Are you interested in learning more about your family history but have no idea how to get started?
Does the whole thing feel overwhelming and impossible? It doesn't have to be-I can teach you!
I currently have two workshops available, Genealogy 101 and Graves Secrets which will help any beginner get started. Genealogy 101 gives you all the basics on how to get started, common genealogy tools and how to keep your information organized.
Grave Secrets is a follow up workshop giving you everything you need to know about the information that can be found in a cemetery, from helpful tools to gather your information, how to locate cemeteries and the type of information that can be found in them about your ancestors.
The workshops are held online over Skype and are currently being held one on one. The cost of attending is $40.00 a workshop and they run an hour and a half to 2 hours in length. If you are interested in attending a workshop with me, send me an email (kris@keytoyourtree.com) and we will schedule a session!
For more info, check out the workshops currently available on my website:
http://keytoyourtree.com/workshops.html
And if you have any questions about my workshops don't be shy! Send me an email at: kris@keytoyourtree.com
I look forward to helping you get started in discovering your roots!
Kris Williams
Key To Your Tree Blog
Welcome to the Key to Your Tree blog! Here you will find articles written by Kris Williams, other researchers whose work she has great respect for as well as articles submitted by the Key to Your Tree community. The articles will cover a variety of different topics concerning genealogy and history. If you have a story you would like to share, please send it to kris@keytoyourtree.com
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
America's First Official Thanksgiving
Located on the banks of the
James River in Charles City County, Va., is the Berkeley Plantation, a
three-story brick mansion with a lot of history.
Built by Benjamin Harrison IV,
it is the birthplace of descendants Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence; William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the
United States; and the ancestral home of Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third
president.
But along with a list of
prominent residents, the Berkley Plantation is also the purported site of the
first official American Thanksgiving.
Now, if you are anything like
me, I was quick to dispute this. After all, especially being a New Englander,
we were all taught the first Thanksgiving took place in the Plymouth Colony in
Massachusetts. When the Mayflower arrived on the shores of Massachusetts, with
its 102 passengers and about 30 crewmembers, it was welcomed by a harsh
November climate. Due to exposure, disease and shortages of food, only 53 Pilgrims
survived their first New England winter.
Were it not for the help of
Squanto and the Wampanoag people, those 53 Pilgrims may not have had anything
to be thankful for. Squanto is known for teaching the Pilgrims how to catch eel
and grow crops, as well as acting as interpreter between them and the
Wampanoag. Along with Squanto’s help, the Wampanoag leader Massasoit supplied
the Pilgrims with food the first winter when supplies from England fell short.
Due to the help they received,
the surviving Pilgrims of the Mayflower in early autumn of 1621 enjoyed their
first successful harvest. To celebrate the occasion, a three-day feast was held
attended by Massasoit, about 90 of his people, Squanto and the Pilgrims. This
three-day event of games, singing and dancing while two cultures sat down
sharing a meal is what has been romanticized by history as our first
Thanksgiving.
However, a historian working at
the Berkeley Plantation was kind enough to explain that the traditional meaning
of Thanksgiving was strictly a religious observance. In the past it revolved
entirely around days of prayer.
Thanksgiving was not an occasion
designed with the sole purpose of eating until your stomach explodes (followed
up by hours of football) like it has become today. The Berkeley
Plantation also argues there is no evidence that the Pilgrims declared their
festival as a Thanksgiving.
Due to overpopulation,
unemployment, poverty and a failing woolen industry, people in England looked
to the New World as an opportunity for a better life. Looking for religious
freedom, fortune and a bit of adventure, many boarded ships to settle in
Virginia Colony. While many settlers fought to survive the horrible living
conditions in Jamestown, four men in England planned settlement of what would
become known as the Berkeley Hundred in Virginia.
With an 8,000-acre land grant
along the James River from the London Company, William Throckmorton, Richard
Berkeley, George Thorpe and John Smyth looked to make their fortune in tobacco
crops. Together, they commissioned Captain John Woodlief to lead the
expedition and the assignment of establishing a government for the Berkeley
Hundred.
On Sept. 16, 1619, Throckmorton,
Berkeley, Thorpe, Smyth and Woodlief boarded the Good Ship Margaret in
Kingrode, Bristol, England. Margaret carried a total of 38 men, all
handpicked by Woodlief for their strength and skill. Also on board were large
supplies of food, tools, weapons, construction and agricultural tools - as well
as goods to trade with the natives.
