Do You Ever Find It Hard To Imagine....????
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
July 14, 2008 12:46am CST
My discussion about what type movie you would like to be in and enact the lifestyle spurred this idea. I had mentioned in one response to a replier how my grandmother grew up during the Roaring Twenties and to be in "fashion" of course wore those flapper type dresses, which must have been considered pretty risque since not too many years prior women wore dresses still to the floor in length...now all of a sudden women wore flapper type dresses that showed...gasps..their legs. Women no longer wore their hair long, but cut in a short "bob".
I was told that my grandmother used to frequent speak-easys since it was Prohibition and alcohol was banned so the only way one could drink was to go to these speakeasys which were illegal of course..if you've seen old time movies these places were always raided.
It got me thinking of my ancestors in general, and I guess I come from a pretty "interesting" background..LOL
My great-grandmother must have also been the rebellious type--yes, she grew up a very strict and devote Catholic...YET...the story was told that as a younger woman, and during her courtship years was a Gay Gibson model as she had a mere 16 inch waist..The story was also told to me that her husband to be used to follow her around to make sure there wasn't any hanky panky going on...LOL. Also, my great-grandmother was a suffragette.. yup, one of those women who used to go around in protest marches with picket signs so women could get the vote.
Ah...it gets better! My grandfather on my mother's side was part Mexican and Spanish...he came from a wealthy Mexican family since they were all in the government. While attending the Chapultepec Military Academy, which was sort of Mexico's version of West Point...he left as he was muy simpatico with the "cause"...he joined up with the cause of Pancho Villa and Zapata to help the masses of Mexico's poor people
My great-grandmother's son, Eddie, joined the Navy in World War I and was a mine sweeper...yup one of those men who hunted for mines to detonate and destroy them...and yes he survived and got honorable discharge.
My great-grandfather, who gave an aura I'm told as a milk toast, very gentle, kind, was actually a member of the Sinn Féin
Then I had ancestors on my father's side who fought in the Civil War..both sides I might add but my direct line were the Confederates...the Rebels.
Gee, with all this rebellious blood in me, is it any wonder I tend to be vocal, outspoken, not afraid to speak my mind, a radical, used to be in Vietnam War protest marches?The thing is...I've heard these stories about my family, my ancestors, and it's almost hard to envision them doing any of these things...LOL.
How about you? Have you heard of rather interesting stories of your ancestors and for the life of you can't imagine them that way? Share some of your ancestor stories if you remember any.
6 people like this
8 responses
@ellie333 (21016)
•
14 Jul 08
Wow what interesting stories and yes a very rebellious crew indeed, so yes I should imagine thats where you get it from LOL...I would love to find out about my ancestors and am going to start looking soon, the only stories I am aware of are the ones my nan told me when I was a child and she was quite fesity. She was a bit of a rebel too and always stood up for what she felt was right and tried to stop any injustice. When she was younger she come out of a dance room to fin about 6 guys hitting just one and she was only petite yet she walked straight into the middle of the brawl and shouted enough you sissies, one on one or not at all. She could have been so hurt but they just all stopped and walked away apologising to her as she went and the poor guy that was being picked on thanked her profusely. Thats about it really that I am aware off. I am still trying to think of a film for your other discussion LOL, difficult one that. Ellie :D
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jul 08
LOL..Your nan sounds like my great-grandmother...she probably would have been the type to get in the middle of a "scene" and try and stop any nonsense too. She was a petite thing too...heck she did have a 15 inch waist.
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
14 Jul 08
Ahhh pye - one of my passions - Ancestry and family history.
While my ancestry can't measure up to yours (in many ways), I still find the lives of my ancestors fascinating. To try to understand what they went through just to survive (in their time) is one of the most fascinating things I can do.
