What I Learned About My Family History Essay

What I Learned About My Family History Essay
When I first started this project I didn't know a lot about my family history. I was told that my mom's side was from Germany and that my dad's
side is from Ireland and while I was able to verify that I also learned so much more. I was about to located two different 4th great grandparents on
Ancestry.com and uncover over 40 relatives that I never knew about dating back until 1800. I am grateful for what I have learned in the process of
writing this paper because without it I may have never learned about my true culture and the family I come from. My father grew up in a small town in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and it turns out that VanNewkirk's have been living in that area for over 200 years. First I was introduced to my
grandfather's dad; James William VanNewkirk. He was born on September 21, 1895 in McKeesport Allegheny PA. His parents, William and
Henrietta, where both dead by age 15 so it is assumed that James become the head of the household to his two younger siblings, Walter and Alice.
He worked at a laborer at a railway company in Pittsburgh until he was drafted into the military at age 21. He served in the Army from June 2, 1918
until February 21, 1919; reaching the rank of private. When James came home he met his wife, Jane McAffee. They both continued to live in
Pittsburgh and had six children; William, Nele, Henyetta, James, Walter, and Martha. Walter would later become my grandfather. James died at age 40
in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on November 22, 1935. He
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Personal Narrative: My Family History
Family history project – my family's story #2
After the world war 2 my family from turkey (my grandma's parents) decided that they are going to immigrate to Israel because in this time a lot of
Jewish people started to immigrate to Israel. They had a really good chance to move to Israel. All the Jewish people knew that the big ship coming to
Israel and that's their chance to start new life. They went into the big ship and they already knew that the british people (Who ruled Israel) might
catch them, but they decided to take a risk. When they arrived in Israel the british people caught them and all the other people in the ship and took
them to a really big labor camp in Cyprus for eight months, from their stories it sounds like a jail. They

Essay on My Family's Ancestry
Gathering research about my family and its history turned out to be an interesting and insightful opportunity, through which I learned much more than
I expected. When I started this project, I knew that I would not be able to find as much useful information on the Internet as some of my peers. In
effect, I realized that I would have to rely on other primary resources such as my parents and grandparents to reveal the story of my ancestry to me.
After I had interviewed them, my family history became much clearer to me. More than 2 millennia ago, around the 3rd century BC, a group of
Tamil–speaking people from present–day South India migrated to the nearby island of Sri Lanka. Among these people, known today as "Sri Lankan
Tamils", are my...show more content...
The Peninsula has a hot, monsoonal tropical climate characterized by a dry season from February to October and a wet season from October to
January. Because of the monsoons, the region is humid and averages three feet of rain each year, which is relatively low compared to the rest of the
island. The climate of the region allows for many crops to be grown including many varieties of fruits and vegetables.
While interviewing my parents and grandparents, I learned about many customs and aspects of the Sri Lankan Tamil culture. Sri Lankan Tamils are
devotees of the Shaiva sect of Hinduism, mainly worshipping the lord Shiva. The three main cultural festivals celebrated in the area are Thai Pongal
(beginning of the harvest), Chittrai Pongal (Tamil New Year), and Deepavali (Hindu Festival of Lights). In addition, pujas (religious rituals) are
performed for different occasions, such as the death day of an ancestor or the celebration of a certain Hindu deity. It was also a custom to ask the
village astrologer for advice on certain decisions, such as the name of a newborn child.
Paternal Great–Grandparents In the early 1900's, Kadirasaipillai and Vairavipillai Kandappar, my paternal grandmother's parents, were born in the
village of Puloly, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. They were both born into families of the Vellalar caste of Tamil society and went to school at Puttalai
Vidhyalayam, the only schooling option

My Family History
During my excessive research on my family background, I found that I had major complication learning about my history. The reason for this was
because my family was brought to a country that totally wiped out my ancestor's culture. The only part I understand of my family history is
slavery. We started out as slaves in when first brought to America. We were originally from West Africa. We lived in places such Nigeria, Congo,
and Ghana. This was a time when we owned our land and freedom. However, around the late 1500s, the western European culture had finally
discovered our deeply rooted heritage. They saw that beautiful land we had nourished, They saw the love within our community. They saw the
resource we provided. They realized the strength we had as a people. Soon the western Europeans felt that needed to conquer us and our land. The
wanted to prove that we're able to conquer because of the more industrialized military they had. They forced my people to move to a unformal land
that conquered from another culture of people. So after arrival to the new world, the European immediately forced my ancestors to change their names.
They gave us our names of our slave owners. This resulted in my ancestors to being someone's property. My ancestors worked day in and day out in the
hot sun; picking cotton, building houses, growing crops and being housemaids. The European's would soon transition into what we know today as
Americans. For the next four hundred years, the Americans

