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Tell Me a Story: Using Heirlooms and Artifacts to Inspire Your Writing

At a recent meeting of local genealogists, we discussed the article entitled, "Story Triggers: Finding Inspiration for Writing Family History"—about how our senses can help us tell family stories. The article's author, Sandra J. Crowley, noted that these triggers can fall into several categories aligned with the senses, such as visual, auditory, environmental, etc.1  As I considered what I tend to gravitate to, I find that artifacts and heirlooms are what inspires me the most: a photo, a piece of crocheting, a baby book, an embroidery, etc. A single artifact can appeal to several senses at once: to the visual, the tactile, and even the olfactory. Think about a fragile marriage certificate that nearly crumbles to the touch, yet is still colorful, and carries a faint smell of old paper.  I've found heirlooms and artifacts are rich inspiration for my writing, and penned an article, "Tell Me a Story: Using Heirlooms and Artifacts to Inspire Your Writing," for th...
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Devotion: Three Generations Serve Catholic Ontario

N. Gilbride Casey

"I have always felt a special fondness for my ancestors who became Catholic religious. Perhaps it is because they had no descendants and occupy a solitary place in their family tree or because their individual stories have been overshadowed by siblings who married and raised families. I have wondered why they chose their path. Was it simply religious devotion? A chance to be educated or to relieve some family burden? An opportunity to serve? All the above?"

This quote is from my essay "Devotion: Three Generations Serve Catholic Ontario," which featured the stories of three Baker and Cassidy ancestors who became Catholic religious. I entered the essay in the Ontario Genealogical Society's Keffer Writing Contest in 2024 and was honored to be awarded fourth place. The essay was published in the August 2025 issue of Families, OGS's quarterly journal. I'm grateful to the society for allowing me to publish my essay here on Leaves on the Tree. 

If you have a special story to tell about your Ontario ancestors and wish to enter the Keffer Writing Contest, click here for the details. Deadline is December 31st. 

  


Until next time...

© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2025. All rights reserved. 

 

 

 

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  1. Marian B. WoodSeptember 17, 2025 at 11:48 AM

    Congratulations on your award!

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseySeptember 17, 2025 at 1:48 PM

      Thank you. I am glad I was able to memorialize these three ancestors.

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  2. Lisa S. GorrellSeptember 18, 2025 at 4:39 PM

    Great job on your entry! I have a few religious members among my family, too!

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseySeptember 18, 2025 at 4:40 PM

      Well that's super cool. It was fun to track down their information. Religious archives are a real boon! Thanks for reading.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2025 at 4:02 AM

    Bonjour Nancy. Merci d’avoir mis en évidence ces prêtres et religieuse. Dans la grande histoire de ta famille, ils ne doivent en effet pas être éclipsés par leurs frères et sœurs qui se sont mariés et ont eu des enfants. Dans mon livre, je compte aussi inclure un chapitre consacrés aux ‘religieux’ de ma famille et ton texte ainsi que les recherches que tu as faites pour moi à propos des descendants des Trauscht m’inspireront sûrement.

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    1. Nancy Gilbride CaseySeptember 25, 2025 at 8:29 AM

      Merci beaucoup, Daniel ! C'est vraiment un privilège de faire des recherches et d'écrire sur ces ancêtres, qui ont mené une vie de dévouement discret à leur vocation. J'attends avec impatience vos prochains chapitres. À bientôt.

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