Where We're From – Wales

My maternal grandmother's parents were both born in Wales before the turn of the century, though they did not meet until they were both on the West coast of Canada. Grandma was even named for her father's home town of Merthyr Tydful. Until recently, I believed that this side of the family had always been in Wales. I've since come to learn that there are rumours of a line that traces back to the Huguenots, but I've no actual proof of that yet.

I'm very fond of this side because I have a fondness for the Celts, though I couldn't tell you if the fondness came from knowing my family were Welsh and Gaelic, or if I'm fond of those branches because they are Celtic. But either way, this is one of my favorite branches of my family tree.

For a small country, Wales has its own divisions, just like any other. In this case, there is Northern Wales, and there is Southern Wales, and the dialects are distinctly different for each. My family keeps part of this tradition alive in the name my mother chose as her "grandmother" name when my niece was born: Nain (pronounced like the number nine). This is the Northern Welsh word for "grandmother." The Southern version is Gu (pronounced Gee). Her own maternal grandmother, whose parents were from Northern Wales, went by the name Nain, and I'm very glad she's keeping that tradition alive.

Most of this information came from family documents, and though I do have a good amount of locations, most center around Nain's side of the family, as I have almost nothing about her husband's family before his birth in Merthyr Tydful. The locations are what I was able to determine to the best of my knowledge, though boundaries and names have changed over time, just like everywhere else. Anyone who thinks they might have more information on this line, I would love to talk to you. I have so many gaps here that it's hard to know where to start looking, especially given the very common names in my family—Daniel, Hannah, Benjamin…and the worst of all, Jones. But the Howells side is only a little better. I keep looking, though. Just in case. At least, until I get rich enough to go to Wales myself to look up the records.

A map of the locations (and do check back at the old maps—I've updated them all to embed them in the entries now):

View Welsh Ancestry Map in a larger map

1. Merthur Tydfil, Southern Wales
This was where Daniel Jones, my maternal great-grandfather, was born, and both of his parents (and most or all of his siblings) died here. The location is far from where is parents were born (they were closer to the west coast of Wales), but I believe his father came here looking for a better place to farm.

2. Towyn, Monmothshire, Northern Wales
This is where my great-great grandfather Gabriel Howells was born. His mother also died here, many years after Gabriel and his family had left Wales for Canada.

3. Penrhiwceiber, Southern Wales
My great grandmother Eliza was born here in 1885, and her family lived here for many years, her father working as a stonemason for the coalmine nearby before he decided that the work was too unhealthy, and the whole family moved to Canada.

4. Castel Bach, Northern Wales
This is where Hywel Gabriel, my great-great grandfather's father died, in 1871.

5. Caio, Southern Wales
This is where Benjamin Jones, Daniel Jones's father, was born in 1865.

6. Newcastle Emlyn, Southern Wales
This is where Hannah Griffiths (later Jones) was born in 1863.

7. Barmouth, Northern Wales
I believe this is where Selina Roberts (later Howells) was born in 1846.

8. Dolgellau, Merioneth, Northern Wales
This is where Hywel Gabriel was born.

9. Hafod Y Meirch, Northern Wales
This is the place where Lewis Edwart, a craftsman who was returning to his home after a job, died.


And that's all I have at the moment. Still one more location than the US map, and I do hope to find more information to expand it as time goes on.

Almost all the information I have came directly from family or photos, but I do hope at some point to get more information on this side, as my information is scant at best. I did have one location I wasn't able to place—Gabriel and Selina's wedding took place somewhere in Northern Wales, but I wasn't able to find the location on the map, so I'll have to keep looking for that one.

As always, if any of my family reading this knows more about this branch, particularly if you have any records or documentation, I'd love to get together to exchange info.

Next up: Ireland! (Will probably be tiny, though, especially compared to these last two)

Where We're From – Denmark

So Denmark is the first country outside the US where I know I have many locations, though Germany did end up being a bit larger than I expected.

