ఎఱ్ఱబెల్లిErraballi

Family stories

The family, in their own words

A name on the tree tells you who someone was. A story tells you what it was like: the house in Kalleda, the walk to school, the wedding, the move to a new city. These are the stories we have so far, and how you can add the next one.

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Add a story

Anyone in the family can start one. You do not need to be a writer, and the story can be in Telugu, English or both. Pick whichever of these fits.

1Tell your own story

Write it down, long or short, or send a voice note of yourself talking. A few pages about one part of your life is a fine start.

Send it →
2Interview an elder

Sit with a grandparent, aunt or uncle and record them talking. This is the most valuable one: these stories are lost if no one asks.

How to record →
3Share a memory

Something you remember about someone, or a story you were told about an ancestor. Memories of one person are put together into their page over time.

Share it →

How to record an elder’s story

A phone and an hour is enough. It does not need to be perfect.

  1. Ask first. Tell them it is for the family site and that they will see it before anyone else does. If they would rather keep it in the family only, that is fine too.
  2. Pick a quiet room. Turn off the TV and fans if you can. Put the phone on the table between you, screen down, using the Voice Memos or recorder app.
  3. Start the recording by saying who is talking, who is asking, the date and the place. For example: “This is Anil talking with his grandmother in Hyderabad, 12 December 2026.”
  4. Use the questions below, but follow the story. When something interesting comes up, ask “what happened next?” or “what was that like?” Stories are better than dates.
  5. Keep it short and come back. 30 to 45 minutes at a time is plenty. Many short sessions are better than one long one.
  6. Bring old photos. A photo is the best way to start a memory. Take a picture of each print with your phone and send those too.
  7. Send the recording. Use the form below. Big files can go as a Google Drive or Dropbox link. We turn the recording into text, translate where needed, and send you a draft.

Don’t correct them. If a name or a year sounds wrong, let them finish and ask about it later. Their version is part of the story, and the family can check details afterwards.

Questions to ask

You do not need all of these. Pick five or six that suit the person, and let one answer lead to the next.

Roots

  • Where were you born? What was the house like?
  • What do you remember about your grandparents?
  • What stories did the elders tell about the family when you were small?
  • What was a normal day like in the village?

Childhood

  • What is your earliest memory?
  • Where did you go to school, and how did you get there?
  • Who were your friends? What did you play?
  • Which festival do you remember best, and why?
  • What did you want to be when you grew up?

Growing up and work

  • When did you first leave home? What was that like?
  • How did you get your first job?
  • What work are you proudest of?
  • Who helped you most along the way?

Marriage and family

  • How was your marriage arranged, or how did you meet?
  • What do you remember about the wedding?
  • Where was your first home together?
  • What were your children like when they were small?

The times you lived through

  • What do you remember of Independence, or of the change in Hyderabad State in 1948?
  • What was the hardest time for the family? How did you get through it?
  • What has changed most since you were young?
  • Was there a move to a new city or country? What did you miss?

Looking back

  • What are you most grateful for?
  • Is there a recipe, a song or a saying that should be kept in the family?
  • What would you like your grandchildren to know?
  • Is there a story you have never told?

Send a story or a memory

Fill this in and it opens WhatsApp with your message ready. Attach the recording, document or photos there. Nothing goes on the site from this form directly.

What are you sending?

For long recordings or documents: a Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud link.

For someone who has passed away, any one of their children can say yes.

What happens next

  1. We make a draft. Recordings are turned into text and translated where needed, keeping their words. Photos are added with captions.
  2. The family checks it. The draft goes to the person whose story it is. If they have passed away, any one of their children can check it and say yes.
  3. It goes on the site. The story gets its own page, and their name on the tree is marked STORY with a link to it.
  4. It can always change. Anyone can add a memory or a correction from the end of a story. If the family asks, a story is taken down.

The site is public. Phone numbers, addresses and anything private stay out. If a story should stay within the family only, tell us and we will keep it off the public site.

Elders we would love to hear from

These are the people on the tree born in 1955 or earlier who do not have a story yet. Tap a name to start. If someone here has passed away, please tell us with “Fix or add my details” on their card on the tree.

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