Barely surviving the two and a
half-month journey across the stormy Atlantic, the 47-ton, 35-foot-long ship
finally arrived at its destination on Dec. 4, 1619. Once all 38 men were rowed
to shore with their personal belongings, they all knelt as Captain Woodlief led
them in prayer.
Following the specific requests
of the London Company, Woodlief declared, “We ordaine that this day of our
ships arrival, at the place assigned for plantacon, in the land of Virginia,
shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty
God.”
And it is this well-documented
event that the Berkeley Plantation believes is the first official American
Thanksgiving.
It is hard to deny the
documents; the fact is this event took place almost two years before the Pilgrims’
harvest celebration - and it fits the traditional meaning of Thanksgiving. Yet
the Berkeley Plantation cannot deny our modern national holiday, declared by Abraham
Lincoln in 1863, more closely resembles the celebration of the Pilgrims in
Plymouth Colony.
Regardless of where it was
originally held, and our need as humans to always be the first, to me it has
always been the spirit of the holiday that’s most important. It is about being
tolerant and learning to appreciate each other’s differences, which is
something our colonist ancestors did not excel at despite the stories we’ve
been taught.
The holiday also serves as a
reminder to be thankful for, and celebrate, the positive aspects in our lives -
such as time with our family, friends and good health. In the end, these are
important lessons that should be remembered throughout the year, beyond our
one-day celebration of overdosing on turkey and pumpkin pie.
By Kris Williams
Twitter: @KrisWilliams81
Monday, October 28, 2013
Our Ancestors and The Spiritualist Movement
Today it is almost
impossible to find a channel without a show that revolves around the
paranormal. Every time we turn around there’s a new series that shadows a
paranormal group as they investigate unexplained sights and sounds under the
green glow of an infrared camera. Armed with an assortment of gadgets, the investigators
claim to use science and commonsense to prove or debunk believed paranormal
activity.
Due to the popularity of
these shows, new paranormal groups have popped up everywhere, while thousands
flock to attend lectures, conventions, and ghost hunts looking for an
experience of their own. It was just ten years ago having a ghost story would
be enough to be labeled crazy, where today it seems as though everybody has one.
ghosts and hauntings are no longer stories saved for around a campfire.
However, this isn’t the
first time the need or belief in communicating with the dead has been popular.
In March 1848, the Spiritualist Movement was born in Hydesville,
NY when two sisters
claimed to make contact with a peddler who had supposedly been murdered in
their home. Kate and Margaret Fox would ask for knocks from the spirit in
response to their questions. When unexplained rappings came from the walls,
witnesses were left completely baffled.
It didn’t take long for
news of the Fox sister’s supernatural talents to spread throughout their town
and eventually the country. Shortly after, they began touring as mediums
holding public séances and lectures. As the popularity of these events grew,
thousands of believers flocked to mediums to attend séances in hopes of contacting
their lost loved ones.
The Spiritualist Movement
saw two spikes in popularity: following the Civil War and again following World
War I. Many believe it is due to the fact our ancestors were being exposed to
the harsh reality of war through photography. Although photography was used to
document some battles before the Civil War, they weren’t as extensively
covered. War was no longer just some romanticized event rendered in an artist’s
work. Our ancestors were being bombarded with gruesome pictures from the
battlefields and left mourning the tragic loss of their loved ones in large numbers.
Mixed with our age-long
curiosity in life after death, Spiritualism gave our ancestors some comfort. It
was a movement that was founded on the beliefs that life existed after death,
our spirits went on to a better place, and that they could communicate with the
living. By going to a medium, there was a sense that their deceased loved ones
weren’t really lost. These beliefs appealed to a wide variety of people, even
Abraham Lincoln’s wife
Mary Todd Lincoln was known to seek the help of mediums following the death of
their young son Willie.
Unfortunately, the fame
and fortune mediums were receiving began to attract frauds who were looking to
take advantage of those who were grieving. Desperate to believe, some were
blind to the trickery pulled by those looking to make a quick buck. During this
time, many people stepped forward looking to expose the frauds, including Harry
Houdini.
Houdini became interested
in the Spiritualist Movement following the death of his mother. After attending
several séances in hopes of making contact with her, he discovered the mediums
were playing basic parlor tricks on their trusting audience. Using his
knowledge as a magician, he made it his mission to expose those who were making
a living off of deception while hoping to meet a medium he could not debunk.