I am what I consider one quarter Danish. My paternal grandmother's parents were both Danish immigrants, and though I know now that it's possible that her mother had at least some German blood, and that the Danes mixed constantly with the Swedes and Norwegians, I still see this as one of the purer strains of my family tree (the other being the Welsh branch, which will be next).

The information on this list comes from a number of sources, including a website done by one of my grandmother's cousins who still resides in Denmark, and several bits of information I managed to pull from the Family Search website. However, because of the way I received my information, the city/county/shire/region names are a little muddled, so feel free to point out things that seem obvious, because while I know these things are a bit off, figuring them out got a bit confusing. Anyone with more specific information about locations would be very appreciated.

For those unfamiliar with Danish Geography, my family comes from two major locations in Denmark: Sealand, the island to the east, which is the location of Copenhagen on the eastern coast of the island; and Jutland, which is the peninsula that sticks up from Germany, to the west of Sealand. For those curious, I've marked which area each location is found in. Basically, if it's Sealand, it's my grandmother's maternal line, and if it's Jutland, it's her paternal line. The two lines never crossed until her parents met on the boat coming back from the to visit their families right at the start of World War I.

A map of these locations:

View My Danish Ancestry in a larger map

1. Fredriksberg (Sealand)
Before my great grandmother Oline came to the US, she lived for a time here, in a suburb of Copenhagen, working with families as a cook or seamstress, I believe, and in particular working for the agriculture Minister, who was apparently from her family's area in the center of Sealand.

2. Alsted-Flinterup/Fjenneslev (Sealand)
Oline was born in Fjenneslev on her parents' farm, and both of them died here, buried in the churchyard at Alsted-Flinterup, the neighboring church.

3. Give, Vejle (Jutland)
My great-great grandmother Else died here in the mid-thirties, long after her son Holger came here to the US, but even before her death, much of her family had roots in this area.

Her father was born in Brienhoed here, and both of his parents were born in the area also, as were his mother's parents and her paternal grandfather, who died there as well. So the family had at least four generations in that location.

4. Thyregod, Vejle (Jutland)
My great-grandfather Holger's family has a lot of history in this part of the country. He and his father even helped to build the Thyregod train station, and it was the money from that job that allowed Holger to come to the US.

Many generations of his family were born and died here—seven, if I'm counting correctly. I won't go into too much detail here, but I will put all the separate locations on the map to show the variations.

5. Ringive (Jutland)
This is where Holger's mother was born.

6. Slots-Bjergby, Soro (Sealand)
This is where Oline's mother's mother was born, though I am uncertain how long she lived there. I believe she spent a good part of her early life working on other people's farms, though I'm not certain where, or how many she worked on before meeting her husband and settling down.

7. Knudstrup (Sealand)
This is where Oline's father, Rasmus Hansen, was born, not too far from where he later owned his farm.

8. Selde, Viborg (Jutland)
Five generations of my grandfather's family were born in this location, starting with his great-great grandfather Peder Christiansen and working back from him. Peder was born there, and his parents were both born and died there, as did many of their ancestors going back another three generations on Peder's father's side.

This marks the northernmost part of Holger's family line as I have it recorded at this time.

9. Omvra Molle, Sonder Omme, Ribe(Jutland)
Birthplace of Catrine Pedersdatter, Peder Christansen's wife, and also where her mother died.

10. Sonder Omme(Jutland)
Where Catrine's father, Peder Terkelsen, was born, and where he and his parents died.

11. Givskov, Give(Jutland)
Frantz and Maren, parents of Mathias Frandsen, my great-grandfather's great-great grandfather, died here in the mid-1700s.

12. Hoven (Jutland)
Where Mette Christensdatter, one of my great-grandfather's ancestors, died.

13. Orbaek, Rinkobing (Jutland)
Where Anne Andersdatter, Mette's daughter, was born.

14. Oster Nykirke (Jutland)
Where Maren Mathiasdatter's parents, Maren and Mathias both died, and where her mother was born.

15. Adum (Jutland)
Five different generations of Holger's paternal line was born or died here.

This location also marks the westernmost point my great-grandfather's family lived in Denmark that I have recorded.

