Hidden Lists and Heroic Choices: A Granddaughter's Quest to Preserve Her Family's WWII Stories

What would you do if you discovered a list of 500 Jewish families hidden in a coat pocket during World War II? For Emily Pulham's great-aunt Carla, that moment demanded an immediate choice – one that would ripple through generations and become part of their family's legacy. Now, as a young mother of three (including a two-week-old!), Emily has transformed these powerful stories of resistance, courage, and survival into a beautiful book preserving her Danish grandmother's memories of her life including her family's experiences during World War II.

But this isn't just a story about war and resistance. It's about a granddaughter's determination to capture her grandmother's memories while she still can, and how the process of preserving these stories helped Emily understand not just her family's history, but herself. From watching her grandmother work at a microfilm reader as a child to now creating her own legacy project, Emily's journey shows us that family stories have the power to heal generational disconnections and create bonds that span decades.

From Microfilm to Memories

When Emily first visited the Family History Center in Salt Lake City with her grandmother at age twelve, she couldn't have known how significant that moment would become. Together, they discovered a ship manifest that contained an ancestor's name, and that small discovery planted a seed that would grow into something extraordinary. But it wasn't until years later, when she found a heartbreaking obituary of her second great-grandfather's sister-in-law – a young mother who died in her 30s leaving six children behind – that Emily truly caught the genealogy bug.

Creating a Legacy of Stories

Today, Emily's home is filled with "story starters" – physical reminders that spark conversations with her children about family history. A cherished teddy bear on a shelf leads to stories about overcoming fear. Family photos prompt questions about great-grandparents. But her most significant contribution to her family's legacy is the book she's written about her Danish grandmother's life, memories, and family stories.

"I think the artifacts you have around your home, the tangibles, help lead to those conversations... She loves that story, she wants to hear it all the time."

The stories she uncovered are both haunting and inspiring. The aunt who discovered the list with the names of 500 Jewish families hidden in her Nazi-sympathizing husband's coat pocket – and the brave decision she made in the face of that revelation. A great-grandmother who endured a terrifying 10-hour interrogation by Nazi officers, while her children waited anxiously at home, not knowing where their parents were.

The Whole Story

If you haven't already heard Emily's powerful conversation about preserving family stories, take a moment to listen:

🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

• How Emily manages to work on family history with three young children (including a newborn!)
• The dramatic stories of her family's resistance against Nazis in Denmark
• Why she chose to write this book while her grandmother is still living
• How understanding her grandmother's story helped Emily understand herself
• What motivated her to take on such an enormous project during such a busy season of life

The Power of One Story

Emily's journey reminds us that preserving family stories isn't just about documenting history – it's about understanding ourselves. Through writing her grandmother's story, Emily discovered why she sometimes felt different from her immediate family but similar to her grandmother, despite not growing up near her. These stories helped her accept and understand herself better, showing how family history can heal generational disconnections.

Your Story

Think about the stories in your family that need to be preserved. Who are the keepers of your family's memories? What stories might help you or your children understand yourselves better? 

"I cannot think of very many things in my life other than my children that are going to outlast me. This is going to outlast me. My kids are going to want to read it. Their kids are going to want to read it, even if they only skim through and look at the photos."

 

Story Seeds 🌱

Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.

1. For older relatives: "What's the most difficult choice you ever had to make to protect someone else? What gave you the courage to make that decision?"
2. For parents or aunts/uncles: "Do you remember any stories your parents or grandparents told about living through major historical events? What details stuck with you the most?"
3. For siblings or cousins: "What family stories did you hear growing up that helped you understand who you are or where you came from? Were there any that surprised you?"
4. For grandparents: "What physical objects in your home have special meaning to you? Could you tell me the story behind them?"

Story Sparks 🔥

Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.

1. Create custom MyTreeTags™ in your family tree on Ancestry. One called “Interesting Story” to track people in your tree who have personal memories or stories you want to document (or already have).  Create another called “Knew Personally” to track the people in your tree that you have known in your lifetime so you remember to capture your own memories of them.
2. Create a dedicated album in your Ancestry family tree for "story artifacts.”  Upload photos of people, places, or things that might spark family stories. The next time you are with family, pull the album up in your Ancestry mobile app to get the stories flowing.
3. Use the audio recording feature in the Ancestry mobile app to record family stories as you hear them, linking them to the people in the tree who are speaking or being talked about.

Remember Emily's advice: don't wait until it's too late to preserve your family's stories. Whether it's through writing a book, recording conversations, or simply starting to document memories, the time to begin is now. These stories are more than just history – they're the threads that connect generations and help us understand who we are.

Want to learn more from Emily?  Follow her on Instagram at @organized.with.emily

Ready to start preserving your own family's stories? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts, and join our community of family storytellers who are making sure these precious memories live on.

© 2025 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.