After years of being
scrutinized by skeptics, with a majority of mediums being exposed as frauds,
the Spiritualist Movement’s popularity began to dwindle. The final blow came
when one of the founders, Margaret Fox, denounced Spiritualism as “an absolute
falsehood from beginning to end” where she went on to publicly display how her
and her sister played on the imaginations of their audiences. A year later, she
tried to recant her confession; however, at that point the damage was already
done.
Today, even with all of
our technology, I can’t help but wonder if we are really any closer to
discovering the truth putting all of our faith, some blindly, into equipment like
our ancestors did in the past with mediums. Like Houdini, even though I have become
more and more skeptical over the years, there is still something in me that wants
to believe. Call it human nature or chalk it up to some of the experiences I have
had that I still am trying to wrap my head around. After six years, I am still looking
for that one piece of evidence that will no longer leave me questioning.
By Kris Williams
www.keytoyourtree.com
Twitter: @KeyToYourTree
Are you interested in
learning about your own family history but have no idea how to get started?
Check out the online workshops I run that are perfect for beginners! I
currently have two classes available, Genealogy 101 where I teach the basics on
where and how to get started and a workshop called Grave Secrets which will
teach you everything you need to know about information that can be gathered
about your ancestors at a cemetery. For more info, class schedule and tickets
check out: http://www.eventbrite.com/org/4081436455
I look forward to
helping you dig up a few skeletons! ;)
Kris Williams
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Italian Birds of Passage
Tracing my Italian roots has been difficult to say the
least, especially when it comes to name changes or my ancestors names being
misspelled. However, I was stumped with a new mystery when I came across three
separate passenger lists that listed my 2nd great grand father,
Andrea Cautilli.
At first, I figured it must just be multiple men with the
same or a similar name but the more I examined and cross referenced the
documents I realized all three were in fact records of Andrea’s travels.
Passenger List: New
York, New York
On March 22, 1897, “Andria Cantilli” arrived in New York,
New York on La Champagne, having departed from Havre. My 2nd great
grandfather was only 27 years old when he arrived in the United States with his
brother “Sevidio” (Cesidio Cautilli), age 30. Andria, whose occupation was
listed as a workman, brought with him only one bag of luggage.
In
this 1st document, a couple of details stood out. I knew that my great grand
father, Andrea was from Italy and I knew he had an older brother named Cesidio.
Although I knew Andrea and Cesidio’s names where spelt incorrectly on this
document, I knew this was a common problem in records concerning Italian
immigrants and assumed there was a good chance that this was my 2nd great
grandfather and his brother.
Passenger List: Boston,
Massachusetts
“Andrea Cantilli”, who was from San Donato in Southern
Italy, sailed from Naples on the S.S. Cambroman and landed in Boston,
Massachusetts on July 1, 1902. At the age of 32 he paid his way to the United
States, landing in Boston with only $24.00 in his pocket. This document listed
him as married, able to read and write, working as a stonecutter and mentioned
that he had been in the United States before, from 1897-1900. Along with this
information, the document provided a few other strange details, including the
fact that he was not a Polygamist, that he was in good metal and physical
health and was not deformed or crippled. In Boston, Andrea planned to stay with
his friend, Carmine Cantilli.
This
document, paired with the first passenger list provided a few more details and
helped confirm that the two documents were pertaining to the same person. First
of all, I grew up hearing about my family being from San Donato, Italy-that checked
out. 2nd, although it lists Andrea as staying with a friend in
Boston, I knew my great grandfather had a brother named Carmine Cautilli.
Another thing that got my interest was that I knew Andrea’s son, my great
grandfather Abramo was a stonecutter-did Abramo follow in his father’s
footsteps? Finally, this record confirmed that Andrea had also traveled to the
Untied States in 1897, which helped link the first and second passenger lists
to the the same man.
Passenger List:
Boston, Massachusetts
On April 22, 1909, Andrea Cautilli sailed from Naples, Italy
on the S.S. Cauopic and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts. Andrea was from
Southern Italy, in Caserta, San Donato. Listed as his “nearest relative or friend”
in Italy is his wife, Angela who lived in San Donato. Andrea was 39 years old,
working as a stonecutter, was able to read and write and was headed for his
final destination in West Quincy, Massachusetts.
