Personal Historian

Memories of my grandmother inspired me to become a personal historian. "Granny", as we affectionately called her, left her home in Czechoslovakia at the age of 19. She traveled across an ocean, seeking a better life in the US; one that offered new opportunities.

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As a child, I remember devouring Granny’s homemade kolaches as I listened to her stories. She talked about her sister back in the old country; the ship she traveled on, named the Kaiser Wilhelm; and the vendors hawking apples when she arrived in New York City, admitting to me that because she didn’t know the language, she wasn’t sure what an “apple” was until they showed it to her.

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The stories my grandmother told were dear to my heart, but over the years many of the details have been forgotten or become distorted. I was sorry I didn’t record these treasured memories in some way, so they could be enjoyed by family and retold to future generations.

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Realizing that this “problem” of mine is one held by many families, I decided to start Cedar Chest Memories, a personal historian services business that helps individuals preserve and share their life story.