Gifts From Our Grandparents

Sometime before the birth of his first great-grandchild, my grandfather began collecting Hull Pottery Corky Pig piggy banks. On every great-grandchild’s first birthday, he gifted them a Corky Pig. Each Corky came with birthday money and a note detailing the history of the Hull Pottery Company and the Corky Pig. Every birthday after that, the child received a birthday card containing five dollars in coins and a note saying, “Don’t forget to feed Corky.” At the time of his passing, my grandfather had gifted more than 25 Corkys.

When working on family research, it is easy to focus on the records. While they are important, they don’t tell you who your ancestors really were. It’s the stories that bring life to the records. Here at MGC, we have a number of resources to help you record your family stories:

• Tell Me a Story kits are available for checkout at MGC. These kits include a digital voice recorder, sample questions, and more! 
• Bi-Folkal Kits provide materials that help evoke memories of the past.
• If you are interested in writing your family history, MGC has a collection of “how-to” books on that topic. How to Write Your Personal or Family History, How to Write Compelling Stories From Family History, and How to Write Family Stories are just a few of the many books in our collection.

In case you are wondering, my grandfather is still accumulating great-grandchildren. There is someone looking after his Corky collection, and his new great-grandchildren receive a Corky on their first birthday in memory of him.

Emily T.
Midwest Genealogy Center