The Norris Family

Gloria Sales–daughter of Dr. Frank and Mrs. Sarah Norris–wanted to commemorate her parents in a special way. They had both passed away, leaving a collection of stories that needed to be catalogued and preserved inside of a secure, private family archive.

In the summer of 2015, FamilyArc’s professional archivists arrived at her family office in Florida to help her sort through thousands of the photos and memories that captured the essence of their life and legacy. Remembering the Moments Over 10,000 images, documents, letters, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia lay scattered in boxes and bins, which had sat in the attic for decades. The memories had begun to crumble and wither with age, evidenced by the yellowish tint, faded ink, and tattered edges, which characterized each photo and piece of paper. Our experienced team handled every artifact with the utmost care.

These items, after all, tell a collective story of one family’s unique history–a story that can and should be preserved and shared for generations to come. Reliving the Memories "I had such a wonderful time," Gloria exclaimed at the end of a joyful day spent remembering her family’s history. It was about so much more than simply organizing photos. Though sorting through 10,000 images in a single day was certainly an impressive feat, the most meaningful part of the whole experience were the hours they spent reminiscing and honoring her parents’ legacy. The day itself will be forever remembered through the photos that were captured there as well. Building a Lasting Legacy At the end of the day, the top 3,000 items were identified and set aside for long-term preservation.

The FamilyArc team later digitized and uploaded each piece to the family’s online archive, where they will be privately and securely kept and shared with the rest of the Norris Family, many years into the future. Someday, Gloria’s children and grandchildren will look back on these moments and appreciate the time that was spent taking care to preserve them. And perhaps more importantly, they’ll know the legacy of their parents and grandparents. They’ll understand the unique beliefs, values and life experiences that shaped who they were, and they’ll be able to ensure that legacy lives on through the ages.