Family History : An Individual Essay
Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life and of others.
Every person has a different origin, a different story to tell, and it's up to the next generation to share the story of their ancestry to future generations.
The paternal side of my family originated in Ireland, they later came over through Elis Island and resided in Waukon, Iowa. Throughout time my family
moved and expanded, as generations past the McKenna name would broadened.
My great–grandmother Ann was born in 1923 on a small rural farm just off the blacktop of Bluffton, Iowa. Churning butter, collecting eggs, and
tending to the livestock cultivated the strong work ethic, she soon would pass on to her children and grandchildren. She attended a small town
school with a grand total of 25 kids; Ann graduated with an eighth grade education. As time went on and she passed her schooling; she acquired
jobs doing house work for others, but the pay was only 25 cents a week. Instead of continuing her low paying job she decided it would be best to
work on the farm. While doing this she became close to her neighbor, William McKenna. The pair had attended the same church and saw each other
often, they eventually started dating. On May 29, 1939 the two were married and they would soon start their ever–expanding family. After their
wedding Ann and William purchased a small farm where they would soon begin their living.
My great–grandmother

Personal Narrative: My Family History
My family history starts with my mothers decision to emigrate from her native land of Honduras to the U.S. Her decision was highly influenced
by that of her parents; her mother was a newlywed to a man who already lived in the USA. My mother moved to be closer to her immediate family
and decided to live in Utah because she had recently been converted to the LDS religion and wanted to be close to others of her faith. My father is
of European ancestry, one of his ancestors came to the US as a young boy working on a ship. Later he met his wife, a young girl living in America
with her parents. The two started their life together and along the line, their kids moved west with many other travelers. A couple more generations
passed and my father was

Family History Of My Family
Part One: Family History
I have a very large family, so large in fact that I would not know how many distant cousins I have. The people I consider my immediate family are my
maternal grandparents and everyone descended from them. My grandparents had three children, my mother, my Aunt Denise, and my Uncle Billy.
When my maternal grandmother's mother passed away her family drifted apart. This is a very sore topic among any family member who is old
enough to remember the discord. When Emmie Jane or "Granny" as she's better known passed away she left a lot of land to my grandmother. Most of
my grandmother's sisters did not agree with the decision and were quite vocal about it. This resulted in the classic Irish Catholic method of sweeping
things under a run and pretending it never happened. Through no fault of my grandparents, my mother and her siblings rarely saw their cousins or
Aunt and Uncles after that. With little familial ties left my mother and her siblings pulled together to support their parents. Eventually they found a new
normal and the children grew up, got married and moved out.
My Aunt never really got over the events following my great grandmother's death. She chooses to be ignorant of the world around her. She built up her
perfect life and refused to let anything destroy it the way her mother's family was destroyed. My Aunt Denise married an economically well–off farmer
by the name of Billy Barnett. Together Billy and Denise had three girls and one boy. In

How Does Family History Affect Personal Identity?
Family history is vital to knowing who you are, where you come from, and how it shapes your personal identity. As I reflected over the course of my
life, and explored family's educational past, a startling revelation was uncovered. I have a lineage of uneducated family and did not recognize this truth
until the assignment. Research extended back to grandparents on my mother's side, revealed neither one finished elementary. A lot of unanswered
questions are now coming to light. Although I completed high school, college education was incomplete, which yielded a poor end result; my son
dropped out of college as well.
During my twelve year tenure in school, I had a disdain for education past twelfth. To be honest, I did not have an understanding

Kobie Douglas: A Very Brief History Of My Family
Kobie DouglasDouglas 1
2–6–12
My family history
"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage – to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge,
there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness." –Alex Haley
This quote explained to me the importance of my grandparent's legacy and their history. A long twistingfamily tree inspires one who does not know
where their roots originated. My grandfather Frank Douglas and my grandmother Delores Jones gave me a reason to find out where our legacy
started. My grandfather Frank Kelow was adopted into a four person white family, which gave...show more content...
She was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana where her parents worked several jobs to maintain the tiny shack she was raised in. "Back in my day
society consisted of smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, and partying heavily" (Jones). At the age of 13, she was required to work to earn extra
money around the house. Some chores my grandmother had around the house was to clean the house, wash the dishes, wash clothes, and pull
weeds from the lawn. The relationship between my grandmother and her parents was quite the opposite of mine with my parents. "After
completing my chores, I was allowed to do basically whatever, as long as I was in the house at a reasonable hour" (Jones). Delores was a very
social person. "I rarely spent time with my grandparents" (Jones). During her high school years she was often looked at as beautiful, ambitious, and
persistent. At the age of 18 she was elected as prom queen for her senior dance. Although she was often free to do what she wanted, she was also held
responsible. Delores was sometimes whooped and grounded for disobeying curfew rules and not completing her chores. This gave her everlasting the
mentality of you must work for everything you want in life.
Douglas 3 I was born in Mississauga, Canada on the date of February 23, 1993. The name Kobie was given to me by my mother, it means warrior.
Raised in a family with both parents, one–brother, and one sister, I was surrounded by people who loved me.
My brother,

