Free printable · for anyone meaning to ask
Three Stories to Capture First
Almost every family means to write these stories down, and almost nobody does until it's too late. Start with three questions. This free page gives you the three worth asking before any others — an ordinary childhood day, how they met their partner, and what they'd say to someone reading this in a hundred years — each with the follow-up to ask second and room to write the answer down. Print it, put a phone on the table recording, and ask one at a time.
Take it with you — free, no signup
Direct download. No email, no account — just the files.
What it does
- Gives you three questions written to be read out loud, word for word — no rephrasing needed.
- Pairs each with a “go deeper” follow-up to ask after they've finished the first answer, not to rescue a pause.
- Leaves ruled space to write the answer down by hand, or type it into the fillable spreadsheet.
- Opens on a filled-in worked example — an invented family, clearly labeled — so you can see what a captured answer looks like before you write your own.
- Explains the one habit that changes everything: ask, then stop talking — the real answer arrives after the pause.
- Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice — no macros, no signup, nothing saved anywhere but your own file.
Own it, don't rent it
Three stories is a start. A life doesn't fit on a page.
This free page captures three stories. The full Life-Story & Memory Keepsake Journal carries all 200 questions across ten eras of a life, graded 57 Cornerstone / 102 Core / 41 Bonus — and a Story Coverage dashboard that tells you which era is still thin, how many Cornerstone questions are still open, and which conversation to have next, plus a session planner, a story register in their own words, a life timeline that works out their age at every event, a people-and-places index, a photo log that flags anything unidentified, and 63 pages of guides on how to ask, in one owned workbook (Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice) with a one-click Google Sheets copy.
A one-time purchase you keep, print, and copy for every grandchild — the owned workbook between a blank notebook and a rented memory app.
A keepsake page for capturing a family's memories, not medical, legal, financial, or mental-health advice, and not genealogical research. These conversations can reach hard memories; if one surfaces real distress, stop and help the person reach support. Free to use; please don't resell or redistribute.