This article was written by David O’Neil, owner of Story Trust, creators of memoir books and audio CDs. It is reprinted here with his permission.

When she found out what I did for a living, Sherry rushed up to me excitedly, and a bit nervously, and asked if I would interview her mother. As I began to ask her about her mom, tears welled up in her eyes. She told me that her mom, in her early seventies and now living in Texas, had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she didn’t know how much longer she had to live. Immediately, I told her that I’d be honored to interview her mom and record her stories.

As a personal historian, I help people capture and preserve the life stories of dearly loved family members. Through oral history interviews, I ask seemingly ordinary people to tell me about the extraordinary events and people and in their lives. The end result is hours of recorded interviews that I preserve on audio CDs and in hardbound books. Sherry wanted a book containing her mother’s stories.

I began interviewing Ruth in January 2008. A face-to-face meeting wasn’t possible, so I conducted the interviews over the phone. Ruth was so open and friendly that by our second call, it seemed like we were old friends. She told me about growing up near Springfield, Mass., as the oldest of six children. The age difference between her and her youngest siblings was so great that she often felt like a second mother to them. Ruth clearly adored her dad and learned many life lessons from him, including the value of saving a dollar by clipping supermarket coupons. She raised two vibrant and loving children. After a divorce, she reunited with a high school sweetheart after forty years, and married him just a few years ago. The last chapters of her story deal with her unbounded optimism and strong will, which helped her defy all the dire predictions of her doctors.

In July, I received a call from Sherry informing me that her mom was in hospice. Ruth soon passed away, succumbing to the cancer she so bravely battled for so long. Sherry told me how grateful she was that we met when we did, and that her mother’s stories are preserved. Ruth’s family plans to use her book and the recordings or our interview sessions as a central part of her memorial service.

David O’Neil is the owner of Story Trust, creators of memoir books and personal history audio CDs. You can contact David by visiting www.storytrust.com.

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