16. Assing (Jutland)
Where Margrete Petersdatter, one of Holger's paternal ancestors, was born.

17. Vester Sejrup (Jutland)
Where Frantz Jacobsen was born, another of Holger's paternal ancestors.

18. Lintrup (Jutland)
Where Terkel Knudsen Dovr was born.

19. Bindesboll, Adum (Jutland)
Where Las Nielsen died in 1625, the oldest person to be marked on this map.

20. Grindsteddal, Grindsted (Jutland)
Where Karen Christensdatter Dahl was born in 1600.


And that's all I have. And more than double the amount of locations I have for the US, despite having more recent information, and more complete information there. This map does not include any marriage locations, though most of them were probably married in the towns either where they were born or where they died, or very nearby.

Most of the records I have are for Holger's father's mother's line, as the others all peter out by 1750 or even 1800, but her family goes back well into the Medieval ages. I was shocked when I started to tackle this last week and realized just what a task I had ahead of me, so I never finished it in time to post last Friday. Hopefully I'll manage to get the Welsh map up faster, though I know I've got several locations on that one, as well. And the Norwegian one should be pretty interesting, too.

As always, if any of my family reading this knows more, I'd love to hear it.

Next up: Wales! (I'll try to have that one up in a more timely fashion)

Womens History Month -- Week 5

March 27 — Do you know the immigration story of one or more female ancestors? Do you have any passenger lists, passports, or other documentation? Interesting family stories?

I know most of the immigration stories from each of my lines, and I've found one record at Ellis Island.

Elizabeth Park (nee Curran) was my first female ancestor in the US, and came over from Ireland with her new husband in the late 1800s. They settled in Philadelphia and had nine children here before things got too difficult and she and her husband decided to move the family back to Ireland, where the children finished their childhood, and ended up eventually moving to Canada, where my great-grandmother Mary Park met her husband.

Oline Hansen is the ancestor for whom I have an Ellis Island record, though it wasn't for her original immigration to America, but a trip she made coming back from visiting her family. She came here in the early 1900s from Denmark, though I'm not sure precisely when, but she returned to visit her family about the same time WWI started in Europe. Because of that, she was stuck in Denmark for a time, and another Dane who had been traveling home to visit his family decided to court her while they were there. The two were married about a year later.

The third major immigration story that comes to mind is that of my great-grandma Dora. My grandfather's family came here to the US in the mid-thirties because of the Nazi rise to power. The family was Jewish, and his father's businesses had failed do to their programs. When they arrived in Ellis Island, the uncle that was supposed to meet them (I'm not clear if this was her relation or her husband's, or one of their sisters' husbands) never showed, so they ended up getting help from a former neighbor from Frankfurt. After they caught up with the errant uncle, the family settled in Memphis (a location which leads me to believe it was her husband's sister's husband), where her husband suffered a stroke. Dora did all the work after that while her children finished their schooling, working as a cook in hospitals and other institutions.

I'm sure there are other immigration stories, but those are the ones that immediately stand out to me. Most of the rest moved to Canada.

March 28 — Do you remember your mother’s best friend? Your grandmother’s? How and where did they meet? How long were they friends? What activities did they share?

A number of answers came to me on this one, but none really seemed to fit the bill until I remembered Nana's friend Teeny. She and her husband were very long-time friends of my grandparents, and I remember thinking of her very much like an extra grandmother because we saw her so often throughout my childhood. I'm not entirely sure where they met, though my guess is that Teeny was at one point helping with the R Shoppe ladies, though I could be wrong. (I have a feeling my father will let me know if he does)

March 29 — Create a free Footnote Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley’s post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your female ancestor. Tell us about who you've selected and why and then post a link to what you've created.

I've been focusing so much on Dad's family, that I wanted to make sure more of the women in mom's family got in here, so I decided to do her earliest female Canadian Ancestor, Selina Howells, my great-great grandmother.

March 30 — Did you receive any advice or words of wisdom from your mother or another female ancestor?

