What Will You Tell Your Grandchildren
About Your Parents?

If your parents are in their 70s or 80s they may never meet your grandchildren. What will you tell them? Now is the time to act because tales obtained from personal interviews are exceedingly more satisfactory than the stale, lifeless facts obtained from written documents like birth and death certificates, or passenger manifests. Furthermore, think of the immediate value of enjoying the story with Mom and Dad today. Capture the memories now. Don’t delay. Ask your parents to leave an Ethical Will. Leave a Legacy.

You Need a Written Ethical Will and Family History

Think about the time we spend on television, computers, the Internet and wireless phones. Are we really surprised, then, that families don't spend as much time talking and sharing stories than earlier generations did? That's why oral histories are endangered and why your children will know far less about their family heritage than your folks do unless you take action. Click here to get started right away.

A Written Ethical Will Speaks to
Future Generations

That's why more and more people are having Ethical Wills written about their parents and loved ones -- to preserve the richness and uniqueness of their parents’ life for their children and grandchildren. For a small investment in time and effort now, you can acquire a professionally written story of your mother, father, or other loved one to enjoy now and share with future generations.

Start Now – You’ll Have the Final Version in 30 days!!

Only three steps are needed to begin a personal detailed story of your mom, dad or another loved one.

1. Think of favorite stories or anecdotes about that person or specific questions you would like asked. OR, just use our questions.
2. Fill out the form below and hit “send.” After a personal contact is made with you, the interviews will be scheduled and conducted, a biography written and forwarded to you for a review before a final copy is issued.
3. Contact your loved ones to be interviewed to make them aware that a writer will be calling them.

Remember, you’ll have the final version within 30 days after the interview Guaranteed. Create a family treasure today. Don’t delay.

Tell of your Family History and the Civil War

A note from Scott Lorenz, Founder and President of Westwind Communications

Why should we preserve this history?
I was inspired by the trials and tribulations that my father, along with his brother and sister, endured during World War I. They dodged bullets and hid out in the woods of Austria while their mother protected them from the Russians, Polish, and German soldiers. After the war they joined their father, my grandfather who was in the United States and who was separated from them when the war broke out. My father told me the stories about their experiences, how he fed their dog broken glass to kill it so the invading soldiers wouldn’t eat it for food. And, how they feigned measles so that the soldiers would pass up their home while looking for women to rape. These were powerful stories that had a profound impact on me. I felt very strongly that they needed to be preserved for my children and future generations.

It also served as an inspiration to me to keep focused, buckle down and get through whatever I had to get through, because NOTHING I was going to face was even close to the perseverance it took for my family to get to the USA after experiencing what they experienced in Austria.

Why the interview format and why a writer?
I learned by trial and error the best way to preserve family history is by having a third party, not related to the family, interview my parents, in-laws, aunts and uncles. I found out much more about my loved ones because they were more open and honest with a stranger than they would have been with me or someone they knew.

Why don’t we just ask Mom and Dad to write it down or tape record it?
There are numerous reasons not to do it this way. First and foremost IT WILL NEVER GET DONE. With my mother’s arthritis there was no way she was going to write or type it. Plus my parents were busy, they had no time to do it. Furthermore unless they’re professional writers it just won’t turn out the same. It WILL need to be edited by someone. Also, some things will get sugar coated while other things get glossed over. A professional writer will be able to sort all this out. More importantly, you’ll get your family biography by a specified date guaranteed.

Will My Parents Feel Comfortable Talking to a Stranger?
Most people have never experienced a reporter interviewing them. They’ll feel like a celebrity.

Why does it cost this much?
Good material comes from good interview questions, good interviewing technique and really good editing. That’s why Westwind Communications only uses seasoned reporters and writers who have written professionally for an average 25 years each and have written thousands of articles and stories. They KNOW what to write, they KNOW what is important and what is not. More importantly, you’ll get your family biography by a specified date guaranteed.

What’s the best way to pay for this?
My suggestion is to divide the cost between siblings equitably. Then give this gift to everyone in the family for Christmas, or present it on a birthday, anniversary, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

How does the final written history arrive?
The first draft can be read on line. The final copy will be emailed or we’ll mail a printed copy to you.

What’s the best way to preserve this once the Family History is completed?
We recommend that you print out the family history and put each page in a clear plastic page you can buy at the office supply house. Then take this and put it into a 3-ring binder. That way you can add to it over the years. Then take some of the memorable photos color copy them at Kinko’s and place this in the same plastic sheets next to the appropriate section in the biography. You can also take war medals, badges from a military uniform and color copy these as well. Click here to see a sample. Then take a good photo and create a title page slipping this into the 3-ring binder. Or, if you really don’t want to hassle this Westwind Communications will do it for you. Cost: $250 for the first book. $50.00 each for 2-10 books.

Here's why you should choose Westwind Communications
for Your Family History and Ethical Will

  • Our Proven "First Person" technique makes your loved one's story come alive.
  • Our interviewing and writing method captures the real person because it's in their own words.
  • Only veteran writers are used so you're assured a high quality result.
  • Our packages are affordable because we only conduct phone interviews.
  • We're fast, efficient and thorough.
  • FREE 15-MINUTE CONSULTATION
  • Everyone will love to Read the Stories
  • 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
  • You can choose plans from 12 pages to 40 pages.
  • We believe in deadlines. Want it for a birthday or Mother's Day? No Problem.

