❤️What are your roots? Tell us your story.❤️

glory jasmine · Nov 16, 2015

Hey y'all friends!

This is the thread where we find out where you came from. Tell us about yourself!

glory jasmine · Nov 16, 2015

I do know my roots! My grandparents on both my mas and dads side came over here from Italy. My mothers side,northern and my fathers side,southern. Due to marriages and divorce,a whole bunch of other stuff was added into the mix! Including,well besides my main ethnicity being Italian,(which is so obvious to most who know me....loud and proud! Jk[emoji]128526[/emoji]...there's English,Scottish,Irish,German and a little Japanese and a little black. As you may know,most Italians and Cajuns have black in their blood somewhere. Then,my grandma,my mas ma,has been working on our family tree and discovered what she had believed to be true for years...we also have Indian in us. Most likely from the Dakotas. So Sioux. She's still confirming the specifics. So I'm a big fat mutt. But deep down inside,I'm just y'all's sister in Christ! [emoji]128519[/emoji]

louann jude · Nov 16, 2015

I love this topic. I know on my moms side her mom is French and Cherokee. My moms dad is from English heritage. My dads side is just speculation I know we have German and English roots. Something I found that was interesting in my Dads side was that one of our ancestors help found Kentucky, where I am from. He was also a nephew of Andrew Jackson's by marriage.

fyllis · Nov 16, 2015

My lineage has been traced back at least 5 generations Maternally and Paternally to Bavaria, Germany. Both of my grandfathers were born there and immigrated to the U.S. as infants/toddlers. My great-grandmother was pregnant with my Dad's mother when she immigrated here; and my Mom's mother was conceived and born in the states.

I have never been to Germany, but it has always been a wish of mine to visit where my ancestors came from. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever make the trip.

I was born and raised in the mid-west United states and currently live just 23 miles from the home I grew up in.

My parents met in the first grade and married in June of 1942. They openly celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary a month before my Dad passed away of cancer in 1999. Mom passed almost 12 years later in March of 2011.

I have one brother and three sisters. I am the 4th born.

As you can see, there is a unique spelling to my name, and yes, it IS my legal name. FYLLIS - There is a story behind that...

My father's name is Art (Arthur) and my mother's name is Colette. When my brother, Brad, was born, Mom was sending out Christmas cards and realized their names started with A-B-C (Art, Brad and Colette). Two years later, my sister was born and Mom named her Donna - "D". Three years after her came my sister Eve - "E". Then I came along 4 years after her and they couldn't come up with a girl's name that started with an "F" that they liked.

Frances, Faith, Felicia, Fern, Florence.... none of them worked! My brother, who was now 10 years old, said, "What about Phyllis?". Mom explained that it started with a "P" and not an "F", so he said, "Then spell it with an "F"! - and they did. Three years after I was born, she had my sister Gina - "G".

Everyone wondered what she would name the next baby, but she firmly told them... "H" stand for Hell no! I have enough!" LOL

Looking back, I think my Mom had an ulterior motive when she spelled my name the way she did! You see, if you spell it backwards, it spells SILLY F! That is me all the way!

I'll add more to my history later. I have 58 years to explain! LOL (But, I promise not to disclose all my secrets here!)

If you have any questions, ask away! I will either answer you oopenly and honestly, or I will politely let you know it's none of your business! LOL

Who's next?

fyllis · Nov 16, 2015

Louann Jude said:
I love this topic. I know on my moms side her mom is French and Cherokee. My moms dad is from English heritage. My dads side is just speculation I know we have German and English roots. Something I found that was interesting in my Dads side was that one of our ancestors help found Kentucky, where I am from. He was also a nephew of Andrew Jackson's by marriage.

What part of Kentucky? I grew up just across the border in Cincinnati, Ohio.

glory jasmine · Nov 16, 2015

Louann Jude said:
I love this topic. I know on my moms side her mom is French and Cherokee. My moms dad is from English heritage. My dads side is just speculation I know we have German and English roots. Something I found that was interesting in my Dads side was that one of our ancestors help found Kentucky, where I am from. He was also a nephew of Andrew Jackson's by marriage.