This
third passenger list continued to make sense of the previous two. It also gave
me a more specific location as to where my family was from in Italy and even
mentioned my 2nd great grandmother, whose name was Angela. Finally,
it mentioned Quincy, Massachusetts-the location my Cautilli family settled.
Once I went through these three documents, cross examined
the information and determined that they all were referring to the same man I
couldn’t help but wonder, why did he travel to the United States three separate
times? During that time it wasn’t a quick seven to eight hour flight over the
Atlantic Ocean… it was at least two miserable weeks trapped on a boat. Not to
mention-how the hell was he able to afford the multiple trips?
This new information got my family’s imagination going… was
Andrea up to some criminal funny business that lead to his several trips across
the ocean? Because that’s the only rational conclusion-everyone’s Italian
family must have mafia connections, right? Was there some large Cautilli
fortune out there that we were never made aware of? I wonder… who was left the
treasure map…
After hours of crazy (but fun) outlandish guesses, I decided
to do a search on Italian Immigration in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.
Stepping back to take a look at Italian history around the
time my 2nd great grandfather left provided me with some answers
regarding his several trips. In fact, it was not uncommon for Italian men to
make several journeys to the Untied States during that time period, they were
even referred to as “Birds of Passage”.
So what made these Italian men flock to the United States?
From 1876 through 1976 Italy suffered from political,
economical and environmental troubles. During this time period Italy was made up
of several different states that were all busy fighting each other. In 1860
they were faced with a 10-year civil war, which lead to one million people
being slaughtered by the Italian Army of occupation. From what I read, a majority of those targeted
were southern Italians… where my family was from.
Following the war, Italy (especially southern) was confronted
with an extreme economic depression. The northern Italians who basically ran
the government took the opportunity to over tax the southern Italians into
poverty. To make matters worse, there was a lack of natural resources, which
lead to little to no industry.
To add to the destruction following the war, political
corruption and weak economy Italy was hit with a series of natural disasters. There
were two volcanoes that erupted burying entire towns and an earthquake in 1908,
which killed 100,000 people from the tsunami that followed.
Needless to say southern Italy was a mess when men decided
to leave their families (parents or spouses and children) to look for work in
America. The plan however was never to stay here, it was to come to the United States
to make money during the busy work months to send home to their families and
then return home once the work season came to an end. This earned them the
name, “Birds of Passage”. This trip across the sea in search of work became a
common thing, part of growing up. They were trying to make life for their
families back home better AND life in
Italy better by getting temporary work here. Once these men made enough to live
comfortably in Italy they would return home and stay there while others, after
several trips, decided to stay here and become citizens.
From the sounds of it, my 2nd great grandfather Andrea
and his brothers were “Birds of Passage”. His final trip to the United States
would have happened just a year after the 1908 earthquake. Once he got settled
in Quincy, Massachusetts he sent for his wife and three sons to come over in
1910.
Why did he decide to change his plans and make the US his
home? That is something I will never know the exact reason for. However, with a
little research into Italy’s history I am able to come up with a basic understanding
of factors that probably played a part in his decision.
This is also an excellent example of what I love about
genealogy-it gives us an awareness and appreciation for the very personal touch history plays in our very own existence.
Kris Williams
www.keytoyourtree.com
Twitter: @KeyToYourTree
Are you interested in
learning about your own family history but have no idea how to get started?
Check out the online workshops I run that are perfect for beginners! I
currently have two classes available, Genealogy 101 where I teach the basics on
where and how to get started and a workshop called Grave Secrets which will
teach you everything you need to know about information that can be gathered
about your ancestors at a cemetery. For more info, class schedule and tickets
check out: http://www.eventbrite.com/org/4081436455
I look forward to
helping you dig up a few skeletons! ;)
Kris Williams
Saturday, July 13, 2013
The Parkes Observatory
July
20, 1969 six hundred million people worldwide sat glued to their televisions
watching as Neil Armstrong emerged from Apollo 11. Making his way down the
ladder, Armstrong’s feet finally made contact with the moon’s surface. What
followed were his famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap
for mankind”. Joined by Buzz Aldrin, the two men walked, hopped, and loped
across the desolate landscape in ghostly black and white images.
In the short 2 ½ hours they spent on the moon’s surface, they
worked fast to collect soil and rock samples, took photos, and raised the
American flag. They also received a phone call from then president, Richard
Nixon, who described it as “the most historic telephone call ever made”. The
success of this historic event, which fulfilled the late John F. Kennedy’s
mission to put a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s played out on live
television for all the world to see.
