Yay, my greatgrandfather on father's side was said (by my father) to be a teacher in Nebraska (railroads nearby, certainly.) His son turns up, news, as a lawyer (whaaaaat, a lawyer in my family?) in Idaho. Then they had a hop farm, now it gets interesting, a hop farm, near Santa Rosa, CA. M'dad was born in 1906, baptised in a church in Santa Rosa, and is seen in photos playing football with his brother near the family home in .....Sacramento, California.
Because I have a friend who is sort of geneology nuts, and I was trying to find where the hop farm was, exactly, though I still don't know that, I did find with her help the family home... right there on 38th st. in Sacramento. Knocked on door. Yep, they're about to remodel...
Why am i telling about this, what was the question?
Why I am posting is that my family is if described on the whole, some kind of mess, but some of those lil guys went to Hollywood and put a foot in there. Well, and then they had these difficulties. But, they were there.
Smokingunne -- Yes, we thought my great-grandfather probably left because of the potato famine, but we were never sure. 'Til the end of his days, he never allowed his photo to be taken, so some in later generations always wondered if he had left the old country under less than honorable circumstances. Of course, I have read that many Irish of that day were superstitious about having their picture taken. Something about the image capturing their soul, I believe. Anyway, we will never know, so perhaps you are right. We'll blame it on the potato famine and let it go at that.
And yes, I am proud of those ancestors, but it is very strange to visit their graves. They came such a long, long way, and they saw so much in their lifetimes...so many different places. And now they're buried in a tiny, half-forgotten cemetary by the side of a dusty county road in the middle of nowhere. No trees, no water within sight, no towns anywhere close. A godforsaken place. It just doesn't seem right.
However, their youngest son (#9 in line, my grandfather) made good. He was 12 years old when he came to Oklahoma with his family for the land run. Later, he became one of those who built this part of the U.S. He was a levee contractor...built roads, dams, river embankments, etc. in the middle of virgin land. He had his own company...camps, crews, mules, machinery, etc. Never even lived in a house with a roof until he was 30, married with three children of his own. His son (my father) wasn't born until he was 50. I remember the old man fondly. We called him Pappy. He lived with us. He used to hold me in his lap in his big red velvet rocking chair and read to me. He died when I was in kindergarten. I still have the chair.
Oh. You asked about the music. My sister is the family's authority on all things Irish. She has a wonderful voice, and she plays about 10 different instruments. I don't know anything about Irish music, but I absolutely LOVE to hear her play. She is coming to visit in about a month, and I am looking forward to hearing her "break in" our new piano. (My son just started lessons.)
Another nice story Eva, Yea there are many reasons why your ancestors should have left Ireland.
It is nice that you have their graves to visit and just let your mind run back. I'll bet they wouldn't want buried anywhere else when they were used to the wide open countryside. Your sister must be very talented to play 10 instruments.
A lot of the towns here during the summer run what is called a "fleadh" (unsure of the spelling, pronounced "flaaw") when all the instrumentalists gather in the streets and play for hours on end, no invitation required.
They play in groups, there is some organisation. :wink:
On a sunny day it is a sight to behold. Your sister would be in heaven. :wink:
It is nice to have your peoples things to remember them by.
I have enjoyed your correspondence.
Nice story osso (I just call you osso like everyone else, I hope you don't mind) so you are saying, are you, that you are mixed up somewhat.
It was good to find the old home, is this an ancestoral home or your old home, I am a wee bit confused as well. :wink: Is it being remodelled for
selling or is some one doing it for themselves.
So that's a lawyer and Hollywood so far, keep at it, you may have a large
inheritance lying somewhere. :wink:
Thanks.
Thanks, Smokingunne! I've enjoyed remembering all those stories! I hope to make it to Ireland someday so I can see where they came from. Now it's your turn. Tell us about where you live.
Yes, Smokingunne -
Far as I am concerned there are just two kind of folks in this world - The Irish and those that wanna be Irish.