I think the one thing I really got from both sides of the family, male and female, but most especially from Nana and my mom, was that learning was important. It's something I've carried close to my heart all my life, and been a guiding principle for me. If I could wrangle it, I would love being a "professional student," but it's not something that tends to make a lot of money… ;)

March 31 — Pick one female ancestor and write a mini-profile (500 words or less).

Had to think about this one and go back through all the previous posts before I could decide, but I think for this one, I'm going to go with Leonharde Bordewick, my grandfather's grandmother.

Leonharde Bordewich was born in Nordland in 1861. She was the second child of her father, Johan Petter Bordewich's second marriage. She grew up in the small town of Lyngvaer in the Lofoten Islands, where her father ran a small business. In 1887, she married a cousin, Henrick Bergthon Bordewick, and the two had three sons together: Bjarne, Harald, and Hans Henrik.

When fishing grew scarce in Norway during the late 1800s, her husband and his brother decided to try to set up a trading venture between Antwerp and the Lofoten Islands. Henrick and Leonharde moved their family from Lofoten to Antwerp to set up one end of the business. Unfortunately, their family name sounded too English to the Belgians, who had supported the Dutch in the Boer war, and the family was shunned. So they moved again, this time to Grimsby in England, where their sons finished their schooling. Before any of the boys could move on to university, though, the family moved again, this time to Vancouver, B.C, Canada, where Leonharde's younger brother was living and working at the time.

The couple settled there and lived there quite happily until their deaths; his in 1930, and hers in 1944. Leonharde lived long enough to see her grandson married, and a few years later, in 1942, met that grandson's eldest child.

Womens History Month -- Week 4

March 21 — Describe a tender moment one of your female ancestors shared with you or another family member.

My paternal grandmother, Maggie, was very excited when my twin cousins were born, because they were the first grandchildren by one of her daughters, and she'd always felt unwilling to interfere in the mother-daughter bond with her daughter-in-laws, so she spent several days with my aunt and uncle after the twins came home, and visited frequently thereafter until they were feeling more steady about having two babies in the house.

March 22 — If a famous director wanted to make a movie about one of your female ancestors who would it be? What actress would you cast in the role and why?

None of the stories particularly stand out at first. All have something interesting, but none are super-spectacular stories.

But I think, if I were to choose, it would probably be Oline's story. Act one--losing her father at such a young age, and the family's struggle to make do without a head of house and her jobs as a girl and young woman. Act two would focus on her coming to America, meeting her grandfather (whole story there, though I'm not sure if they ever actually met, let alone how much she knew about her mother's story), then going to work in Chicago. Act three would be meeting Holger, World War I, and marriage. And the final act would be her children, the twenties, and her death in 1929 of pneumonia at the age of 42.

Not sure who I'd get to direct it, though. Someone with a good, subtle hand, who knows how to do turn-of-the-century drama well, and has at least some familiarity with Danish history. Although, I could see someone like Ang Lee doing it. He's got an amazing and subtle touch when it comes to his movies.

As for who would play her? Julia Ormand, I think. Or possibly Stania Katic from Castle. Both have the quiet dignity I think of when I think of my great grandmother.

March 23 — Create a timeline for a female ancestor using your favorite software program or an online timeline generator such as OurTimelines. Post an image of it or link.

A Timeline of Maggie Hillinger's Life

March 24 — Do you share any physical resemblance or personality trait with one of your female ancestors? Who? What is it?

I've always been told I look like my mother, who looks very much like her mother, who looks like her mother, but as I grow older, I think I look more and more like my dad's father's mother, Dora, because I definitely have some of the Germanic features.

March 25 — Tell how a female ancestor interacted with her children. Was she loving or supportive? A disciplinarian? A bit of both?

My great-grandmother Oline didn't have long with her children, but I do know that she was a very self-sufficient woman who not only kept the house very competently, but even knew how to drive, and was constantly on the go, busy and raising three young children. My grandmother had very fond memories of the nine years she had with her mother.

