The Family History Fun Factor: How to Gather and Preserve Family Folklore

By Marcha Fox

Family histories are often boring compilations of pedigree charts and dray narratives. Family folklore opens the door to everyday experiences and emotions that bring individuals alive. It's also an excellent way to get children involved and started early on compiling their own personal history. This handy guide provides all the information you need to start discovering, identifying, and collecting your own family's folklore. It includes descriptions of which genres are included and examples plus a memory-jogging checklist as well as resources for those who might want to take it to the next level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marcha Fox
• Release date: Dec 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9780988333536

Marcha Fox

Marcha Fox has loved science fiction since she was a child with the stars always holding a strong sense of mystery and fascination. Her love of astronomy resulted in a bachelor of science degree in physics from Utah State University followed by a 21 year career at NASA where she held a variety of positions including technical writer, engineer and eventually manager. Her NASA experience was primarily at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas but included trips to Cape Canaveral in Florida, visiting other Centers in Mississippi, Alabama and Maryland as well as visits to the European Space Agency in The Netherlands. Her most memorable experience, however, was the sad task of helping to recover space shuttle debris in East Texas following the tragic Columbia accident in 2003. "NASA was a great career experience, but writing is what I've always wanted to do. To me there is nothing more exhilarating than bringing a character to life."She has made it a point to "do the math" regarding various elements in her books to assure accuracy and hoping to instill an interest in science and engineering to her readers in an enjoyable and entertaining way. She admits that Cyraria's figure-8 orbit around a binary star system is a bit of a stretch but maintains it is mathematically feasible even though it would be unstable with life on such a planet beyond challenging with its seasonal extremes. "But that's what makes it a good setting for the story," she adds.Born in Peekskill, New York she has lived in California, Utah and Texas in the course of raising her family and currently resides in the Texas Hill Country. Whether “Refractions of Frozen Time,” the fourth and final volume of the Star Trails Tetralogy series will be the last she states, "These characters have a life of their own and may move on to other adventures."Before publishing "The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon" Marcha wanted to confirm her portrayal of Native American culture and the story's protagonist, Charlie Littlewolf, was accurate as well as not offensive in any manner. She was fortunate enough to find Pete Risingsun, an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, who did the honors. Pete offered insights and changes, but best of all, was so taken with the story he ultimately became its co-author.Marcha's experience as a retired NASA engineer and seasoned author of the science fiction series, "The Star Trails Tetralogy," combined perfectly with Pete's knowledge of his tribe's history and ceremonies. The pair, who has never met face to face, collaborated via phone call and text messages between her home in the Texas Hill Country and his on the reservation in Montana. Thus far they have produced two multi-award winning thrillers in the "Dead Horse Canyon Saga."The collaboration has been comfortably divided with Pete taking the lead on Charlie's role while Marcha develops the other characters and over-all plot, then tying them together in a manner that has earned several awards and dedicated fans anxiously awaiting the third and final volume of the trilogy.In preparation for writing the saga's explosive conclusion, Marcha and Pete have conducted extensive research. In doing so, they have uncovered fascinating details of Northern Cheyenne history and ceremonies that dove-tail perfectly with the complex tale and tie multiple plot threads together that reach back to the 19th Century. (Forthcoming Spring/Summer 2023)

Book preview

The Family History

FUN FACTOR

HOW TO GATHER AND PRESERVE FAMILY FOLKLORE

Marcha Fox

Kalliope Rising Press

P.O. Box 23

Burnet, Texas 78611

DEDICATION

To my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren

for their endless supply of creative folklore material.

Also by Marcha Fox

How to Memorize the Articles of Faith

Star Trails Tetralogy Science Fiction Adventure Series

Beyond the Hidden Sky*

A Dark of Endless Days*

A Psilent Place Below*

Refractions of Frozen Time*

The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51*

The Star Trails Compendium

*Available as audiobooks

Dead Horse Canyon Saga

(with coauthor, Pete Risingsun)

The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits (Book 1)

Return to Dead Horse Canyon: Grandfather Spirits (Book 2)

Copyright © 2013 - 2022 by Marcha Fox

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author and publisher with the exception of brief excerpts used in the context of reviews. Requests and inquiries may be made by emailing the publisher at [e-mail].

EBOOK ISBN: 978-0-9883335-3-6

PRINT ISBN: 978-0-9883335-9-8

First Electronic Edition: 2013

Revised 2022 Edition

Published by:

Kalliope Rising Press

P.O. Box 23

Burnet, TX 78611

Cover and interior design by the author

Interior photos from the author's personal archives

Electronic Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Collection Methods

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Beware of Obsolescence

CATEGORIES/GENRES

Family Stories

Foodways

Trips, Location, and Transportation

People, Activities, and Games

Special Clothing, Costumes, or Equipment

Weather and Other Factors

ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES

Children/Jump rope Rhymes

Verbal Traditions

Games and Entertainment

Gardening

Beliefs/Superstitions

Pets

Cheers and Chants

Rituals/Initiations

Pranks

Expressions

Practices

Jokes

Gestures

Nicknames and Labels

Legends

Music

Children's Songs

Filksongs

Family History Research

Inspirational

Vacations

Arts and Crafts

Sports

Ethnic Heritage

Fashion

FORMAT

FINDING INSPIRATION

APPENDIX A - Family Folklore Idea Collection Sheet

APPENDIX B - Online Resources

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE to spend one day with one of your ancestors? To witness everyday details of his or her life, whether it involved a favorite recipe, cooking methods, transportation or how children spent their day? Genealogy and stories related to major life events such as immigration, migrations, arranged marriages, childbirth, deaths or occupations can often be found in