THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512050111
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
Everyone's got a life story to tell, and Tom and Teri Haney want to hear it.
The Chesapeake Beach couple owns Life's Treasures, a company that records the history of others using an in-depth questionnaire and hours of audio tapes.
``This isn't really about dates and places,'' said Tom Haney. ``It's more like who is this person?''
The Haneys have served two types of customers - families who want the memories of an elderly family member preserved or people who want to begin a family genealogy record.
In either case, the process is the same. The Haneys mail the person to be interviewed a letter introducing themselves and explaining their purpose. In the letter they emphasize that ``everyone's life story is invaluable'' and that private information will be held confidential or doesn't have to be told at all.
The Haneys include a four-page questionnaire for participants to fill out ahead of time. It asks for information such as favorite holiday, best childhood friend, something they would have changed in their lives or their favorite story. It was devised, in part, by an oral history class at Columbia University some years ago. The Haneys have taken that format and revised it to meet their needs.
The information provided on the questionnaire helps the couple ready the questions for the in-depth interview.
Then they go where the person is - home, hospital, nursing home - and set up a high-tech tape recorder with two microphones.
Sometimes the interviews are done in sessions because the person may tire easily or become emotional.
The Haneys try and guide the questions in chronological order starting with who's who in the family and including childhood, teenage and young adult memories up to the present.
They encourage participants to tell their favorite stories, or happenings in their lifetimes. Often, during the interview, which can last as long as four hours, the person experiences a wide range of emotions.
It's an opportune time for many to rejoice for a full life or make amends for an old conflict, said the Haneys.
``How many times have you wanted to go back and change something you said or to apologize? This is a great way to do that,'' said Teri Haney. ``It's also a great way to preserve the sound of a loved one's voice.''
On one occasion, a daughter hired the Haneys to interview her mother. The daughter and mother had had a longstanding rift. The mother used the interview as an opportunity to tell her daughter how much she was loved and how much she meant to her.
``It really acts as a healing thing for a lot of families,'' said Tom Haney. ``It helps them to get in touch with their feelings and express them. The daughter never knew how much she was loved until she heard that tape.''
In another case, Haney taped a 74-year-old woman who was active in many community service projects, but her family never knew how much she did until her life story was put on tape.
``They never realized just how much she had done until they heard the tape,'' said Haney. ``When you hear it in detail it tends to make you realize just how much you don't know about someone.''
The finished product is three 60-minute tapes featuring the person interviewed and his or her life. Teri Haney designed a jacket for the tapes and also a menu that tells what subject is on what tape.
The cost for the Haneys service is $189 between now and Christmas. Normally, the price is $239. They keep the master tape in dry storage for one year. When the tape is finished, they send a letter to every family member letting them know it's available. Reprints are $39.95 per set. A discount is applied for referrals, bringing the reorder price to $23.95.
The couple also sells gift certificates for interviews at a later date.
Although the business is targeted to the older person, younger people, such as an 18-year-old dying of cancer, have used the service.
The Haneys are hoping to eventually offer this same type of service to others, such as military families, at a lower price.
``We're working on different programs,'' said Tom Haney. ``For the military person, it could be just a family message to keep around to hear their voice.''
The Haneys, who hail from Denver, Colo., are planning to take their business on the road by speaking to different groups and clubs.
Tom Haney has written a booklet, ``How to Not Fall Off Your Family Tree,'' that explains how important the process of family documentation is.
Tom, a former drug and alcohol counselor, and Teri, a former business consultant and counselor, moved from Colorado to Virginia Beach last year.
The two had had enough of big city life and were experiencing a lull between teaching motivational classes and offering therapy in the Denver area. When Teri Haney visited her daughter here in July, she knew this was the place she wanted to live.
The couple sold their five-bedroom home and moved to a two-bedroom apartment at Chesapeake Beach.
They officially began their business in August, though they had been practicing the technique in the Denver area for a couple of years.
``We're such a mobile society and we just don't have the time anymore,'' said Teri Haney. ``There's a lot of real value in doing this.'' MEMO: To reach Life's Treasures call 363-0558.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Tom Haney works on the computer for ``Life's Treasures,'' the
business he runs with his wife, Teri. They originally started the
business in Denver.
Tom and Teri Haney generally serve two types of customers - families
who want the memories of an elderly family member preserved or
persons who want to begin a family genealogy record. It's an
opportune time for many to rejoice for a full life or make amends
for an old conflict, say the Haneys.
by CNB