Road Trip!!!

We've got a 4 hour trip to my husband's family reunion, so I'm ready to use the drive time wisely.  I bought this book for my husband a decade ago and he hasn't touched it once.  So now I'm thinking I'll let my sons take turns picking a question and I'll digitally tape his answer.  Then once we get to the reunion, I have my Descendant Chart ready to tape to the wall in our gathering room.  One added bonus from Ancestry was that they had yearbook pictures from several of the relatives from the 60s to the 80s.  That should stimulate some chuckles and hopefully some entertaining stories.  Looking forward to it!

Considering My Teen's Personal Story

I am so very thankful that when my boys were in preschool and filled out a form with their favorite things, I saved it.  I would sometimes remember to ask them the same questions on their birthday.  So the other day we had a great laugh at their answers over the years.  It's such a fun way to track my childrens' history as they grow up.  I'm hoping Michael will be brave enough to include them in his family heritage book!     

1.  My favorite TV show is__________

2.  What I like best about myself is________

3.  My favorite thing to eat for supper is ________

4.  My favorite color is ________

5.  Other children think I'm________

6.  My favorite song is________

7.  What I like best about my mother is________

8.  My best school subject is________

9.  My favorite video game is________

10. When I have to work around the house, I________

11. What I like best about my father is________

12. I like my teacher when________

13. My favorite movie is________

14. I think my bedtime should be________

15. When I have free time, I like to________

16. When I grow up, I want to________

17. I like people who________

18. What I would like to change about me is________

19. I do not like people who________

20. If I had lots of money, I would________

21. Favorite restaurant________  

22. Favorite flavor ice cream________

23.  Favorite friend________

24.  Favorite book________

25.  Favorite hobbies________

26.  Favorite board game________

Marrying Across Boundaries

While we were at Polka Fest, we sat at the same table with a very friendly older woman who had a Czech heritage.  I brought up the fact that I had an ancestor from both the Czech side and from the Slovak side of the border.  She said that there was a big difference between the two.  I had already read a little about why Czechoslovakia had broken apart, and how the Czechs were typically more educated while the Slovaks were typically more rural.  So I didn't press her for details, partly out of a defensiveness that she might put down my Slovak ancestors.  When we discussed it later as a family, I wondered if marrying across ethnic boundaries put a strain on my great great grandparents' marriage.  After 6 children, Joannes Turanek abandoned Helene in Slovakia, came to Chicago and married a second woman (who specified her birthplace as Germany).  That conversation seemed to engage my son, speculating on the influence of prejudices & stereotypes in this situation.  Score one point for the genealogist mom :)

Memorial Day - Let Us Never Forget!

(Puerto Rico's 65th U.S. Infantry Regiment in South Korea, Feb. 2, 1951)

During the Korean War, my grandfather briefly returned to Puerto Rico to bring condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers in his regiment.  I've typed the spanish words from the newspaper article into Google Translator but I really need to ask my mother to translate it in a way that flows better.  I can imagine how emotional he must have been to give that speech- he said that in every step they demonstrated unparalleled value, intelligence and native pride.  In addition to their great fighting spirit, he described them as very religious.  He offered his home in Ponce to all those who had relatives in the Korean front.  Here is a list of the "Los Boricuas Caídos Honrosamente" who gave their all for the country they loved.  Let us never forget their sacrifice. 

This morning, I took the boys downtown to meet a Holocaust survivor Mike Jacobs.  What a horrific experience he lived through- when he was finally liberated, he weighed only 70 pounds as a 21 year old.  Fortunately, the Nazis did not accomplish their goal to exterminate the Jews, such as Mr. Jacobs.  As the sole survivor of his family, he came to America, got married, and had four children!  Let us never forget what happened during the Holocaust.   

We also paid a visit to our town's war memorial.  There was so many names for such a small town.  Let us never forget those brave men.

Just a few years ago, my grandfather lamented that our country has forgotten the purpose of Memorial Day.  Papi, I hope this blog post would please you.  Love, Michelle. 

Polka On!

One of the biggest revelations of my research on my father's side concerned his grandfather's family.  Through Ancestry, we found my dad's second cousin and she stunned us with the circumstances of how the family had immigrated from Europe.  It was quite a shock for my dad because he grew up thinking he was one thing (German), and it got changed 65 years later (Czechoslovakian).  It was fun for me to get to look at a new culture as my own heritage, especially a culture that's so prevalent around central Texas.  A perfect opportunity to see that culture presented itself as we spent yesterday afternoon at the National Polka Festival.  On the schedule, I zeroed in on the kolache eating contest & the horseshoe contest as activities that might engage my teenager.  Surprisingly, when it came time to enter, my husband and father-in-law did while my son declined.  We all had a great time cheering them on.  Afterwards, we got to polka while the Texas Dutchmen played in the Katolická Jednota Texaská Hall.  I can't say my son had a fabulous time, but hopefully he got a little taste of his heritage and the men got a picture with Polka Fest Grand Marshal, Miss Texas.

 

No Regrets - Interviewing Your Older Relatives

It just so happened that my cousin got married the year that my older son had the family heritage assignment.  My grandfather was in amazingly great shape in his early 90s and golfed as much as possible.  Sadly he wasn't physically up to joining the traditional pre-wedding golf day with all the men in the family.  But that turned into the golden opportunity for my son to interview him.  I am so incredibly thankful we got to do that, because he passed away only 6 months later.  But I do have two regrets.  Firstly, most of the questions were pretty superficial (about pets, hobbies, etc.).  That made sense coming from his great-grandson.  But I wish I asked him some more introspective ones.  Secondly, I wish I had given him a microphone to speak into.  We had a room full of people, so at times it was difficult to hear him on the video.  And since I was holding the camera, my voice came in the loudest - which is a painful thing indeed!  I hope to figure out a way to edit out the background noise with Photoshop Premiere, when Michael needs to listen to it for his assignment.

Given how busy the school year is, we will be aiming to interview grandparents over the summer.  I found some great questions online that I would like to borrow.  Thank you Treasure Maps Genealogy for your many great ideas!  I will also be asking my technophile hubby for help securing a cordless microphone.  Please comment with any suggestions you might have.

- Who where the most influential people in your life (relative, teacher, coach, boss, etc) and why?

- What hard-earned lessons have you learned in your life?

- What was a life-defining or life-altering moment in your life?

- What do you want to make sure we know about your parents/grandparents/siblings?

- What predictions would you make for each of your grandchild's lives?

- What wisdom do you want to pass down the generations?

"VI ET ARMIS" By Strength And Arms

Boy, just to talk about this took some negotiation last night!  Michael pushed for not working on this at all until the end of June, but I reminded him of all his extracurriculars that will start up in the Fall.  Neither of us wants to be slaving over this full-time next Spring.

When I read in the description of the cover of the book that there was blood dripping from the leg, he wanted to find it.  Then he asked me to scan it to put in his book.  We're getting somewhere!

"Gules, three dexter arms vambraced argent and embowed, the hands closed proper.

A dexter arm vambraced and embowed argent, the hand grasping an armed leg couped it the thigh and bleeding."