Your confidentiality is protected. Your history is private and will not be disseminated unless written permission is given. More...

Pricing


One Person:  up to 10 pages (4,800 words)  $750
One Person:  up to 20 pages (8,000 words)  $1,250
Two People:  up to 20 pages (8,000 words)  $1,750
Two People:  up to 30 pages (12,000 words)  $2,450
Two People:  up to 40 pages (16,000 words)  $2,950
Family Package:  More than two subjects  Please Contact Us


Payment Options

A 50% deposit is required to begin the interview process. Balance due upon completion of the first draft which will be viewable online or emailed. Minor changes, additions or corrections are at no charge if completed within two weeks. Save 5% by prepaying the entire project in advance. Checks, Cash, Money Orders, Visa, Master Card, or Discover Card are accepted. Checks should be made payable to:

Westwind Communications
1310 Maple StreetFamily History accepts VisaFamily History accepts MasterCardFamily History accepts The Discover Card
Plymouth, MI 48170
FamilyHistory@westwindcos.com

Timing

The finished Ethical Will and Family History will be in your hands 30 days after the deposit is received barring any unforeseen complications due to unavailability of the parties to be interviewed. For a rush job (ten days) add 50% .

Remember, you’ll have the final version within 30 days, guaranteed. Create a family heirloom today.

How can we do it so fast?

Sample Questions

Here are sample questions one family submitted for an interview with their 78 & 81 year old parents. These questions produced an 19 page family history about 7,500 words)

Sample Questions for Mom & Dad Gucci :

  1. Tell us about your parents. Where did they come from in Italy? How did they get here, was it through Ellis Island? Why did they come here? What was the year?
  2. What business or trade were your parents in?
  3. How many kids in each family? Where did they go?
  4. Where did you go to school? What did you study?
  5. How did you meet each other? Where was your first date?
  6. What did you do during the war? Do you have any old letters from one another?
  7. For Dad: Where were you stationed? (he was in Alaska and Europe) Tell us about Alaska, and how you just missed being involved in the infamous battle where the US Troops were sent without proper clothing etc.
  8. For Dad: Tell us about the Hotels where you worked.
  9. For Dad: What inspired you to take up painting?
  10. For Dad: Tell us about the various jobs you had in your life. (be sure to ask about the neon sign job. He bent glass for the neon signs used in all Las Vegas signs)
  11. For Dad: You were in Las Vegas when the mob was in control, what was that like? Where did you work in Las Vegas what did you do?
  12. For both: Tell us about when you met Elvis Presley. What was year? Where were you? How old were you both at the time?
  13. For Mom: Where did you work?
  14. For Mom: What is the recipe for those good meatballs? And Spaghetti sauce?

Click for a 19 page sample from The Gucci Family History

Testimonials

“Joe and I loved the story about our lives our children gave to us and our family. I never had any experience like this before. I am just glad to be able to speak to future generations of Gucci’s. Thank you for this nice way to preserve our heritage”
Marie Gucci

“I wish I would have done this for my grandparents before they died. They had stories that were never told and feeling they never shared. Thanks to you, at least we have my parents story in writing.”
Angela Wesson

“When I stopped to realize that we can only trace our family history back to our great grand parents, I really became quite saddened by that fact. That’s why your service is so worthwhile. Thank you again for interviewing my parents. They felt like mini celebrities!”
Charles and Susan Wright

"Life's events ultimately take our loved ones and their memories from us as time marches on. A personalized story helps keep more a part of our lives and memories as well as future generations. I think a personalized history from a professional interviewer is a great idea. I just wish my parents could have been interviewed so we would have this kind of history for our kids and grandchildren. "
Paul Szilagyi

“Besides the written Ethical Will, this project has sparked many conversations with my parents that have led to discoveries about our heritage that would have been lost as soon as they died.”
Phillip Fredrick

“This service is more than genealogy, it's a written family history that compliments all of our genealogical research. What a great idea.”
Paul Sincock

“My family discussed getting stories from my father before he died, did we do it? NO! Now we regret it.”
Norah Ormerod

“This is such a wonderful service, I am so glad we decided to do this and not tackle it ourselves. There was no way we could have done as good of a job. The binder books you provided were well worth it. It is a true treasure one that Chuck and I will cherish as long as we live, not to mention our future Johnson family members.”
Betty & Chuck Johnson

“Until I read the story about my dad I had no idea he was such a ladies man. He told your writer some stories during his time in France during WWII that he has NEVER mentioned before. He also mentioned stories of bravery, and heroics that made me feel so proud to be his son. This endeavor has made me appreciate my father and mother and the struggles they faced more than ever before.”
Raymond Vohlms

-- Guarantee --

100% Risk Free Guarantee

If you are not 100% satisfied with your “Ethical Will and First Person Family History” or if it does not arrive on the agreed upon date, we will issue you an immediate no-hassle refund on the spot.