Driving through New South Wales,
seven miles north of a small town called Parkes, I noticed a dish towering over
a cluster of trees just off in the distance. Miles of flat open land stretched
out around it, covered in a grass that gave off a golden glow in the late
afternoon sun. Something about it just seemed so out of place-it really was in
the middle of nowhere. Parking in the visitors’ lot, I couldn’t get over how
enormous the Parkes Observatory was, and the more I got to know about it, it
just continued to become even more beautiful.
The Parkes Observatory telescope was
completed in 1961 with a 210ft movable dish. It is the second largest in the
Southern Hemisphere and is still considered one of the best in the world.
Although it has been involved in tracking many space missions over the years,
its biggest claim to fame came in 1969 when NASA reached out to Australia
asking for help with the Apollo 11 mission. NASA needed stations that could
track Apollo 11 while the moon was over Australia.
A total of three stations were used
to track Apollo 11 while also relaying communication to NASA for the live
broadcast of the landing. Originally
NASA chose the Goldstone station in California and Honeysuckle Creek
near Canberra, Australia
as the main receiving stations. The Parkes Observatory was only supposed to be
a backup station incase the other stations were unable to pick up signals from
Apollo 11. However, that all changed when NASA realized the moon would be
directly over Parkes Observatory when Apollo 11 was scheduled to land. Parkes
then went from a backup to a main receiving station for the mission.
When the cameras on the Lunar Module
were triggered all three stations picked up the signal. It was then up to NASA
to bounce between each station to see who had the best coverage of the landing.
The first eight minutes of the broadcast were carried by Honeysuckle Creek
until NASA saw the quality of the images coming from Parkes. For the rest of
the 2 ½ hour live broadcast, NASA stayed with Parkes’ signal. This made
Australia the first to see the images seconds before the rest of the world. Due
to the success of the Parkes’ telescope, NASA went on to build three telescopes
for their Deep Space Network matching Parkes’ design.
Walking around the grounds of Parkes
Observatory, I couldn’t help but imagine the excitement that went through the
small town. Not only were they a huge component in the broadcasting of the
Apollo 11 landing, their design went on to directly influence NASA’s program.
It was definitely a huge accomplishment not only locally but for Australia as a
whole.
The Parkes Observatory is just one
of the many beautiful stops I would have never known existed if it weren’t for
a little detour in my travels due to curiosity. With the success of Apollo 11,
the stars were no longer out of reach of human contact. This one mission opened
the imaginations from the young to old from 1969 to today. In that short 2 ½
hour live broadcast, all of those watching worldwide became one-we had done it.
By
Kris Williams
Twitter:
KrisWilliams81
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Key Community: How My Mother Found My Grandpa
Back when I was in middle school, I had a
school assignment to tell a story about one of my ancestors. My Mom and Dad
didn't know much about our past, so they really couldn't tell me a whole lot.
Seeing me walk away with a bit of a disappointed look must have sparked the
desire to find out where we came from, because within a year of that
assignment, they had become family tree researching MACHINES. They had family
tree software everywhere, folders filled with printed out documents laying
around, a contact book with names of people I had never heard of, and
"How-To" guides on researching through old records. Our family
computer area was covered in these things all the way up until I graduated high
school. My dad uncovered family members as far back as the early 1800's, and my
mom found so many VERY inspiring stories about the men and women we come from.
I won't go into those because there were so many that I am proud of. My
favorite story however, is the one she uncovered about Joseph Lane.
My Mom and Aunt had always been told that their father had left them (not wanting anything to do with them,) and was later killed. Simple as that, no questions asked, no details. They accepted that. While my mom was looking back into records, she had hit a bump when she was looking for her father's death certificate (this was after my Grandmother had passed away.) She was able to locate a cousin however, who was also doing some serious genealogy. When she met with her cousin for the first time, and asked about Joe Lane, she got the shock of a lifetime! Not only had he NOT died... but she had his number, and he was living in California.