Hi Louann! Welcome darling!! Me too. It's always so cool to me to discover new things about my history. Like how my great grandparents lived in Italy. It is so different then how I was raised. I mean,my ma tried to incorporate our Italian heritage into our lives as much as she could. But the more I learn about the "real Italian lifestyle ", the more I see just how some things were not as ethnic. I wish I could've spent more time with my Nona so that I could've had more of that experience. Although we did grow up with wine with our meals. That's pretty darn "Italian "!!! I can't wait to see Italy some day. What about you? Where would you like to go?

glory jasmine · Nov 16, 2015

Fyllis said:
My lineage has been traced back at least 5 generations Maternally and Paternally to Bavaria, Germany. Both of my grandfathers were born there and immigrated to the U.S. as infants/toddlers. My great-grandmother was pregnant with my Dad's mother when she immigrated here; and my Mom's mother was conceived and born in the states.

I have never been to Germany, but it has always been a wish of mine to visit where my ancestors came from. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever make the trip.

I was born and raised in the mid-west United states and currently live just 23 miles from the home I grew up in.
My parents met in the first grade and married in June of 1942. They openly celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary a month before my Dad passed away of cancer in 1999. Mom passed almost 12 years later in March of 2011.

I have one brother and three sisters. I am the 4th born.

As you can see, there is a unique spelling to my name, and yes, it IS my legal name. FYLLIS - There is a story behind that...

My father's name is Art (Arthur) and my mother's name is Colette. When my brother, Brad, was born, Mom was sending out Christmas cards and realized their names started with A-B-C (Art, Brad and Colette). Two years later, my sister was born and Mom named her Donna - "D". Three years after her came my sister Eve - "E". Then I came along 4 years after her and they couldn't come up with a girl's name that started with an "F" that they liked.

Frances, Faith, Felicia, Fern, Florence.... none of them worked! My brother, who was now 10 years old, said, "What about Phyllis?". Mom explained that it started with a "P" and not an "F", so he said, "Then spell it with an "F"! - and they did. Three years after I was born, she had my sister Gina - "G".

Everyone wondered what she would name the next baby, but she firmly told them... "H" stand for Hell no! I have enough!" LOL
Looking back, I think my Mom had an ulterior motive when she spelled my name the way she did! You see, if you spell it backwards, it spells SILLY F! That is me all the way!

I'll add more to my history later. I have 58 years to explain! LOL (But, I promise not to disclose all my secrets here!)

If you have any questions, ask away! I will either answer you oopenly and honestly, or I will politely let you know it's none of your business! LOL

Who's next?

Wow that's awesome! I have German roots as well. In fact,due to my Italian grandma marrying an German/English man...my father was born and married my ma. I got the German/English name! I love the a-h story!! Too cool! I'm the 3rd born,first girl. I have a neat story to my name too.

louann jude · Nov 17, 2015

Fyllis said:
What part of Kentucky? I grew up just across the border in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I am from eastern Kentucky about 60 miles south of Ashland. We are on the border of West Virginia.

fyllis · Nov 17, 2015

Louann Jude said:
I am from eastern Kentucky about 60 miles south of Ashland. We are on the border of West Virginia.

I know right where that area is. You're a little over 3 hours from me. Kentucky is such a beautiful state!

louann jude · Nov 17, 2015

fyllis · Nov 17, 2015

What a great history Louann! Nellie Mae looks sweet as ever, but I think I'd want her on my side if I was ever in a fight! LOL Then, after we won, I'd ask her to take me home and make me some biscuits 'n gravy! There's nothin' better than some REAL down-home cookin'!

I had a friend who lived in Ohio, just across the river from Ashland. I would drive to her place along the Ohio River and the scenery was just glorious! All the trees and mountains... it makes you wonder how the Indians and first settlers ever got around and survived!

louann jude · Nov 17, 2015

You know I only ever seen Maw mad once and she never raised her voice. She could cook. Me, my sister and brother and my three cousins was out there almost every morning. Biscuits, gravy, Banner sausage and fried eggs and potatoes. It was so good. I can make biscuits and gravy and its good but I can never make it the way Maw made it. Most of the time she just did drop biscuits.

I know the area well we drive across the bridge a few times a year when we go home to visit. I know what you mean on how they got around. To get to the home place where my mom and dad grew up you need a four wheel drive to get there and you drive through a creek.

It was hard even in the 60's mom was 8 or 9 when their one room school house burnt down. She said she was 13 before they got a road built good enough to go up the holler to bus them all out to the new school. She ended up quitting because she said the kids in her class was so much younger than her. There was a lot of stories like that then.

