about growing up can be found by browsing through the daily news from their childhood. This research will jog memories and enrich stories about events that happened near and far that shaped each researcher's life and the lives of those around them.
"Our stories define us, they tell who we are and where we came from," says Mrs. Randall. "Our stories also help us to preserve the memories of our loved ones. I once asked my grandma what
her life was like growing up. She told me about Milwaukee as it was at the turn of the century, horses instead of cars, great fields and farms instead of suburban acres. Years later, my
mother elaborated. My great-grandmother left her husband because he was a drinker. That was unheard of in the Polish Catholic neighborhoods of South Milwaukee. They moved far away, which
in those days was only about five blocks from where they had been, but it was a different parish, different priest, different neighbors. I was glad to know these things. If my mom hadn't
told me that story, how would I have known my great-grandmother had such character and raised a family of five children all by herself in those days. It is important to preserve these
stories so that they are not lost."
The class will be held on four Wednesdays, starting on Wednesday, July 9 at 5 p.m. PST.
The schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, July 9, 7 p.m. CST
Theme 1, Your Story
Wednesday July 16, 7 p.m. CST
Theme 2, Your family story
Wednesday July 30, 7 p.m. CST
Theme 3, Significant events in history, where were you when
Wednesday, August 6, 7 p.m. CST
Theme 4, Old newspapers and the gestalt of a bygone time
The classes are not necessarily sequential and you can join the series at any time
Please register here: http://www.tellourlifestories.com/marketing.php
or e-mail margaret @ tellourlifestories.com.
About NewspaperArchive.com
NewspaperARCHIVE.com the largest historical newspaper database online, contains tens of millions of newspaper pages from 1759 to present. Every newspaper in the archive is fully
searchable by keyword and date, making it easy to quickly explore historical content. NewspaperArchive.com is a subsidiary of Heritage Microfilm, a archival microfilm and digitization
company. Individuals or companies interested in finding more information about Heritage Microfilm can visit www.heritagemicrofilm.com or
www.newspaperarchive.com.
About Margaret Randall
Born and raised in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Margaret Randall has always enjoyed an enthusiasm for writing. A graduate of the Journalism school at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, her first job was reporting news and feature stories for a local newspaper. Later she moved to public relations work and marketing before making a transition into more
technical writing for the financial services industry. She started the website www.TellOurLifeStories.com in 2007 because of her long-time
interest in hearing and writing life stories.