Thank You Evelyn for giving me an Ancestor Approved Award. There are so many different people I need to thank.....starting with my Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandmother and my Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather I'd also like to thank my Great Great Great Great.... what do you expect from a family historian whose relatives came out of Vaudeville!
Seriously, it is an enormous honor to receive this award and to be recognized by one of my favorite Bloggers Evelyn Theriault of http://acanadianfamily.com/
Here are 10 things I've learned about my ancestors that have enlightened, surprised or humbled me and in most cases all 3.
1. My Father and Mother are only 3 years difference in age. My Father's Mother died in the decade of the 1930's and my Mother's Mother is still alive today.
2. All of my Great Grandparents on my Father's side lived in NYC. 2 (possibly 3) were born here.
3. My Children are 5th generation NYC West-siders.
4. My Father's Mother's Father, my Great Grandfather came to NYC from Lithuania some time around 1880 and with little or no formal education built a successful paper and box company in NYC.
5. My Grandfather Harry on my Father's side was a songwriter. He attended the Townsend Harris High School in Queens at or around the same time as Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Adolph Caesar went to the school. Townsend Harris school is still thriving today.
6. My Grandfather Harry was the Dean of the New York Friars Club during the '50's.The club was founded in 1904 for people in the performing arts. A memorial to him is still the first thing you see when you enter the club today.
7. My Father's Mother performed for the Queen of England and toured around Europe and the US chaperoned by her Mother, my Great Grandmother.
8. My Grandfather's sister, my Great Aunt Juliet started performing professionally at 15 years old right after the turn of the Century.
9. Juliet was playing the Palace, was given the top billing and got the most sought after spots on the Vaudeville Circuits doing impersonations and characterizations.
!0 My Sister and I were named Juliet and Harry for my Grandfather and his Sister.