I love the area and it will always be home but there is so much poverty due to lack of jobs. There was just another big lay off last week in the mines. In the last three years so many of my family has left the area because of job losses.

glory jasmine · Nov 18, 2015

Wow that's such an awesome story. I just love how you love your history. It's so neat when we grow up old enough to truly understand and grasp just how hard they worked. And how morals and standards were so important. Honesty and commitment. Things have certainly changed. For the worse. Ohhhh those home cooked meals are sounding so good right now!!!! Oh man my grandma and my Nina and my ma can cook some Italian like nobody's business!!!! Mmmmm I'm hungry! Lol

fyllis · Nov 18, 2015

GLORY JASMINE said:
Wow that's such an awesome story. I just love how you love your history. It's so neat when we grow up old enough to truly understand and grasp just how hard they worked. And how morals and standards were so important. Honesty and commitment. Things have certainly changed. For the worse. Ohhhh those home cooked meals are sounding so good right now!!!! Oh man my grandma and my Nina and my ma can cook some Italian like nobody's business!!!! Mmmmm I'm hungry! Lol

The key word is: History. History is events from our past.

Tradition is the handing down of our history (statements, beliefs, legends, customs,information, etc.,) from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. The sad thing is, people don't focus on traditions much anymore.

Everyone is wanting to do their own thing. Moving across the country, or to new countries even. The family unit, as we once knew it, is no longer unified. I remember, as a child, having family dinner and, unless you were sick or dying, you better be at the table!

Dad worked the farm every day - 7 days a week! Feeding and caring for the livestock, baling hay, planting corn for the animals, plowing the garden, cutting grass (3 acres of just yard - plus bush-hogging about 15 more acres of pasture), cutting firewood, repairing and maintaining the barn, upkeep on the house, mending fences, getting up at 3:00 a.m. to pull a calf that was breach, fixing the tractors and other farm equipment, and everything else that went with being a farmer. But, he did this in his 'spare' time because he was running his own painting business (that developed into the largest commercial and industrial paint company in our area over almost 60 years!). There was no such thing as a 'lazy' weekend!

Mom was right there with him - day and night! Raising 5 kids, single-handedly running the company (home) office from answering the phones to doing the payroll. Cooking 3 meals a day for her family (and often for the hired help when it was harvest time), doing laundry - yes, she even ironed the pillow cases! Her home was meticulous inside and out. She canned fruits and vegetables from the garden.There was no such thing as a 'swiffer' - she scrubbed and waxed floors on her hands and knees. Yet, she always found time to tuck us all in and read to us every night. She helped with homework. Our birthday cakes were always homemade. She patched, hemmed, and sewed lost buttons back on by hand. Our Halloween costumes were hand-made. And I can remember her standing at the stove many times while fixing our breakfast with an ace-wrap around her head because she had migraines during her menopausal years. She never got sick!

And we ALWAYS went to church every Sunday as a family! We were taught morals, ethics, and manners.

We had traditions - based on family history. I miss those traditions. But I have tried to pass as many as I could on to my daughter. And it made me smile last week when I was talking with her and she told me, "Mom, don't forget I am making Grammy's homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and I will come over early so you can show me how to make her dressing (again) and pie crust!".

Oh, to go back 50 years to the comfort of family history and tradition!

purrfectlyhappy · Nov 18, 2015

I was born in Ukraine and moved to the USA in 1994 when I was almost 6. My fathers family is from Ukraine and my moms family is from there too. My grandma on my moms side escaped from Poland during the holocaust because she was Jewish. Both of my parents side is fully Jewish and I have family is Israel as well. I don't know much else about my family. They aren't really talkative about stuff like this. I had a tough childhood. My dad was an abusive alcoholic and I lost my mom in 1996 to cancer. My moms family hates. Y dad and I'm considered a black sheep. I left my home in 2003 at 15 to go to foster care because my dad got even more abusive. Now at 27 we finally have a good relationship. He's a matured person and stopped drinking.

louann jude · Nov 18, 2015

@PurrfectlyHappy I am glad you and your father made amends and now have a relationship.

I never thought that the way I cook especially breakfast as a tradition. But thinking on it it is. I make my biscuits the way my Mom does, the way her mom taught her, lol I will only use the flour that Maw used. We also have dinner together every night. Its always hectic, I have one that has a feeding disorder and another that has autistic traits.

One tradition I started with my oldest that I would like to get started back up is everyone gets there own special ornament for Christmas that year. He used to get one personalized every year.

I would love to get some Italian recipes. I am sure it goes beyond my ability as a cook.

larussa · Nov 18, 2015

I am full blooded Italian. My grandparents come from Naples but my Mom and Dad were born in America.

I never knew my grandfathers since they both died when my parents were young, I did know my grandmothers tho.

