Today’s Walk: Thinking About Independence Day and my Immigrant Grandparents

With the recent death of my father, family history is on my mind. Three of my grandparents were immigrants; two arrived at Ellis Island from Eastern Europe as 18 year olds, one was a 4 year old Irish child brought here to become a son for a childless Aunt & Uncle. Coming to America changed …

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Words of Wisdom: Honoring Our Ancestors and the Value of the Language We Use

My mother was a first generation American who was born in the United States in 1941. Both her parents were Ukrainian immigrants who emigrated to the USA (separately and meeting later) when they were each 18 years old. As a child, my mother started her life in an inner city Chicago household that primarily spoke …

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Fulfilling Childhood Dreams With American Samoa

Saturday June 6, 2020 My Childhood hero’s were British Primatologist Jane Goodall, Cultural Anthropologist Margaret Mead, my maternal grandmother Pauline Michanco and our neighbor Ms. Ruth Winchell. My maternal grandmother Parascevia Hrycak (maiden name) or Pauline Michanco (married name) made a big impact on me as a child. She was a survivor and an independent …

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Missed Opportunity: What I Wished I Knew

Sunday May 17, 2020 I wished I’d asked more questions. After my mother’s death it occurred to me that I never asked enough questions about my family history. I am the descendant of 3 immigrant grandparents with a paternal grandmother whose lineage goes back to the Mayflower. I know little about my mother’s parents and …

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