Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[freeformschooler]

My grandfather, before he died in 2000, interviewed most of his extended family about their lives and wrote down all the interviews in his journals. Most of his family died before him. His only remaining family are my mother, grandmother, and his brother. I've asked all of them if they know what happened to his journals, but none do. They were extensive and would not have been easily lost or "misplaced." My question is, how would you go about tracking something like this down? I don't even know where to start. Are there any institutions that keep records of property that dead people owned in their lifetimes (and would willing to part with this)? Maybe they're sitting under a bed in an old house somewhere. Or am I stuck asking my way up the extended family tree and hoping someone knows about this?

[Orange Wizard]

The NSA, maybe?

In all seriousness, a solicitor might have records of what was in his estate and what went to which beneficiary. Otherwise I can't think of anything.

[pisskop]

Yea, Id start with the records of his estate.
  You should let us know how it goes.

[Sensei]

You could go to the graverobbers association of America  whoever was his lawyer/helped him draft his will.

[Orange Wizard]

You could go to the graverobbers association of America  whoever was his lawyer/helped him draft his will.

That's what I meant. I forget that you don't call them solicitors.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Wherever he lived you might find some records kept within the local court of probate.

[gimlet]

Was he living in his own home/apartment when he died?   Find out from mother/grandmother/brother who was the executor for the estate, and ask them who cleared out his house - that's the person to ask about what happened to specific things.   And find out if there's boxes of stuff stored somewhere, maybe in somebody's attic or basement.   If a lot of people made passes through the house to get what stuff, try to find out everybody who did and ask them, but it sounds like you did that.  But don't get your hopes up, a lot of times people are in a hurry to clear out the house and donate or toss most of the contents.  Although if it was with photos/family memorabilia, usually SOMEBODY in the family tries to save that stuff.   One danger is if they were in a bookshelf with a bunch of other books, whoever was clearing the house might have put them all in a box without noticing and donated it.   So definitely ask who got the photos/family stuff - they  MIGHT be  mixed in with photo albums or something.   Anyway good luck...