Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com
Lately, I’ve been researching more about my paternal heritage. My grandfather died shortly before my first birthday, so I never got the chance to get to know him. His wife, my grandmother, had died when my father was still a boy. My great grandparents were gone long before I was born. Before my dad passed away three years ago, he used to share some stories of this family that I never got to know. But with him gone, too, I’m left wanting to know more.
My great grandparents’ graves are the oldest in our family plot at the cemetery. Their names were John and Susana. I knew from an early age that they had immigrated to the United States and that our last name has German roots. I also knew that they had a trying life here in America, working hard for every penny they had. But other than a few other tidbits here and there, they were a great mystery.
Well, with my latest l research, I have discovered some new information. My great grandparents were born in Austria: my great grandfather in 1878 and my great grandmother in 1884. That means my great grandmother was an entire century older than me! I also found information that makes it seem they never became U.S. citizens. They were listed only as resident aliens, trying to make a new start for themselves in a country far from home.
They spoke mostly German, so their four children (all sons), including my grandfather, spoke German as their first language. From all the census reports, I found that my great grandparents and their sons never even went to high school, and their three youngest sons (my grandpa was the oldest) were still living in the family home when my great grandparents were nearing retirement age.
My father had four children. I am the third. I can’t help but see how lucky our generation is. We have all graduated high school. In fact, we’ve all had the chance to go to college. Money can sometimes be tight, but we aren’t a family of manual laborers anymore. We own/live in decent homes. Three out of four of us are already married and have children of our own. We have all gotten the chance to pursue careers we truly enjoy and feel passionate about. We may not speak a lick of German and have lost touch with our heritage, but we are a family who truly cares for and loves one another.
I wonder what exactly motivated my great grandparents to come here to the U.S. What all were they seeking? Did they ever regret leaving their home country? And what would they think knowing their descendants are continuing to improve their family line? Ultimately, though, I wonder if they would be happy and proud to see how my siblings and I are living today.
© 2014 Amanda R. Dollak
Amanda R. Dollak 