It took my mom a while before she came to the decision to call him. She talked with my Aunt about it, talked with us about it, and then decided she wanted to meet him. I was in high school at the time, and didn't fully realize how important this was for my Mom. Maybe she didn't realize at first either. After what I remember was a very LONG conversation, she announced that we were going down to California to meet him. Not only had he been looking for her and my Aunt, he was also not the one who left all those years ago. He and my Grandmother were struggling to make a living with a newborn, and a two year old. My Grandma was working whatever jobs she could, and my Grandpa was trying to get acting gigs. Tired of being trapped in a life she didn't want, my Grandmother left one night, and took her kids back to her hometown in Washington. My Grandpa never saw them again.
When my Mom heard his side of the story, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. I saw first hand how she had been holding in this feeling of resentment, or rejection, that I had never known about. Maybe she didn't fully know about it either... or had just accepted it over the years. The California trip where I met my Grandfather for the first time, was also a trip where I got to see into my Mother's soul a little bit. She is a very guarded woman, always keeping her emotions hidden so she can focus on everyone else. Seeing the effect this moment had on her was priceless. Absolutely priceless. Then learning about a Grandfather I thought I didn't have, was also wonderful! Turns out he was an actor, a director, a writer, a builder, a train engineer, an artist, and so many other things. He had so many talents, and so many stories, it was a pleasure to have been able to meet him before he passed away. After he passed, Mom and I were able to spread his ashes, something I know she never thought she would do. I hold those memories close to my heart, and thank the universe that my Mom was able to meet her father.
Mom uncovered many family stories from the Civil War, Native American history, Pioneering days, but this story is by far my favorite. Thank you for the chance to share it.
Submitted by: Angelique
My Mom and Aunt had always been told that their father had left them (not wanting anything to do with them,) and was later killed. Simple as that, no questions asked, no details. They accepted that. While my mom was looking back into records, she had hit a bump when she was looking for her father's death certificate (this was after my Grandmother had passed away.) She was able to locate a cousin however, who was also doing some serious genealogy. When she met with her cousin for the first time, and asked about Joe Lane, she got the shock of a lifetime! Not only had he NOT died... but she had his number, and he was living in California.
It took my mom a while before she came to the decision to call him. She talked with my Aunt about it, talked with us about it, and then decided she wanted to meet him. I was in high school at the time, and didn't fully realize how important this was for my Mom. Maybe she didn't realize at first either. After what I remember was a very LONG conversation, she announced that we were going down to California to meet him. Not only had he been looking for her and my Aunt, he was also not the one who left all those years ago. He and my Grandmother were struggling to make a living with a newborn, and a two year old. My Grandma was working whatever jobs she could, and my Grandpa was trying to get acting gigs. Tired of being trapped in a life she didn't want, my Grandmother left one night, and took her kids back to her hometown in Washington. My Grandpa never saw them again.
When my Mom heard his side of the story, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. I saw first hand how she had been holding in this feeling of resentment, or rejection, that I had never known about. Maybe she didn't fully know about it either... or had just accepted it over the years. The California trip where I met my Grandfather for the first time, was also a trip where I got to see into my Mother's soul a little bit. She is a very guarded woman, always keeping her emotions hidden so she can focus on everyone else. Seeing the effect this moment had on her was priceless. Absolutely priceless. Then learning about a Grandfather I thought I didn't have, was also wonderful! Turns out he was an actor, a director, a writer, a builder, a train engineer, an artist, and so many other things. He had so many talents, and so many stories, it was a pleasure to have been able to meet him before he passed away. After he passed, Mom and I were able to spread his ashes, something I know she never thought she would do. I hold those memories close to my heart, and thank the universe that my Mom was able to meet her father.
Mom uncovered many family stories from the Civil War, Native American history, Pioneering days, but this story is by far my favorite. Thank you for the chance to share it.
Submitted by: Angelique
Friday, June 28, 2013
Kris Williams: Life Advice... From the Grave.
My great
grandfather, Abramo Donato Cantelli was born in San Donato, Italy on February 4,
1903. He was only six years old when he boarded a ship headed to America called
the Canopic Line with his mother and two brothers. After two seasick weeks they
finally landed in Boston where Abramo’s father was waiting for their arrival.
Abramo
attended school until he was 12 years old, leaving to work at the Fore River
Shipyard in Quincy, MA to help his family. There he made $80 a week working on
destroyer ships during WWI. It was at this job, he began to hate his name. His
co-workers regularly picked on him for it, “There’s
a lot of ignorant people, they make you feel like two cents”. Due to the
constant harassment, for his confirmation, he took on the name Biajo so he could call himself Joe. From
then on, he was known as Joseph Cantelli.
