"My daddy even had me leading some of the hymns off, and he would what you call 'raise' them.. Papa would raise them to the tune, whatever tune they were supposed to be in," she said.

And then she sang some more, lifting the initial melody to its correct height, then dropping it when it seemed she'd almost run out of breath.

Her memories have opened the door to another generation. I was enthralled then and now. But now, I compare the voices from the past with those of the present. My grandmother's voice was still strong and sure, but I can detect the beginning of a quaver that is audible when she talks. The sound of her brother's voice is precious – he died in 1995.

The tape is digitized in minutes. And it only takes minutes to register for the program that will allow an entire family to access this conversation.

But before I click the mouse, I whisper my hope in a prayer. May this transfer be successful. May this story be saved and given to another generation.

Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs is a freelance writer who lives in South Euclid, Ohio. She is also the author of the genealogical memoir "Claiming Kin: Confronting the History of an African-American Family." 

Also on The Root:

Tonya Lewis Lee on what moms do all day. Singer India.Arie talks bikini and red pumps with her mother, Joyce Simpson.   Poet Kyle G. Dargan's video interview with his grandmother, Ruth G. Dargan, the Newark's first black female police detective. Maya Angelou writes about why her grandmother's name matters.  

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