March 26 — What education did your mother receive? Your grandmothers? Great-grandmothers? Note any advanced degrees or special achievements.

Edit
After speaking to my mother, it seems she did get her degree, though I'm still uncertain about her mother. I do know that Maggie never got a degree. It wasn't generally done in her circles in those days.

Womens History Month -- Week 3

March 13 — Moment of Strength: share a story where a female ancestor showed courage or strength in a difficult situation.

After my great-grandparents Alex and Dora came to the US, Alex's health declined. He suffered a stroke, and could not work, so Dora went to work to support the family. All of their children were under age at the time, and none of them spoke much English at first, but she found herself a job as a cook in a hospital, and until her sons finished their schooling, she was pretty much the sole support for the family.

March 14 — Newsmakers? Did you have a female ancestor who made the news? Why? Was she famous or notorious? Did she appear in the social column?

Not exactly, though my grandmother Maggie was a WAC in World War II, which was a newsworthy event. Other than that, all I'm sure of is the notices for births, marriages, and deaths. I suppose there might be one, but at the moment, nothing comes to mind.

March 15 — Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors.

For my great-gandmother Oline: Hard-working woman. Lost too soon.

March 16 — If you could have lunch with any female family member (living or dead) or any famous female who would it be and why? Where would you go? What would you eat?

I think the one I'd most like to have lunch with right now is Dora. I'd love to know more about her. She lived through some pretty horrible times, and raise six kids, and immigrated twice…I'd love to know more about who she was, particularly before she met my great grandfather, and particularly her early life and her hometown in Galicia.

I think I'd take her to the waterfront. Show her the beauty of Seattle, and show her why her son chose here to live, instead of staying close to her, even though he loved her.

March 17 — Social Butterfly? What social organizations or groups did your mother or grandmother belong to? Sewing circle, church group, fraternal benefit society or lodge? Describe her role in the group.

Both of my grandmothers kept pretty busy. My maternal grandmother in the church and in Masonic-related activities with her husband. My paternal grandmother with a group of ladies she met through her children's schooling. She helped found a group with them that started up fundraising activities and gave those funds to the Rhyther Child Center. Eventually, they focused their fundraising energies on a used goods shop in Ballard that they named the R Shoppe, and passed those funds on to the Rhyther Foundation. They all took turns being in charge of the business, and I know she hosted several garage sales for the group over the years. I believe that shop still does business today.

March 18 — Shining star: Did you have a female ancestor who had a special talent? Artist, singer, actress, athlete, seamstress, or other? Describe.

Several. My maternal grandmother and both of her parents were in their church choirs, and my paternal grandmother's mother, Oline, was an excellent seamstress, and not only made money at it, but made most of her children's clothes.

March 19 — Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?

I discovered that Oline's mother and her mother were deserted by her grandfather when her mother was quite young, or possibly not even born. I'd discovered her parents' names through Family Search, but I had nothing beyond my great-great grandmother's birthdate and location, and their names.

Then I came across a letter from my great-aunt after her visit with that side of the family. She was asking about something, and the subject came up. Apparently, her grandmother Maren Sofie Olsen had never known her father because he had come here to the states, leaving his wife (at least, I believe they were married, but I may be mistaken) behind. Eventually he sent her a vase or something at one point, but that was it. So Maren grew up in Denmark, never really knowing her father. Though two of her children did eventually seek him out.

It was a bit of a shock to learn, but in a family where we have so few broken families, even from early deaths, it was fascinating to learn a story different from those I tended to hear. I did feel sorry for my 3G grandmother, though. That must have been horrible for her. If I understand right, it sounds as though she sent her daughter off to work as soon as she could, so Maren may not have even known her mother too well, really.

March 20 — Is there a female ancestor who is your brick wall? Why? List possible sources for finding more information.

So so many…

I think the one that I'd most love information on, though, is Mindel Seneft, nee Hilinger, my great-grandfather Alex's mother. It was her name that was passed down the line because the German government didn't recognize her marriage to my great-great grandfather Leon Seneft when my great-grandfather returned to Germany after World War I (I could go on and on about what Alex went through in his life, and I think I know barely the surface of what he had to deal with…).

