Over the last month, Betty Jurgens has been teaching seven senior citizens how to write their autobiography. Split into four sessions, the classes have been offered Wednesday afternoons at Munger Cottage.
Jurgens, the author of “Golden Memories” and “50 Voices: Remembrances of The Great Depression,” as well as a couple of biographies for individuals, eagerly accepted an invitation to teach the class from Senior director Valerie Cordero.
Having never taught a class before, Jurgens took some time to formulate a plan before deciding to break up each session into a different period of one’s life. Session one pertained to grandparents, parents and siblings; session two to childhood; session three to teen/young adult; and session four dedicated to adulthood.
For each section, Jurgens wrote out eight to 21 questions for the authors to answer on their way to creating their autobiographies.
During each session, the authors would write down the questions and do their writing from home. Jurgens notes they’re not limited to just the questions she provides, but they help provide the writers with some direction on where to begin and what should be included in their text. They also help narrow down the details of one’s life, especially during a specific period or when writing about a particular person.
Jurgens said questions like, “Did your grandparents tell you stories and do you remember one that remains in your mind?” or “Was your mother or father a veteran and if so, which war?” are examples of what she might ask an individual when writing a biography.
The authors haven’t shared much of what they’ve written thus far, but the fifth and final session will be reserved for volunteers to read.
Jurgens said the sessions are mostly a social group for the individuals to share stories about their lives. Most recently, the group discussed where they were when the Twin Towers were attacked. They’ve shared how they all ended up in Cornwall, as well as what it was like living in the city or country. The senior citizens described what it’s like living today compared to the Great Depression, and they shared how far they had to walk to school.
When all is said and done, Jurgens anticipates the authors will have biographies that are about four or five pages long. The stories will likely be passed on to family members when completed.