My great great grandfather (on my dad's side) left the farm and became a trader with the Cherokee Nation. He traded goods with them throughout southern South Carolina and northern Georgia. He did such a good job, and they liked and trusted him so much, the band he traded with most gave him the 'gift' of his bride. I think now, it was also because they realized they were facing rough times ahead and wanted her to be taken care of in Georgia, rather than having to face the 'trail of tears'. It's still a mystery how they escaped those perilous times, but they did. He helped hide a small band of Eastern Cherokee in the hills and caves of north Georgia. Later they left the Indian Nation to be 'counted' as whites, although my great great grandmother never the roots of her upbringing.
Her children, pretty much, all had something in them that would carry them onward despite the hardships they endured.
My great grandfather on my grandmother's side, started out studying in the priesthood in Ireland. The story goes that he rebelled against the family's wishes and left the priesthood to become a clown in the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
One of his girls carried on that circus blood and smell of grease paint to become one of the 'sharpshooters' in a Wild West Show in Texas. Her husband was a 'forerunner' for the show and booked events throughout Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
From poor dirt farmers in Georgia and Alabama on one side and priests and clergy on the other who became circus people, the family lot was certainly fascinatinng.
Members of my mother's family were opposites. They came from 'well bred stock' who had it better than most families, coming from one of the families that first settled Hartford, Connecticut. When North met South, I guess all hell broke loose, because the family has been nuts ever since. LOL
There seems to have been an entrepeneurial spirit within both families as many of them were business owners and leaders of whatever community they settled in. My research has given me a type of pride for their determination and persistence which (thank goodness) must have rubbed off on me.
Many of my ancestors displayed some kind of talent, whether it was their performing abilities or business sense or whether it was playing an instrument to pass the time. All of it (my research) has brought many years of complete interest for me. It sure makes me wonder if we would have had the 'gumption' to do the things they did to get by. Wow!
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Have you ever thought about writing a book about your family history? Genealogy books are real popular since you never know who else might be looking up the same exact info that you found out. That's how I was able to find out a lot about my father's side of the family as the NY Public Library had a copy of The Neer Kindred by Gammon...the real frustrating part I haven't been able to verify just WHEN my father's side of the family came here...they were from the Palatine Germany area...The only authentic record is the deed to land from 1786 in the Loudoun Co area of of Virginia of which I have a copy of but it's implied that (in that book) that they came to America in around 1710 and settled in the Hudson River Valley area of NY first but no definite leads...one thing I would love to do is go back even further to the origins of the country the families came from...Have you done a complete search on that score? I guess like you, I love the whole genealogy thing as it's like trying to solve a mystery...and I've always been a mystery buff.
Mmmm..does some of that clown blood exist in you? Hehe
Speaking of rebellion...when my grandfather decided to join up with the people's cause with Pancho Villa and Zapata he was considered a black sheep--I mean think of it...he came from family all in the govt...and here he was rebelling against the govt
@1grnthmb (2055)
• United States
17 Jul 08
Well! To start with my great grandmother (My mom's mother's, mother would tell stories about traveling west on a wagon train. My Great Grandfather on my mom's Fathers side oft the family was a German Whaling Ship Captain. My grandmother tried to have his logs translated and was told that she did not want to know what they said. He met his wife on the island of Tasmania - we have no idea if she was a convict or from a gaurd's family. They settled in Darwin, Australia. Her Dad came to the US right before world war one and joined the army at the age of sixteen by lying about his age. After getting out of the army he worked in the construction of the west coast highway 1 and then worked in the maintenance of it. My Great, great grand father on my dad's side of the family was an orphan who came to America for a better life. His grandfather was also orphaned and had to start working when he was only twelve and always lied about his age until he no longer know how old he was. My dad's Mom was a professional whistler and my grandfather saw her at a concert and fell in love with her and went back stage to meet her and was thrown out but she came out to see what was going on so he met her anyway. And this is just a touch in the bucket.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I'm kind of surprised I have all these old papers too...I hate to think what WAS discarded over the years and thrown out...bet there was a lot more so count myself lucky in what I do have remaining
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jul 08
It's funny that you mention about your great, great grandfather coming to America as an orphan. While I have some records about my own great,great grandfather coming to America (from Ireland in 1851) I'm getting the impression while he may not have been an orphan but came here on his own and at a very young age at that since I haven't found any records of his parents...I say that, since I still have the paper he signed in 1851 declaring himself to be a person of American loyalties...there are no papers of his parents...would think they would have been all together if they did come as a family, don't you?
