Originally written by Lorraine, my first cousin once removed, in 2015. I have modified her original email story to smooth out the transitions while keeping the warm, personal tone of her memories. Avis Clinton Royer Jackson was the youngest of four daughters born to Perry and Grace Royer in Marion, Ohio, in 1917. She grew…
Bohemia, where the Heinz family lived, is now part of the modern-day Czech Republic. In the 1800s, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and after World War I, it became part of the new country of Czechoslovakia. In villages like Lang-Lammitz, people of different backgrounds lived side by side, including German-speaking families like the…
The Block Wall of Evans Van Lew’s origins has been broken through! The Van Lews of Glens Falls, New York, always knew they were Dutch. They thought the family originally came from New Jersey. But for over two hundred years, no one could prove it. Two published genealogies documented the Van Lew family in meticulous…
Lee comes from a long line of Barneys in the United States. The Barney’s originally were Quakers living in England and came to America in the late 1600’s. They originally settled in Massachusetts. Later generations moved to Rhode Island and New York. Lee was born 3 March 1903 in the Town of Johnsburg, New York To Lewis and…
To: Anne (his sister)Canonsburg, PAAugust 18, 1910 Dear sister and brother!We received your letter in the best of health and hope you will receive this letter good as well. Well, Anna, I was glad to notice that this letter was more positive than the previous letter. I read in the previous letter that you were…
On November 30, 1907 Bellonia Ruozzo left the port of Naples aboard the steamer the S. S. Roma with her husband, Vitoliano Leardi and their four year old son, Luigi, to embark on a new life in America. On their ships manifest they stated that their birthplace was in the Province of Caserta, Campania, Italy. When Vitoliano…
My grandfather, Ivan, was born in 1899 in Aspen, Colorado. His father was a miner and had moved from Leadville, CO to Aspen about 1890. The family lived in Oklahoma Flats, along the Roaring Fork River. The family consisted of Charley, Ivan’s father, Anna, Ivan’s mother and his siblings: Oscar, Alfred, Eileen, Carl, Edwin, Richard, twins Ruth…
“I interviewed my grandmother, Eda (Barney) Van Lew. She was born July 24, 1924, so she was 5 yrs. old when the Depression began in 1929. She and her family lived outside of South Glens Falls, N.Y. in a small, cement house called a bungaloo. She had two sisters, Dorothy and Kristine, who were both…
Antonia Emma Heinz was born in Buchau, Bohemia, which is near Karlsbad, on May 25, 1902. She was born to Sigmund von Heinz, who was the youngest of 5 children from Langlammitz and Marie Ulbert. After she was born she was raised by her maternal grandparents Joseph and Marie Ulbert. Antonia lived with Joseph and Marie until…
My Pake, Klaus, loved his cars. His family immigrated from the Netherlands in 1912 when he was only 4. He grew up in the era when automobiles were first introduced and where owning a car signified having succeeded in America. His cousin Grietson Oosterman was a successful businessman who owned Oosterman’s Rest Home and drove a…