Oscraps

A blast from the past - Genealogy in the Gallery - April

Cherylndesigns

I'm in The Zone ~ The "O" Zone
CHEERY O
Ok...I just had the best morning. I should have been getting myself ready to travel. But, instead, I traveled back in time to when my dad was just a young man.

This is beyond wonderful, Lind It gives me chills - especially the handwriting that's your dad's. I love all of the pictures, but the ship is especially special!!
 

Cherylndesigns

I'm in The Zone ~ The "O" Zone
CHEERY O
Here's a page that I posted a couple of months ago - I hope it's okay to post in here. My grandma, Lola, was such a force of nature. She was instrumental in lots of things, but the one I think stands out the most - right now - is the work she did with the Displaced Persons (DP's) who were re-patriated to the Midwest in the 1950's. I have VAGUE memories of going with her to visit them and WISH I could remember more details. I was very young, but I remember that they couldn't speak English and they were housed in barracks-like facilities. She collected things that they needed like blankets and clothing. I'm currently researching this time period and reading a book about what happened to the "last million" survivors after WWII. From my research, I believe they were from Latvia and Lithuania.

 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Ok...I just had the best morning. I should have been getting myself ready to travel. But, instead, I traveled back in time to when my dad was just a young man.

What a fabulous morning you had! What a fantastic bit of WWII history you have there. I'm envious!
 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Here's a page that I posted a couple of months ago - I hope it's okay to post in here. My grandma, Lola, was such a force of nature. She was instrumental in lots of things, but the one I think stands out the most - right now - is the work she did with the Displaced Persons (DP's) who were re-patriated to the Midwest in the 1950's. I have VAGUE memories of going with her to visit them and WISH I could remember more details. I was very young, but I remember that they couldn't speak English and they were housed in barracks-like facilities. She collected things that they needed like blankets and clothing. I'm currently researching this time period and reading a book about what happened to the "last million" survivors after WWII. From my research, I believe they were from Latvia and Lithuania.

As Jennifer Lopez would say "Goosies!" Another fantastic bit of WWII history and beyond. Your grandmother has ultimately helped and served millions!
 

LSlycord

Well-Known Member
Here's a page that I posted a couple of months ago - I hope it's okay to post in here. My grandma, Lola, was such a force of nature. She was instrumental in lots of things, but the one I think stands out the most - right now - is the work she did with the Displaced Persons (DP's) who were re-patriated to the Midwest in the 1950's. I have VAGUE memories of going with her to visit them and WISH I could remember more details. I was very young, but I remember that they couldn't speak English and they were housed in barracks-like facilities. She collected things that they needed like blankets and clothing. I'm currently researching this time period and reading a book about what happened to the "last million" survivors after WWII. From my research, I believe they were from Latvia and Lithuania.

I love this layout! Love how your grandmother was such a force! You honored her well!
 

BrightEyes

Kay
CHEERY O
Here are a few LOs I made of the family

My mother, father, myself and sister

My sister and I

My mother-in-law

My grandmother, myself and sister

My mother's mother and father

My dad's parents
 

wombat146

ONA - Administrator
CHEERY O
Here's a page that I posted a couple of months ago - I hope it's okay to post in here. My grandma, Lola, was such a force of nature. She was instrumental in lots of things, but the one I think stands out the most - right now - is the work she did with the Displaced Persons (DP's) who were re-patriated to the Midwest in the 1950's. I have VAGUE memories of going with her to visit them and WISH I could remember more details. I was very young, but I remember that they couldn't speak English and they were housed in barracks-like facilities. She collected things that they needed like blankets and clothing. I'm currently researching this time period and reading a book about what happened to the "last million" survivors after WWII. From my research, I believe they were from Latvia and Lithuania.

Awesome page Cheryl! I am of Latvia/Lithuanian descent, Mum was born in Riga, Latvia and Dad in Lithuania, and I am first generation Australian. My older sister and brother were both born in Germany and emigrated out with my Mum in 1951. My father had come a year earlier to get some accommodation ready for them.

Funny story......... when I was younger I could speak both languages but only a limited child's vocabulary as both of my parents wanted to learn English and so my eldest sister was our 'tutor' as she was the first to go to an English school. However, I could understand both languages when my parents lapsed into them. I left school and started work at 15 (hated school! lol!) and my first job was as a clerk at an aluminum manufacturing company. My boss was Lithuanian and a bit of a hard task maker! I would sit outside of his glass paneled office at my desk and I virtually could hear everything he said in there, even on the phone! lol! The funny bit was that he would talk to his wife at lunchtime in Lithuanian about everyone in the office! some of the things he said were not very complimentary to say the least. The first time I heard it I nearly choked on my cheese sandwich as I was eating my lunch at my desk but didn't let on that I had heard! lol!! This went on for about a month, until the day he said something quite funny and I laughed out loud and as I did he swung his head to look at me and realisation dawned on him that I could understand! hahhaaaa!!! He never said anything to me but I did get some extra work to do, hahahaha!! and then after that he would swivel his chair right around with his back to me and continued to gossip about everyone but did it very quietly, with his hand partially covering the telephone! lol!!!!