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
14 Jul 08
Dont know that much history of my family they didnt talk much about it or I didnt listen sigh! But I do know that my grandpa and dad worked in the copper mine outside of Salt Lake City Utah and they also worked on a road gang building roads between Utah and Idaho. My grand pa was a blacksmith and when the motor driven combines came in to the vally he was the machanic that would work on them he was the only one in town that did it.
My great gandpa on daddys mom side had a ranch in Star Valley Wyoming close to where the Hole in the Wall gang hide out. dont know if the gang visited the ranch or not!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I sure wish I had gotten stories about my great-grandparents directly from my great-grandmother..when one is young one never thinks to ask the "elders" and while my grandmother and mother were able to tell me certain stories it was just in bits and pieces....hehee...that would have been something if the Hole in the Wall gang hid out in your great grandpa's ranch...hehee
1 person likes this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
15 Jul 08
WOW!!! Pye's Mommy....
The only thing i can say is i talked back to my dad at 16 finally and didn't get killed!..I have nothing to say..my life is boring well it was now i have people flashing in my store..hee hee..stealing from me (friends)..and people from stores like mine buying my stuff to sell in there store..LOL..this is in the new one across the street..do they think i'm stupid?
So keep those interesting stories coming..love hearing about them and your Family!
Huggles
oh yea how's your cat food today??..LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Well your life certainly doesn't sound boring with flashers coming into your store...hehe..gee and just think you get that "entertainment" for free...LOL
I just finished some beef bits in gravy..not bad..
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
14 Jul 08
gee, your ancestors make mine seem a bit ho hum. except for a couple. on my moms side, a great uncle was highly decorated in the union army, even tho he was from KY! cant remember all the particulars, but it was in our family reunion newspaper when we went as i have a cousin doing research. my grandfather was on dads side was closely related and married into the hatfields, that fought terribley with the mccoys. one of my great aunts, dads mothers sister was a Shawnee princess.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jul 08
The funny thing about my "rebel" ancestors. My father's side of the family came from VA...it was like four families as a result of four sons of the original "settler" Two families moved to Ohio in the early 1800s, one branch stayed put in VA, and my direct line moved to Missouri in 1859. Missouri was a neutral state during the "War"...but two brothers of my direct line wanted to be involved with the war, and I guess since they still were loyal to their southern roots had to enlist in Arkansas regiments to be able to be Confederates. It be interesting to say the least to study the various battles in depth track the regiments my ancestors were in and see if they were ever pitted against each other in battle. OMG---one line somewhere along the line of my father's family WERE ...gasps..McCoys...hehee
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
15 Jul 08
well hope ours didnt fued but likely did. my dad was from KY, but his parents were from Virginia, so dont know a lot about it. im from ohio, where they moved later in life. you got any relatives named Mullins or king?
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I'll have to look at that enormous book I have about my family tree...hehe..I'll let you know what I come up with
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
21 Jul 08
those are indeed wonderful stories, unfortunately I do have any wild stories like that, I do not know any one older than my grandmother and no stories were every sent down before her time except for the one I put up on this site about her birth and her brother dying, mother wanted to kill them all, etc.
My stories are about poverty and hard lives because this is what my family experienced. Canada is not a country for big marches, so we did not have any. I do not know of any suffragettes in my family though canadians did have the two.
It too these fine woman to make our governments realize that woman and children are not property of men but real persons, before early 1900's were were not considered persons. The movement actually started in england and made its way to our north american shores.
You make me miss my history major days, lol,
1 person likes this
