{"id":101643,"date":"2025-01-21T09:25:31","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T14:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=101643"},"modified":"2025-01-21T09:30:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T14:30:41","slug":"heirlooms-and-memorabilia-family-treasures-or-junk-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/heirlooms-and-memorabilia-family-treasures-or-junk-part-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Heirlooms and Memorabilia: Family Treasures or Junk? (part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 the third of a three-part series \u2013 Jessica Edwards share some ideas to help you plan what to do with family heirlooms and memorabilia after you\u2019re gone. Jessica has had a lifelong interest in her family\u2019s history, and has documented and added more than 37,000 people to her family tree!<\/em><\/p>\n

In Part 1<\/a> of this series, I described some of what I went through in planning what to do with my family heirlooms after I\u2019m gone. I continued my story in Part 2<\/a>, then started to share some ideas that might help you regarding your own family heirlooms and memorabilia \u2013 which I will continue here in Part 3.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: antique sewing machine (not from the author\u2019s collection).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo credit: https:\/\/depositphotos.com\/home.html<\/a><\/p>\n

For a number of reasons, these personal possessions are often not specifically accounted for in wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. In her book Who Gets Grandma\u2019s Yellow Pie Plate?<\/em> Professor Marlene S. Stum, an expert in family social science at the University of Minnesota, warns of the infighting that can occur when there\u2019s no plan for who inherits these personal effects. She writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat surprises many people is that often the transfer of non-titled personal property creates more challenges among family members than the transfer of titled property. Research has shown that disputes over inheritance and property distribution are one of the major reasons for adult siblings to break off relationships with one another.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An article I read suggested the following strategy: after making an inventory of all of your belongings, start gifting them during your lifetime: You don\u2019t have to wait until you die to pass on your heirlooms and keepsakes, and you may prefer to give away certain special items while you are still living. By doing so, you get to personally witness the joy your loved ones experience when they receive the gift, and you can also personally explain the reasons you want each person to have a particular item.<\/p>\n

Another article suggested making a list to answer the following questions about your heirlooms and keepsakes:<\/p>\n