I've engaged in a multi-year research project about my ancestors. I learned a lot and I am about ready to put closure on this project.
What did I learn?
I learned that my ancestors were immigrants from Ireland and Eastern Europe in the mid to late 19th century. 3/4 of my ancestors came from Ireland. Mostly from the Muenster region, they migrated west from the southwestern Irish seacoast inland to Kerry. There they lived with very large families close to one another. When times got tough in the mid to late 1800's, many came to America for a better life. One great grandmother, Bridget Donoghue, was destined for Australia, but took the boat to the United States since that arrived first. Her spontaneous choice, in many ways, mirrors the zest and spirit that my big extended family has exhibited over time.
If you read the newspapers of the mid to late 1800's you'll realize that the Irish were not esteemed by many at that time. As they assimilated into American society, they faced a fair number of challenges. Their jobs were mostly that of laborers and service workers. My great grandparents mostly worked in factories or the homes of wealthy individuals though one was a sculptor. Eventually one couple became saloon keepers, but prohibition ended their business. They lived close to family members who helped one another.
Several of my ancestors were politically active in their locales. One great-great uncle was very outspoken in Boston politics and a fierce defender of Irish independence too. You can find many articles about him in old Boston newspapers. Amongst many endeavors, he ran a mineral water business and was the leader of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Boston sometime in the late 1800's. That great-great-uncle's brother, my great-great-grandfather, was also politically active as was his son, my great-grandfather.
One great-great-aunt worked for the United States Forestry service out on the west coast and in Washington, D.C in the early 1900's. Another great-aunt was the head of her Polish order of nuns in New Britain, Connecticut. Both my grandfathers were postmen which was advantageous during The Depression since they didn't lose their jobs. Other great uncles worked in transportation businesses and for the merchant marines.
My Polish ancestors came from northeast Poland and the now southeast region of Poland. Family lore has it that my great-grandfather came with family to live amongst family in Webster, MA while my great-grandmother came for a visit and decided to stay. Due to the language barriers the Polish immigrants faced, they lived close to one another and depended on the Catholic Church parish that they belonged to for support. My Polish ancestors eventually moved to Worcester, MA and helped to start the Polish Catholic Church there. My polish great-grandmother, Petronella, worked for the wealthy Rice family in Worcester. Family lore tells that she liked the way Mrs. Rice valued education and then did the same for her children.
When my Polish great-grandfather got his first factory job, they changed his name to Frank Smith. Many of his legal records are filed under that name. Later my grandfather who was identified as Smith and Prachniak (the Polish name) changed our family name to Pratt to make it easier.
On both sides of my family, there was considerable closeness amongst family members--they cared for one another and had a lot of good times. On my mom's side, the Sunday dinner was a staple and many of us carry on that tradition today. On my dad's side, there was a love of exploration and adventure. Family photos and stories demonstrate that many family members adventured locally and throughout the United States and abroad over time. My dad tells me that his dad would drive explore the local area by driving to all the small towns nearby to picnic, swim, or simply explore the region. That sense of adventure continues throughout the family today.
The greatest challenge our family faced on both sides was alcoholism--some ancestors struggled with this disease which impacted their families and lifespan greatly. Other than that, there were relatively few health problems and many family members lived long lives. For example, I have 56 first cousins aged from about 50-75 and only two have passed away, both from cancer. It's amazing that we haven't met with more illness.
There's few mysteries about my family. One is the life of one great-grandfather since I can find almost no information about his early life. Family lore tells that his father, my great-great-grandfather, was involved in The Civil War, but I can't find any specific proof of that. What makes the research difficult is that my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather's names are so common and there are many at that time period with their name, Michael Shea. In fact there were so many Michael Shea's during that period that one postman in Norwich, Connecticut called all the Michael Shea's into the post office and made them line up as he read the addresses from which the letters came to rightly identify which Michael Shea belonged to which letter. I never thought to ask my grandmother about her father's family while she was living, and my parents didn't know anything about that since my great-grandfather died before my mother was born.
My family is full of storytellers and there are many, many great and amusing stories about my extended family passed down over the years. We were and are still a relatively simple family who values family relations, helping one another, good times, and strong communities. We're aware of the struggles past and put a lot of investment in education and good health today. That sums up my family history for the most part, and my next step is to document the details in a book to pass on to my children and other interested relatives so they can pick up where I left off. Onward.