Personal and Family Histories

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Everyone has a history and a legacy. People all over the world throughout the ages have written their histories. For those who haven't done so, their grandchildren and later decendants can never know how and why their present lives are formed as they are. If you don't write your personal and/or family history, most likely NO ONE WILL. And if someone should, will it be accurate or simply what someone perceived to be true without extensive research?

There were years that many students left school to serve in the military, some to fight in wars far from home at the young tender age of 18 (some even at age 17 with parents consent). If you were one who served in the military, man or woman, write about how you went to fight in places such as Europe in World War I, Europe, South Africa, Asia and the South Pacific during World War II, in Korea, and in Viet Nam, Grenada, Beirut, Panama, Somalia, Haiti, Kosovo, Iraq in Desert Storm, Afghanistan, or Iraq (2003+).

2. Now write about your and your siblings young years:

a. full legal name, nickname, birth date, birth place

b. preschool days

c. relationship with any brother(s) and/or sister(s)

d. pets, hobbies, special activities you participated

in as a child

3. Write about your schooling that is applicable:

a.  elementary school

b.  junior high or middle school

c.  high school

d.  trade school, junior college, college, university

e. Where and when did you go to the various schools?

f.  What do you recall about those experiences?

g. How did you get to school?

h. How many students were in your school?

i. Did you play sports and if so, how did sports affect your life?

j. What honors or scholarships did you receive?

4. Include your family's adventures and special times

a. vacations and holidays

b. summer camps

c. birthday celebrations

d. reunions

6.  Write about your sweetheart:

a. how you met

b. where you met

c. first impressions

d. how long you dated before marrying

e. when you were married

f. where you were married

g. what anniversary is coming up

7. Write about the first home you owned:

a. Was it new, old and needing remodeling, etc?

b. How much did you pay for it?

c. How did you pay for it?

d. Where was it?

e. How many rooms and what outstanding

         features did it have?

8.  If you are a parent, write about your parenting experiences

a. Where did you live and where were you employed?

b. How old were you when your first child was born?

c. What feelings did you experience with your spouse?

d. What feelings did you experience with each new child?

e. Review the questions asked above about your parents and now answer those same questions related to your own children concerning discipline, love, life, integrity, honor, morality, decency, church affiliation, etc.

9. Write about any serious illnesses you have experienced. Also write about any serious illnesses and deaths of your parents and your spouse's parents (if applicable) and other family members you have experienced and how they affected your life.

10. Write about your life's work:

a. Did you set goals to be where you are today?

b. How did you end up where you are today?

c. Do (Did) you enjoy going to work most days?

d. Write about your good and your hard times.

e. Write about why you are who you are today.

f. Write about any honors and awards you received.

g. Who influenced you most during your working years?

h. Was their influence positive or negative?

i. How did you or do you influence others around you?

11. Write about your goals for your future.

Cana Publishing's charges to complete your written personal, family or business history

1. Contact us on the "Contact Us" page (see link below) to indicate your interest in having Cana Publishing work with you on your personal history project.

2. After your decision, send us a TYPED rough draft of your personal history using the outline above. (We cannot work from hand-written notes.)

3. Gather pictures you choose to be inserted into your life's story. (Please do not send family heirlooms or pictures you treasure that cannot be replaced. Have copies made to send us; we cannot be responsible for loss, etc.)

4. Charges: You will pay only one time for page composition and picture insertion, regardless of how many copies you eventually order to be printed.

a. $5.50 per composed page, size 8 1/2 x 11, using your exact wording.

b. $12.50 per composed page, size 8 1/2 x 11, when we write the story of your life from your typed outline and notes of factual material. 

c. $2.50 per picture that we insert into your life's story at appropriate places.

d. $5.25 per loose-leaf book cover for your completed workbook.

e. multiple copies may be produced for friends and families. See below for multiple pricing.

f. handling and shipping of the book to you and the return of your pictures and rough-draft copy.

5.  An example: Estimated costs for 10 copies of a 20 page book (using your exact wording from your typed rough draft) with insertion of one picture per page.  

a. (4a. above) 20 (pages) x $5.50 per page =    $110.00

   *b. (4b. above) 20 (pages) x $12.50 per page = ($150.00)

  **c. (4c. above) 20 pictures x $2.50 per picture =                50.00

d.  (4d. above) $5.25 per book ($5.25 x 10 books) = 52.50

e.  (4e. above) $0.25 per page (200 pages x .25 cents) =   50.00   

f.  (4f. above)  Est. Handling & Shipping Charge =         30.00 

g.  Estimated costs for 10 books in above example =    $292.50

                   *     Cost is not included in estimate

**   You may have no pictures, fewer, or more than this example.

For more specific information, Contact us

1. Let's start with your parents:

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This page was last updated on: June 22, 2011

When you decide to begin your history project, let Cana Publishing put it into book form for you with the inclusion of pictures of you, your family and friends, certificates and diplomas and other records of recognition you may have received. Letters you sent or letters you received may also be included.

The finished size of your book will be 8 1/2 x 11 inches, and it will have a nice white three ring binder cover. (How about your picture on the cover?) You'll be proud of your book and will want copies for family members and friends.

Cana Publishing's charges are set to make the family history project available to all those who want to leave their legacy in writing, with the possibility to order just one copy, dozens, or hundreds.

Directions on how to begin a personal

or family history project are listed below.

Cana Publishing assists individuals and families (and businesses) in fulfilling their desires to publish their histories. If you are a child or grandchild and would love to interview your parent(s) or grandparent(s) and do a surprise story for them, please do so. Use the free list of suggestions below to get you started on their stories or your own if you don't know where to begin. Wherever you start, your family will be grateful to you forever.

Listed below are some ideas to include

in your life's history

When you're gone, no one knows your stories unless you've left them in a material way - in book form, on audio or video tape, or you may leave years of journals. However, if you have taken the time to write your life's history or story, your loved ones from now on throughout centuries may study your writings. They will read and reread the stories that made you who you are today. Younger generations who did not know you at all may get to know you through your life's story.

Family

History

If you were one of the military personnel in any of these operations on the front lines or in support or stationed somewhere else, now's the time to tell your factual story. Write about any medals or ribbons you were awarded and why you received them, as well as how you remember each day's experiences and your feeling and memories about war itself or military life in general.

a. Mother's and father's full legal names, nicknames, birth dates, birth places, occupations, date and place of death for each (when applicable), and cause of death.

b. How did your parents discipline you and your siblings?

c. How loving were they?

d. How did they teach you life's lessons?

e. How did they teach integrity, honor, morality, decency, independence?

f. What did they teach you about religion?

5. Write about your military experiences (if applicable):