My father is decended from one of seven brothers that arrived here with their mother (she was widowed during the passage.) The older boys went to work for the railroad and helped put all the track in (I think they were called "Gandy Dancers") The railroad company gave my great great grandmother a railroad car which she and the kids lived in and she traveled with her kids and cooked for the railroad crews.
I'd like to see Nicole Kidman play her - she looks like she could play a tough Irish lady for an Aussie.
Us Irish, we be tough. Ah the Black Irish from
Belfast. (Now do I get trounced?).
faity
Hi seaglass, livin' in a railroad car could be a tough life, but as a mother
and kids were on board it was probably as comfortable as possible.
I wonder were the seven brothers potato famine emigrants, it would seem to go back that far.
You won't believe me but I wouldn't know Nicole Kidman in a line-up.
I have absolutely no interest in the film world
Is your last statement Us Irish or US Irish and No Comment. :wink:
Here's ta all the Micks around here (the real ones and the wannabees too)
note the dark beer, there, smokingunne; in deference to you, its Guinness :wink:
Hi, Smokin, no, I don't think I am mixed up...but then that might be just the time to worry, no?
I come from a somewhat old hollywood family, in that one uncle was treasurer for Selznick, and the beginning of Cinerama, and another treasurer for Disney. Saying that, you'd think I was rich, but nah. That was on my mother's side, and grudges flew around, and, besides, there were enough children that the odd nieces were way, away. Not that I resent it, just telling.
It is my father's side I am beginning to find more about now, though I had to write some sort of essay in fifth grade that I kept for years, but... it was in a box stolen from a garage back in '73 (nother story, ne'er mind).
I am interested, to some extent, in my heritage. On the other hand I am satisfied. I loved both my parents and they were worlds unto themselves.
I lost them, my father when I was in my twenties, and my mom from alzheimer's when I was in my thirties. I am now beginning my sixties.
No, I am not really mixed up, I am quite settled, stable in myself.
My friend who is into geneology has helped me trace us on dad's side to NYC. This is good to know, and I plan to pay attention soon.
But I lived there myself at eight and that is what matters, my personal memories of places and people.
Oh, and my mother had a joke memorized. She wasn't ordinarily a joke teller, and in fact my family was more into stories than jokes as such...I still can never remember jokes..
but there was something that made her chuckle enough to tell me, and here it is,
What would you be if you weren't irish?
Ashamed!
Well, there, a sense of shame is if not the heart of irishness, at least a pinpointable factor.
I can see we are diverging from plain old cheery welcomes, and maybe one of us should start a topic on irish heritage.
osso said
Quote:
Why I am posting is that my family is if described on the whole, some kind of mess,
osso, I don't want to be argumentative but the above statement somewhat
confused me. :wink:
For
osso, I thought before you's do whatever you are going to do
to the thread I would give you the URL of the Mayo local newspaper.
I think
every thread usually ends up like this.
www.mayonews.ie/ :wink:
Hello, and Please Call Me Cree
I find myself via invitation to introduce me. In business sense, I am known on the web as SPDworks. I prefer my beloved shortened nick of years ago, when first I found the www a wwwonderful land for writers. This nickname was orignally, in length, "cree8tiv"...someone in a chat one fine day exclaimed "Cree!!" And it stuck. So call me Cree, and welcome me, as I am forever seeking new places to share my writing, and read the writing of others, for without feedback for my work, and inspiration of others' work as well, I fear I might just wither and die. As a moderator over a year now for another writer site, I have habits to attack the process of posting in the way familiar to its boards. So please, please, bear with me as I stumble through the learning process to share with you and reply to works I have privilege to read. The posts I have perused so far lead me to believe I have stumbled upon a great place indeed! I hope to be reading things here and sharing some of my writes as well in the near future. Not one for verbosity (or perhaps to recognize when it has reared its ugly head), I shall end this now somewhat wordy soliloquy with a huge hello!!!
~Cree
Welcome indeed, SPDworks, or Cree! I hope to read some of your writing soon. This is a very friendly and good place to be, so please settle in, look around, and make yourself at home.
Would you like to say where you are from? I am from Australia.