Joe started
an apprenticeship as a stonecutter in South Quincy around the age of 21. He
worked on several different jobs but the one I was told most about was a statue
of a woman. He worked on the folds of her dress as well as some writing. No one
in the family seems to know where this statue ended up but we do know Tiffany’s
of New York bought it. During the Great
Depression he said that “It was
impossible to live on stonecutting…Life is too hard. In the depression if you
wanted to buy a nickel for six cents you couldn’t do it”.
My great
grandfather was extremely proud to become an American and worked hard to fit
in. Besides the name change, he refused to teach his kids to speak Italian. He
would often tell them, “In America, you
speak like an American!”. Joe would only speak Italian with his parents,
brothers and sister. As much as I admire his pride and hard work, it also bums
me out that this part of my family’s culture wasn’t passed down. Today, the
best my grandmother can do is swear in Italian and I’m left trying to learn
with CD’s and books!
My great
grandfather gave a lot of advice through his own life experiences concerning
work, family and remembering to enjoy the simple things. It’s his advice on
relationships and marriage that have really stuck with me most.
Joe met my
great grandmother Kathryn Mary Gaynor at a dance. They were married October 14,
1923 in Randolph, MA with a simple ceremony to keep costs down. The thing that
I love about my great grandparents is how crazy they were about each other. I
remember talking to my grandmother’s sister Kitty about it. She told me a story
about how they were so affectionate with each other, even late in life; they
could make others around them blush.
In a day
and age where divorce is common, I really want what they had for myself. I have
had several friends my age, who’ve been divorced, joke that I need a “practice
marriage”. The idea of this being funny saddens me. Being a bit of a hopeless romantic
in a “me generation” is difficult at times to hold on to. His advice on relationships
and marriage holds true, especially in today’s society. Today we are so plugged
into technology; we are forgetting how to communicate outside of it.
“When you get married, you become one.
There’s no more two. It’s 50/50. Set up a stake and both of you reach for that
goal. Sometimes his trouble will spill over onto you. If you think you might hurt
each other with something you’re going to say, put on the breaks, and don’t say
it; don’t hurt each other. Think first about what you’re going to say. It’s
communication that’s the most important thing. You’ve got to be friends. Both
work together, plan together and communicate. When you don’t communicate, no
one knows what’s going on, the left doesn’t know what the right is doing.
That’s why there are so many divorces these days. They don’t communicate, and
they don’t know what the other wants. They have different goals.”
As a female
today, I have also found that sometimes I feel a little lost. Women have come
so far since his generation. The sad part however, is that today women who find
themselves in a demanding career are almost forced to make a choice. Do I
continue to climb the ladder or do I want to have a family? It’s a sad world
when you are made to feel like having a family is a “set back”. Growing up, taking
pride in being a strong female, I always said I didn’t want to just be a mom… where today, I have
realized it will probably be the most important role I’ll ever play.
“That’s what I like to see, two young people
in a garden of flowers. That makes me happy, to see… two people always together
and happy. You need to get a nice little house, with a little fence and a
little workshop downstairs. It’s natural to want a house and family”. To
me, he is right. I am tired of feeling like I have to reject something that is
natural to want, just to prove something to a society that’s slowly losing
sight of what’s important.
My great
grandparents were married 61 years when Kathryn passed away, “We miss each other. I am useless with out
her”. I can only hope to someday celebrate 60 years of marriage with a man
who feels just as strongly about me. Someone who makes me want to be a better
person by simply being around him. Jobs come and go. Money can be gained, lost
and gained back again. Fancy cars and big houses prove nothing. It’s family and
the people we surround ourselves with that get us through and make life worth
living.
The craziest part about all of
this, my great grandfather passed away in 1986, when I was only five years old.
The only memory I have of him is hiding under his lawn chair at a family
reunion in Quincy, MA. However, here I am 26 years later hearing and finding
comfort in his words. I owe a huge thank you to my Mom’s cousin Suzy for taking
the time to interview him. Had it not been for her interest in genealogy and
our family in general, I never would have had the opportunity to hear them.
By Kris Williams
Twitter: @KrisWilliams81
Don’t go by what you see on T.V., it’s a big
balloon that’s blowing up and destroying the country. Show business is no good.
My wife had better legs than those women any day!
-Joseph Abramo Donato Biajo Cantelli
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