Who gets grandma’s yellow pie plate?

Talk about it

There may not be a perfect time to discuss how personal family possessions will be passed on to future generations, but there are ways that the discussion can be started in a family.

If you are helping an older family member complete a task such as cleaning a closet, you may come across items that provide an opportunity to discuss personal property transfer.

Personal belongings such as wedding photographs, a baseball glove or yellow pie plate can hold deep meanings for many people in a family. Planning ahead for transfer of personal items to future generations can help avoid family conflicts. Planning ahead can help family members avoid the situation of decisions being made in the midst of a crisis and help individuals to think through what they truly want to happen to personal property in the long term. It can be tricky to develop a “fair” process for deciding how personal possessions are divided among surviving family members.

To prepare for these family discussions, workshops will be held Monday, Oct. 12 at Two Harbors High School from 6-8 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Kelly High School from 6-8 p.m. in Silver Bay.

Lori Hendrickson from the University of Minnesota Extension will be discussing family communications in personal property transfer, deciding on a fair approach for asset transfer, distribution options and managing conflict within the family. For more information or to register for the program, call Community Education at 834-8201 ext 8230 or (218) 226-4437 ext. 8137 or online at www.isd381.k12.mn.us – Click “Community Education,” then class registration.

Tags: two harbors, silver bay, community education, community