I'd love to know where she was born (Galicia? Germany? Ukraine? Poland? Austria?). I'd love to know her parents' names, and how many (if any) siblings she had.

I've been looking for her on Jewish Gen, though given her faith, I know the chances of finding her online are slim to nil. I'm hoping to get her son's US records at some point, and that might lead to something more. I know absolutely nothing about her husband aside from his name and the fact that he and his wife were gone by the time my grandfather was born, that he lived in London and apparently Galicia, and was likely a Rabbi. This quarter of my family tree stops right here, for the same reason others of Jewish ancestry do. Memory only goes back so far, and when the memory of the time even before the war is so miserable, it makes people less likely to discuss it.

There is also a possibility of getting a death record from the English government, if I can just find a death date/location from her. I believe she may have died in London, but I simply don't know for sure.

Where We're From – England

Unlike the previous lists, which had at least one birth in the country I was making the list for, none of my family was born in England. It was just a way-station in the lives of my family. The dates I have for these are less confirmed, so they will be my best guesses according to what notes I have.

A map of these locations:

View English Locations for my Family in a larger map

1. Camp Douglas, Isle of Man
Yes, I know this isn't England per se, but it doesn't belong with any of the other lists, so I'm going to put it here, for lack of a better location. I do have some family who came from Northern Ireland, and a quarter of my family that was located in Wales, so I intend to do different lists for those two locations, so this one gets to be part of England, at least for my purposes.

This location is a less positive location to me than the others I have listed so far. My great grandfather, Alex Seneft (later Alex Hillinger), was sent here during the first World War because he was a German Citizen. I'm not sure if he was sent there alone, or if either of his brothers or possibly the whole family were sent there as well. I do know he stayed at the camp through the end of the war, when he was expelled from England. He returned to Germany, though he left at least one sibling, and possibly both of his parents behind in England.

2. London
The Senefts came to England from Galicia when my great-grandfather Alex was young, possibly as young as seven years of age, though all their children were born in the "old country." I believe they settled in London, and that Leon and Mindel, Alex's parents, died in England.

3. Grimsby
The Bordewick Family, Heinrich Bergethon and his wife Leonharde and their three sons, Bjarne (my great-grandfather), Hans, and Harald, settled in Grimsby for a time after leaving Antwerp but before moving to Canada shortly before my great-grandfather would have finished his schooling, sometime about 1910 or 1911.


That's all I have for England at this time, though I do have a huge batch of Wales coming soon. And at least one location in Ireland. I'll be curious to see if any others for the United Kingdom/British Isles turn up.

Again, if any of my family reading this knows more, I'd love to hear it.

Next up: Denmark!

Womens History Month -- Week 2

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)
For my 21st birthday, my grandmother gave me a necklace her mother got from her parents when she turned 21. She wanted me to have a bit of the great-grandmother I remembered so well. It's a gold sunburst dotted with seed pearls, and the backing is a pin, so it can also be worn that way. The only time I actually wore it was at my wedding, though, hidden under the sash of my dress as my something old.

March 7 — Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don’t have one that’s been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.
There are a few recipes I could choose. My mother is actually a very good cook, and I've always loved her spaghetti, and there are other recipes that mean "family" to us, but there's one that stands out overall that we do every year for Christmas in some form or other. Shortbread. My grandmother said once that she thought she got it from a church cookbook, or church friend. Easiest recipe in the world.

Ingredients:
1 lb butter
1 c brown sugar (firmly packed)
4 c flour (sifted)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and gradually add sugar. Once the two have been combined, add in the flour slowly, using your hands to knead it as the dough thickens. Once all three have been combined, turn it out onto a slightly floured board and knead slightly, then roll to ¼ inch thickness. Cut to desired shapes and decorate to suit, or cut into finger lengths ½ inch wide and prick with a fork 3-5 times per piece. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

I hate getting messy, so any recipe that calls for hand-mixing is generally right out, but this is one I actually love doing, because the ingredients are so simple. Also, yes, that is a LOT of butter, but the recipe makes something like five or six dozen. Perfect for gifts for people who stop by or who you are going to see last minute. My mom and sister have tried a few different variations of this—mom even made a chocolate version last year that was quite delicious with cocoa powder.

