We left Lake Texoma (Gordonville) yesterday and drove to Amarillo and to Palo Duro Canyon so we could see a performance of 'Texas'. I'll be sharing pics and details here on the blog later and on FB more often so be sure and find/like/follow me!
Meanwhile, Please welcome Judy Ann Davis back to our blog to share something she treasures with us....
MY
GRANDPARENTS AND MY DNA
Treasures may be tangible or intangible. They can be held in the hand
or simply stored in the mind. My treasure for today is stored in my mind.
Recently, I took the plunge and had my DNA tested. I knew all four of
my grandparents emigrated from Poland to the United State shortly before or
shortly after the 1900s. I found I was 98% East European/Polish and 2% Finnish.
Though surprised by the 2%, I knew from research that the Finnish tribes were
the first ones to settle the north Baltic coast of what is today called Poland.
Why my grandparents are a treasure is for their strength, stamina, and
bravery to leave their homeland—and everything they owned—to undergo a perilous
journey, not in the least comfortable, to a foreign country an ocean away. Then
they had to find work, learn English, and become citizens.
Unfortunately, I never really knew three of my grandparents since they
died when I was a small child. My paternal grandmother, Victoria, was only
sixteen when she boarded a ship in 1906 to come to the U.S. where her sister
was already located. Talk about fearless!
Both of my grandfathers worked the mines and owned farms. My
Grandfather Lashinski bought a farm in Northeast Pennsylvania which my father
and mother later purchased from him and where they raised my sister, brother
and me.
It was on this bountiful farm where I scampered over acres of pastures,
forests, and fields. A carefree child, I walked on stonewalls build by the
Irish in the early 1800s. I splashed in the creek winding through our property,
and I caught crayfish and minnows. I daydreamed. I stared at star-filled skies
and wondered about the vastness of our universe. I smelled the sweet scent of
dried hay, wild roses, and ripe blackberries. But most of all, I was always
safe and never hungry--like many Poles left behind in the “Old Country.” History
tell us they had to endure endless domination by other countries as well as the
very sorrowful hardships of World War II where 2.7+ million perished.
Without my bold, risk-taking grandparents, I would not be the person I
am today. I would never have experienced the wealth of opportunities that living
in the United States afforded me. They are a treasure.
So if any of my grandparents are peering down from the heavens above,
I’d like to shout out a “Thank you.” And I ask only one small favor: Can any of
you tell me which side of the family the 2% Finnish comes from?
Check out Judy Ann’s latest novel:
BLURB:
When widower Rich Redman returns to Pennsylvania with his young daughter to sell his deceased grandmother’s house, he discovers Grandmother Gertie’s final request was for him to find a missing relative and a stash of WWI jewels.
Torrie Larson, single mom, is trying to make her landscape center and flower arranging business succeed while attempting to save the lineage of a rare white rose brought from Austria in the 1900s.
Together, the rich Texas lawyer and poor landscape owner team up to rescue the last rose and fulfill a dead woman’s wishes. But in their search to discover answers to the mysteries plaguing them, will Rich and Torrie also discover love in each other’s arms? Or will a meddling ghost, a pompous banker, and an elusive stray cat get in their way?
AUTHOR BIO:
Judy Ann Davis holds a degree in Journalism and Communications and has
written for industry and education throughout her career. She writes both short
stories and contemporary and historical novels. When she’s not behind a
computer, you can find her looking for anything humorous to make her laugh or
swinging a golf club where the chuckles are few. She is a member of
Pennwriters, Inc. and Romance Writers of America, and divides her time between
Central Pennsylvania and New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Visit her on
Her blog: www.judyanndavis.blogspot.com
The Web: www.judyanndavis.com
Facebook: Judy Ann Davis Author
Twitter: @JudyAnnDavis4
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/judyanndavis44
Goodreads:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Ann-Davis/e/B006GXN502/
How lovely, Judy! Your farm and memories are definitely something to treasure. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you enjoyed Judy's post as much as I did and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
9 comments:
Thank you for hosting me on Tuesday Treasures today.
I enjoyed the opportunity to learn a little about your family :)
It's so interesting to find out about your family. Thanks for sharing.
I love genealogy! Interesting post.
What a beautiful picture you painted. I can see you as a little girl, playing as you did! The books sounds wonderful, too!
Fascinating! You definitely come from admirable people. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story. Your book sounds awesome!
Great post! My paternal grandparents were from Czechoslovakia. They settled in Dillonvale, OH, and he worked in the coal mines. I understand your admiration for the courage it takes to leave behind everything and everyone and cross the ocean to a new country.
I enjoyed your post, Judy. I love researching our family histories, it gives us deeper roots to know where we spring from and enables us to be fully "me". I hope your book does very well and encourages everyone who reads it. Cheers
How interesting, Judy. I've been working on my family history since the 1980s, off and on. More off, though, since I started writing. My paternal great-grandparents came from Poland--or Germany--never certain who ruled the land then. Like you, I admire their bravery to leave their home and come to a strange land. Same with all my ancestors. What makes a person leave everything they've known to embark on such a journey?
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