We didn't speak much Italian at home so I can't speak it at all, my parents only spoke it when they didn't want the rest of us to know what they were saying

I was lucky enough to visit Italy back in the 80's with a group from work. I made a side bus trip to Naples so I could see where my ancestors came from. It was exciting. Visited other places in Italy and did see the Pope.

My Mom had the olive skin that I loved but didn't inherit, I am more like my Dad who was very light and so is my sister. One of my brothers had the olive skin as Mom did and looked very much like her.

I have a lot of Italian habits such as talking with my hands and loving dishes made with tomato sauce, of course. When I get angry, I cuss in Italian, yeah I know some of those words

.

Both my parents are gone now and I miss them, mostly Mom since we were very close. I have one sister and two brothers, one is deceased. My sister is 16 years older than me so it's like having another mother. We are very, very close and we speak on the phone at least once a day and see each often since she is only 3 miles from me.

So that's a little of my history.

glory jasmine · Nov 18, 2015

Fyllis said:
The key word is: History. History is events from our past.

Tradition is the handing down of our history (statements, beliefs, legends, customs,information, etc.,) from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. The sad thing is, people don't focus on traditions much anymore.

Everyone is wanting to do their own thing. Moving across the country, or to new countries even. The family unit, as we once knew it, is no longer unified. I remember, as a child, having family dinner and, unless you were sick or dying, you better be at the table!

Dad worked the farm every day - 7 days a week! Feeding and caring for the livestock, baling hay, planting corn for the animals, plowing the garden, cutting grass (3 acres of just yard - plus bush-hogging about 15 more acres of pasture), cutting firewood, repairing and maintaining the barn, upkeep on the house, mending fences, getting up at 3:00 a.m. to pull a calf that was breach, fixing the tractors and other farm equipment, and everything else that went with being a farmer. But, he did this in his 'spare' time because he was running his own painting business (that developed into the largest commercial and industrial paint company in our area over almost 60 years!). There was no such thing as a 'lazy' weekend!

Mom was right there with him - day and night! Raising 5 kids, single-handedly running the company (home) office from answering the phones to doing the payroll. Cooking 3 meals a day for her family (and often for the hired help when it was harvest time), doing laundry - yes, she even ironed the pillow cases! Her home was meticulous inside and out. She canned fruits and vegetables from the garden.There was no such thing as a 'swiffer' - she scrubbed and waxed floors on her hands and knees. Yet, she always found time to tuck us all in and read to us every night. She helped with homework. Our birthday cakes were always homemade. She patched, hemmed, and sewed lost buttons back on by hand. Our Halloween costumes were hand-made. And I can remember her standing at the stove many times while fixing our breakfast with an ace-wrap around her head because she had migraines during her menopausal years. She never got sick!

And we ALWAYS went to church every Sunday as a family! We were taught morals, ethics, and manners.

We had traditions - based on family history. I miss those traditions. But I have tried to pass as many as I could on to my daughter. And it made me smile last week when I was talking with her and she told me, "Mom, don't forget I am making Grammy's homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and I will come over early so you can show me how to make her dressing (again) and pie crust!".

Oh, to go back 50 years to the comfort of family history and tradition!

All I can say is ..WOW. Your dad and mom busted buns! And it was just what you did. No complaining. You knew what had to be done and you took the initiative to do it. My Nona was just like your ma. She didn't have a car until she was 60. She walked everywhere!!! And then she got a 69 vw bug. An autostick. Which were only made for four years I believe. So fun to drive! No clutch. So to shift gears,you'd simply let up on the gas while you shifted. And it only had two gears other than reverse and neutral. High and low.
Simple. I truly love the simplicity of those days. So many things have changed and I personally believe it has not gotten better. Some things should've just been left alone. IMO.
My mama is also a neat freak. I mean down to vacuuming under couches and beds and dressers. She passed on her" leave it better than you found it" ethics to me. Along with so many others. Cooking is my mas most precious gift from The Lord. She is extraordinary!!!!!
My ma prides herself on honesty. As do I. As well as doing what you say you're going to do. Your word is your everything. At least it use to be. My dad worked hard to provide while my ma raised 5 chillins. My dad worked for the state of California. At DMV. We were blessed.
My Nona is in heaven now. I miss her terribly. She was the definite definition of A Strong willed woman! And her daughter and my ma and Us Three daughters all inherited that!!!!
But we were taught to stand up for what's right. For what we believe. For others. To be true to yourself. "It's better to be disliked for who you are,than to be liked for who you're not".

❤️What are your roots? Tell us your story.❤️

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter