Author helps families preserve their histories
Staff writer
For Elaine McAllister, storytelling is not about producing polished memoirs or literary legacies. It is about making sure family histories are not lost.
McAllister, a Hillsboro-based author and workshop leader, has developed a five-module generational storytelling program to help participants organize family records, uncover overlooked stories and write them down in accessible, manageable ways. New sessions are scheduled to begin in March.
The workshop grew out of McAllister’s background in writing, genealogy presentation, and personal research. Over time, she saw a recurring problem: people inheriting boxes of documents, photos, and records but feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin.
“That sense of being stuck is usually what brings people to the class,” McAllister said. “They want to do something meaningful, but they don’t know how to start.”
The five modules walk participants through organization, research, writing, and preservation. One session, titled “So You Think You Can’t Write — Hogwash,” is aimed at those who don’t see themselves as writers. McAllister teaches practical tools for shaping material, avoiding writer’s block, and deciding what to expand or cut.
“If you’ve written a Christmas letter, journaled, or posted on social media, you can write,” she said.
One of the most common misconceptions is that families lack interesting stories, McAllister said. She encourages participants to focus on two to four ancestors and examine their traits, professions, relationships, failures, and successes. Even gaps in knowledge can become part of the story.
“I also teach how to handle the skeletons,” she said. “Every family has them. Research doesn’t always uncover what we expect.”
Participants come with different goals. Some create simple ancestor profiles or heritage scrapbooks while others work toward longer narratives or family anthologies. McAllister provides examples and flexible frameworks so people can choose.
Faith traditions sometimes influence how family records are preserved, particularly in denominations that maintain detailed membership histories, McAllister said.
Her own writing is closely tied to the workshop’s approach. McAllister has published multiple books, including “All Aboard,” which grew from her grandmother’s brief journal documenting a solo train trip in 1913. McAllister transcribed the journal and layered in historical research to place the journey in context.
McAllister thinks such work has lasting value.
She points to research indicating that children who know more about their family history tend to be more resilient.
“Oral stories disappear within three generations if they aren’t recorded,” she said. “People may not want these stories now, but they often do later. The question is whether they’ll still exist.”
McAllister continues to refine her workshop and plans to offer it online in the future.
Past participants are being encouraged to return for refresher sessions.
“I believe everyone has stories worth preserving,” McAllister said, “but only if we take the time to write them down.”