It can be tempting to only consider relatives when deciding whom to ask questions about our deceased family members. This can be a mistake. Others may be able to give you personal stories and remembrances of your parents, grandparents, etc.

One way to do this is to reach out to individuals that knew your parents or grandparents–if you happen to know who some of those people are. Another way is to see if there are Facebook groups for locations (the smaller the area the better) where those deceased relatives used to live. Ask if someone remembers the people you are asking about.

Those people outside the immediate family may have stories that are just as good as those within it.

Sometimes the stories are even better.

The artist of a painting my Mom had done was a friend from childhood who had a few stories to tell me about my Mom. The email conversation I had with her reminded me the importance to reaching out beyond the immediate family.

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