That was years and years ago and sadly I have lost all sense of those two languages. :(
 

*gina*

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
I did this layout last year - it shows my aunts - Helene and Margarethe - and my mom.
I never met my aunts in person. Helene passed away in the age of 27 - long before I was born. Because of World War II, the contact with Margarethe were lost - my mom never heard from her again. Subsequent efforts to find her were unsuccessful.
 

tanteva

all i need is Oscraps, cOffee, chOcOlate & tOfu
I did this layout last year - it shows my aunts - Helene and Margarethe - and my mom.
I never met my aunts in person. Helene passed away in the age of 27 - long before I was born. Because of World War II, the contact with Margarethe were lost - my mom never heard from her again. Subsequent efforts to find her were unsuccessful.

Wow, that's so sad. Have you tried to find possible cousins now? Internet & DNA has changed things a bit. I managed to find out who my grandfathers' unknown father was just a couple of years ago thanks to genealogy research and DNA testing.
 

*gina*

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Wow, that's so sad. Have you tried to find possible cousins now? Internet & DNA has changed things a bit. I managed to find out who my grandfathers' unknown father was just a couple of years ago thanks to genealogy research and DNA testing.
All we know - Margarethe was not married and had no childs. My mom also had two brothers and to them we had contact until they passed away. I still have contact to my cousins and their children.
 
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Cherylndesigns

I'm in The Zone ~ The "O" Zone
CHEERY O
Awesome page Cheryl! I am of Latvia/Lithuanian descent, Mum was born in Riga, Latvia and Dad in Lithuania, and I am first generation Australian. My older sister and brother were both born in Germany and emigrated out with my Mum in 1951. My father had come a year earlier to get some accommodation ready for them.

Funny story......... when I was younger I could speak both languages but only a limited child's vocabulary as both of my parents wanted to learn English and so my eldest sister was our 'tutor' as she was the first to go to an English school. However, I could understand both languages when my parents lapsed into them. I left school and started work at 15 (hated school! lol!) and my first job was as a clerk at an aluminum manufacturing company. My boss was Lithuanian and a bit of a hard task maker! I would sit outside of his glass paneled office at my desk and I virtually could hear everything he said in there, even on the phone! lol! The funny bit was that he would talk to his wife at lunchtime in Lithuanian about everyone in the office! some of the things he said were not very complimentary to say the least. The first time I heard it I nearly choked on my cheese sandwich as I was eating my lunch at my desk but didn't let on that I had heard! lol!! This went on for about a month, until the day he said something quite funny and I laughed out loud and as I did he swung his head to look at me and realisation dawned on him that I could understand! hahhaaaa!!! He never said anything to me but I did get some extra work to do, hahahaha!! and then after that he would swivel his chair right around with his back to me and continued to gossip about everyone but did it very quietly, with his hand partially covering the telephone! lol!!!!

That was years and years ago and sadly I have lost all sense of those two languages. :(
Oh my gosh, that's hilarious about your boss, Ona!! My daughter understands Spanish and speaks it brokenly, but she's around a lot of Hispanics in Florida and she loves to bust them. She used to have several of them working for her - uh oh.

Did you live in Australia when your parents emigrated? I'm reading The Last Million and a lot of the DP's went there, too. I SO wish I could find out more from that time period, but everybody's gone now. My interest was piqued when the war started - it's like history is repeating itself. Grandma must have been involved in the DP program in the mid 50's, so that would make sense. My hubby is quite a "student" of WWII and he has corroborated my memories of that time period. I'm even looking up obituaries of DP who died in that area.
 

mcurtt

Well-Known Member
And I'm currently scanning in my uncles' military pics from WW2. Mom had 3 brothers who were in the war.

Speaking of understanding another language, I could understand Polish as we lived in the flat above my grandparents and neither of them spoke English. Mom & Dad were both born in the USA. I knew a few Polish words here and there, but no where as proficient as my oldest brother (8 years older than I was). I remember him taking a cart and walking to the neighborhood grocery store to help Mom out. A couple of ladies were in there speaking Polish, commenting about him and why he was shopping instead of his mother. He was so angry, but apparently kept his cool. Amazingly, when I went to Poland in 2016 for a wedding, I was able to understand more than I thought I could.
 