March 8 — Did one of your female ancestors leave a diary, journal, or collection of letters? Share an entry or excerpt.
The only one I'm sure of is my paternal grandmother, Nana. We have a huge stack of letters between her and her sister (and a few other relations) over the years. I've loved reading them. We're especially lucky to have them because my aunt and uncle had a fire, and these were some of the things she managed to save, though they're a bit sooty and singed.

An Excerpt:
"Dear Marilyn,

Aunt Helga & Al were prompt in arriving but I was a little late. However, Helga is so adept at picking up where you left off the last time you saw her that we didn't waste a minute. They looked so good & were so cheerful! I was hung up in the airport parking lot which is being torn up for garages—the whole airport is being re-modeled—and the whole place at noon was as busy and crowded as I've ever seen the LA airport. It was the first time I've been there since [Marilyn's daughter] went home last summer. We'll be prepared when Helga & Al come back."

Al was my grandmother's father's brother, and she and her siblings had stayed with he and his wife Helga after their mother's death when they were just children. I love seeing how the connection stayed down through the years, and that she and my aunt stayed in such close touch with each other, despite living in Washington (my grandmother) and California (my aunt).

March 9 — Take a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.

One of the most elusive documents in my family search was the Philadelphia Census on which my mother's father's mother's family appears. She was born there before the turn of the century, but we weren't sure when they moved there, or whether all her siblings had been born in the US or not. We knew they had lived in the states for a number of years, but had been told that the census document with their names had been burned in a fire where the records had been stored. So I despaired of ever finding it. Then, this past year, while looking through Family Search.org, I found a copy, and the wealth of information on the document has been a godsend.

When I found the 1900 Census last year, I was elated. Not only does it list the names of my great-grandmother and her living siblings at the time, but it told me that her mother had had two other children—the document asks how many children a woman has had, and how many are still living. We actually already had record of the other children before this, but having this document confirms how many, which is wonderful to have.

I also learned that my great-great grandparents had arrived about seventeen years before, according to the document, and that they were both naturalized in 1883, so the year they arrived, or shortly thereafter.

I do know that within another ten years, shortly after their final child's birth, the family all returned to Ireland. Work became too difficult for my great-great grandfather, and he hoped that returning to their former home would help him find better opportunities.

March 10 — What role did religion play in your family? How did your female ancestors practice their faith? If they did not, why didn’t they? Did you have any female ancestors who served their churches in some capacity?
Both sides of the family are so very different.
Dad was raised in a very non-religious household because his father was non-practicing Jewish after the war, and his mother stopped attending the Lutheran church after her mother's death in 1929. She did attend church while in school, because it was a requirement, but she said she picked a church (Methodist, if I recall correctly) at the time based on how simple it was to just sit and listen to the sermon.
My mother's side of the family was much more religious. I believe they were Methodist. I remember attending church with my grandparents when I stayed with them quite often. I do know that my grandmother and her mother and father all participated in choir as part of their regular church activities.

March 11 — Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family?
As I mentioned above twice, my paternal grandmother lost her mother when she was quite young. Oline Hansen was 42 when she died. She caught a respiratory illness which became pneumonia, and soon after, she died. My great-grandfather was devastated. His maternal aunt came to Cleveland for a few days to help, but after she returned to her home in New York, he moved his children in with his brother and sister-in-law, and set about building them a new home, not wanting to live in the house where she had died.

March 12 — Working girl: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.
My paternal grandmother worked for my grandfather after he started his CPA office in the 60s. She worked as his secretary.
My mother has worked in a few different offices. Her longest stint was at Mutual Travel, which used to be a branch of Washington Mutual (I'm not sure if they survived the bank's collapse). She worked in their accounting department for many years before changing jobs.