A Different Era
My father-in-law's parents immigrated to the US from Italy. They sold all their possessions to book passage in steerage.
That story always fascinated me. I can't even imagine the hardships they must've faced. Yet they felt that America was full of promise. They would do whatever was necessary to fit in--even rename their children.
My father-in-law's real name was Aro, but when he entered school, his teacher (a German-American) suggested to his parents that he'd have more opportunity in their adoptive country if their son had a more American-sounding name--like Otto.
Greg's grandparents, eager to fit in, and not realizing that Otto was more German than American, readily agreed. Aro became Otto.
It's only within the past 40 years or so that we've become enamored with re-embracing our original heritage--even if we are many generations removed from that heritage. But back in the early part of the 20th century immigrants gladly distanced themselves from their mother country so they could be seen as Americans.
It's curious to see the pendulum swing in the opposite direction today.
I never got the chance to ask my father-in-law how he felt about his name change. I also wondered if it involved any legal maneuvering--but I doubt it. It was a different time and they didn't bother with trifles. If your parents renamed you, that was legal enough for everyone.
I had a friend who was adopted during the Great Depression. His blood parents, no longer able to feed him, dropped him off at a children's home. A few months later, a couple picked him out of a playground, and took him with them as they traveled cross-country. There were no papers filed or background checks. The home was glad to have one less mouth to feed.
Can you imagine anything like that happening today?
Next week, I'll tell a little story about my great grandmother--a woman I've never met yet haunts me to this very day.
How far can you trace your ancestry?
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| Otto (Aro) with sister, Norma, and two cousins |
My father-in-law's real name was Aro, but when he entered school, his teacher (a German-American) suggested to his parents that he'd have more opportunity in their adoptive country if their son had a more American-sounding name--like Otto.
Greg's grandparents, eager to fit in, and not realizing that Otto was more German than American, readily agreed. Aro became Otto.
It's only within the past 40 years or so that we've become enamored with re-embracing our original heritage--even if we are many generations removed from that heritage. But back in the early part of the 20th century immigrants gladly distanced themselves from their mother country so they could be seen as Americans.
It's curious to see the pendulum swing in the opposite direction today.
I never got the chance to ask my father-in-law how he felt about his name change. I also wondered if it involved any legal maneuvering--but I doubt it. It was a different time and they didn't bother with trifles. If your parents renamed you, that was legal enough for everyone.
I had a friend who was adopted during the Great Depression. His blood parents, no longer able to feed him, dropped him off at a children's home. A few months later, a couple picked him out of a playground, and took him with them as they traveled cross-country. There were no papers filed or background checks. The home was glad to have one less mouth to feed.
Can you imagine anything like that happening today?
Next week, I'll tell a little story about my great grandmother--a woman I've never met yet haunts me to this very day.
How far can you trace your ancestry?
Comments
Several years ago I started working on my ancestry. My father's side was a dead end quickly. Evidently a lot of bad feelings, as frontiersmen headed to the territory.
My mother could go back to her grandparents and that was about it. Everything got left behind in Sweden and England. No ties.
Most disappointing, was that no one in the family really cared. Hm. So much for the importance of one's roots.
My father's mother can trace back to the early colonies too. However, we're not sure which colonies.
My mother's mother came from France originally, my mother's father from Ireland, but I think that's about it until we go there and look it up. (One day when I'm rich. lol. ancestry dot com is just too easy.)
Other than official records like tax, marriage, birth/death, or land records, how much do most of our ancestors have to leave behind?
Sometimes I think family history is the flipside to astrology. One you try to shape the future to the way you want it. The other you try to shape (or selectively reveal?) the past. Maybe I need more coffee this morning so I'll be less cynical :)
No, I can't imagine a kid getting picked up out of the playground and rubber stamped as adopted that way, however, I won't even pretend I can imagine the hard times of The Great Depression. I mean, honestly, you would have thought we were in the Great Depression even now with the way some folks bemoan the state of the economy. And at it's worst, the Great Recession couldn't match the hell those folks dealt with.
I sometimes wonder if GI Joe had it right. If knowing is half the battler, why is it the more we demand to know and have access to, the more loopy things get? It really is a different era.
I hope you find out some day.
I love listening to old people (older than me--LOL). It's like opening a history book.
I was blessed with some historians on both sides of the family.
On my dad's side I have info back to the late 1700's. I think that's due in part to the 'stairway romance.' ;)
On my mum's side I have info back to the mid 1600's. (Hand written charts handed down to me from Mum's dad.)
I spent a good chunk of time attempting to go back further, and want to return to that at some point.
Great picture Maria! That's one thing I wish I had.
I wonder which of your boys will take up the mantle after you.
It's fun to think back about family lines. I find myself wondering how they lived and what times were like back then.
The blonde girl found with the Roma gypsies is causing quite a stir at the moment. I imagine in fringe societies it's easier to get away with simply handing your child over to a stranger. Sad.
Since she took care of my father's side, I worked on my mother's and lost interest when I reached dead ends. But I did get go back quite a bit and there were name changes (not like Aro/Otto)and when I discovered this, it opened up a whole new line to me. Seemed a wife didn't like her husband's last name of Rumbaugh because of the "rum" part and made him change it to Rembaugh. I only knew my gr-gr-grandfather as Horatio Rembaugh and it was a huge block. Then I got my hands on my gr-gr-grandfather's brother's book of family history (what a find that was!!) and discovered what his step-mother had done! Any Rembaughs out there descend from Horatio's father, so I know we're related!
We bought an old house once and found an ancient family bible with handwritten records written on the inside cover and other blank pages of births, marriages, and deaths in the family. We contacted the family who sold us the house and they were grateful beyond words. It's important.
My comment would be too long to post but for anyone interested you could check out
http://baffledspirit.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/sergeant-john-keyton.html