Hamer Lodge

forever learning
Here's a page that I posted a couple of months ago - I hope it's okay to post in here. My grandma, Lola, was such a force of nature. She was instrumental in lots of things, but the one I think stands out the most - right now - is the work she did with the Displaced Persons (DP's) who were re-patriated to the Midwest in the 1950's. I have VAGUE memories of going with her to visit them and WISH I could remember more details. I was very young, but I remember that they couldn't speak English and they were housed in barracks-like facilities. She collected things that they needed like blankets and clothing. I'm currently researching this time period and reading a book about what happened to the "last million" survivors after WWII. From my research, I believe they were from Latvia and Lithuania.

wow. what a fabulous page and story!
 

Hamer Lodge

forever learning
Here are a few LOs I made of the family

My mother, father, myself and sister

My sister and I

My mother-in-law

My grandmother, myself and sister

My mother's mother and father

My dad's parents
your pages are beautiful and the vintage elements are spectacular...
 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Here are a few LOs I made of the family

My mother, father, myself and sister

My sister and I

My mother-in-law

My grandmother, myself and sister

My mother's mother and father

My dad's parents
Kay! Your pages are always so amazing - and what treasures these are. You can sure tell the "Shirley Temple" effect, eh? Your family heritage album must be incredible!
 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Awesome page Cheryl! I am of Latvia/Lithuanian descent, Mum was born in Riga, Latvia and Dad in Lithuania, and I am first generation Australian. My older sister and brother were both born in Germany and emigrated out with my Mum in 1951. My father had come a year earlier to get some accommodation ready for them.

Funny story......... when I was younger I could speak both languages but only a limited child's vocabulary as both of my parents wanted to learn English and so my eldest sister was our 'tutor' as she was the first to go to an English school. However, I could understand both languages when my parents lapsed into them. I left school and started work at 15 (hated school! lol!) and my first job was as a clerk at an aluminum manufacturing company. My boss was Lithuanian and a bit of a hard task maker! I would sit outside of his glass paneled office at my desk and I virtually could hear everything he said in there, even on the phone! lol! The funny bit was that he would talk to his wife at lunchtime in Lithuanian about everyone in the office! some of the things he said were not very complimentary to say the least. The first time I heard it I nearly choked on my cheese sandwich as I was eating my lunch at my desk but didn't let on that I had heard! lol!! This went on for about a month, until the day he said something quite funny and I laughed out loud and as I did he swung his head to look at me and realisation dawned on him that I could understand! hahhaaaa!!! He never said anything to me but I did get some extra work to do, hahahaha!! and then after that he would swivel his chair right around with his back to me and continued to gossip about everyone but did it very quietly, with his hand partially covering the telephone! lol!!!!

That was years and years ago and sadly I have lost all sense of those two languages. :(
What a great story, Ona! Have you made a page about it. Years from now your family will have a right good laugh and you will sit among them 100 years from now.
 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
I did this layout last year - it shows my aunts - Helene and Margarethe - and my mom.
I never met my aunts in person. Helene passed away in the age of 27 - long before I was born. Because of World War II, the contact with Margarethe were lost - my mom never heard from her again. Subsequent efforts to find her were unsuccessful.
Such a beautiful LO and a sad story. Gina, there are so many more records available now, it's worth looking again. I thin there are people here who would help. I know I will.
 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
And I'm currently scanning in my uncles' military pics from WW2. Mom had 3 brothers who were in the war.

Speaking of understanding another language, I could understand Polish as we lived in the flat above my grandparents and neither of them spoke English. Mom & Dad were both born in the USA. I knew a few Polish words here and there, but no where as proficient as my oldest brother (8 years older than I was). I remember him taking a cart and walking to the neighborhood grocery store to help Mom out. A couple of ladies were in there speaking Polish, commenting about him and why he was shopping instead of his mother. He was so angry, but apparently kept his cool. Amazingly, when I went to Poland in 2016 for a wedding, I was able to understand more than I thought I could.
It's wonderful that you retained that knowledge even when you didn't think you did. I studied Spanish, German and French but was never really fluent in any of them. I can read then possibly well and as long as people speak a little slower than normally they would, I sitll understand a good bit but only attempt to speak with my German sister-in-law. We help each other out some.
 

Susan - s3js

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
And one more. This one features my 1st cousin once-removed. I recognize the street and buildings behind her. She lived in the home I was raised in. Taken circa 1941, the empty lot behind her is now filled with small single-family dwellings.

Those are some fabulous LOs! These are the kinds of pages that bring people to life for us. I can just imagine your descendants sitting on a couch in their quarters on a starship looking at and reading your pages as they come to know you in the future. Maybe they'll have a holo deck and will create a program to interact with you. That would be marvelous.

I love it when the people I find and record begin to be a living presence for me! I hope my grandchildren or my great grand nieces and children will feel that way as they discover their heritage!
 

*gina*

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Such a beautiful LO and a sad story. Gina, there are so many more records available now, it's worth looking again. I thin there are people here who would help. I know I will.
Thank you so much, Susan. But look at the birth date... long long ago... and so I let it go.
 
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