What Is My Family Heritage Essay
Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the
mountain." – Unknown
My family has a long history of the love of nature and being outdoors. The definition of Nature from the dictionary says the material world, especially
as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities. The first example of this trait, my dad Jonathan. Jonathan loves nature and
loves being outside. My mom Elizabeth hikes almost every day with my dogs and her friends. My dad's dad Joe is the most surprising he love to go on
a hike with us and participated in numerous activities outside; the surprising part is he is 78 years old and moves like he is...show more content...
Ric Keller
My mom Elizabeth loves to be outdoors like my dad.
The trait of being outdoors fits my mom, Etheridge perfectly. As a kid, she lives in Asheville. Her and two siblings loved to play outdoors in the
woods, they would make tree forts and go camping.
The college my mom enrolled in was Boulder, Co university when she went to college in CO she started to love nature even more than before.
Meanwhile, she had some struggles like dealing with the cold and snowy winters. Furthermore, while at college one of the thing she studies were Earth
science, she was so fascinated about the Earth and how it came to be.
My mom had many exciting experiences in college, but without a doubt, her most exciting experiences in college was participating in a trip to the
Arctic for five weeks to study the weather, animals, and plants. My mom's occupation is being a real estate agent. Elizabeth, my mom, has loved being
outdoors, camping, hiking, and so much more.
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it if you

Essay on My Family History
My Family History
Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear
understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. The house, the car, and
the average clothing may look better when one sees the sacrifices their family has made. They will see that their family has worked very hard just so
their family can experience the better things in life. A persons roots and origin is one of the most important things to explore. It alone can bring you
closer to self–discovery.
There are two sides to a person's family and one side of my family has...show more content...
One of these is that on Thanksgiving everybody comes together to my parents' house in New Jersey for a huge feast. On Christmas only my mother and
the children (me and my brother) travel to Illinois to spend a week with my grandparents. On New Years Eve we all get together at my parents'
house in New Jersey and toast to the New Year with champagne and apple cider. During Labor Day weekend all of my family travels to South
Jersey to my grandfathers' condo. We usually spend all of our time on the beach and barbequing, except on Sunday when we go to church. After
all, my grandfather is a minister. One of our biggest family traditions is going back to Puerto Rico. Every year my mother and I travel back to
Puerto Rico for a portion of our summer vacation. Now that I am older I travel there more often and stay there much longer. My father never joins
because he doesn't like my mothers side of the father too much and he thinks that we when we speak Spanish we are all plotting against him. Of
course that's not true though. My bother doesn't speak Spanish so he doesn't like to go either. I guess that tradition is one that belongs solely to my
mother and I.
The role of the people in family basically stayed the same for most of the generations with a little change in the later generations. Earlier the males
were the only ones that worked in the family and the wife stayed at home and took care of the house and

My Family History Report
In the very beginning of the winter quarter, I always thought that answering the question or focusing on the purpose of the essay was what makes a
good writing. I was never interested in the writing process and just saw essays as another assignment I needed to complete. However, throughout the
quarter with different writing assignments, I started to grow an attachment to writing. This was possibly due to the central topic of the class was
around migration/immigration. As a son coming from parents who were international students, I found an interest and attachment discussing about the
topic of immigration and migration. MyWritingLab allowed for improvement on grammatical errors and understanding concepts behind each written
works. Writing resumes...show more content...
I have chosen these three assignments because I felt that it showed my progress as a writer during the winter quarter of 2017. My choice in the Book
Review over my Family History Narrative was because of the oral assignment we had. Although the Family History Narrative was my first assignment
and an assignment I grew an attachment to, I felt that this assignment was meant to be told as a story rather than a written assignment. The oral report
allowed me to convey my thought as well as the story behind it. I could not think of any better way of explaining my mother's story unless it was done
through an oral presentation. That is one reason why I chose the Book Review over my Family History Narrative. Another reason is because I would
like to improve on giving my opinion on certain materials better, whether it is a book, film, music, food, and other activities that require my opinion
and review. The Close Reading is a proper demonstration of my analysis skills that still needs further improvements. Analysis should not be
half–hearted; therefore, analysis should be through analyzing the whole text as you analyze the text quoted. Looking beyond the explicit quote and
looking at the implicit message left from the author is important for analyzing text. The Research Paper is a culmination of all my writing assignments
and progress. Although the other writing assignments have been revised to the best of my ability, the Research Paper is what ties in my ability to give
opinion backed with research on a facility, and analyze multiple sources to inform my audience about the facility my Research Paper focuses

My Family History
When most students ask their families about their history, they would probably tell them stories about the world wars, the great depression, or even
the civil rights movement. When I raise this question to my family I get a completely different answer. Most of my family was born and raised in East
Africa in a small country; Rwanda, where they lacked the financial means to live an ordinary childhood. They were raised in a country that didn't
even get their independence until 20 years after being founded, so their lifestyle constantly shifted. My family history was not one of the best, instead
it was filled with struggles and a lot of deaths. My grandmother's first born completed high school and didn't attend college so that she could Help out
around the house. Her second born who died due to nature causes when he was in his second year of college.
My grandmother has always been one of the funny people in the family, she would say something like, " you better be on your best behavior or
you won't be eating tonight." She was born in Rwanda in 1941 on a farm, her parents decided to move to Uganda when she was five years old and
she's been living there ever since. My grandmother helped her parents in farming and cattle herding. They sold cow milk and food from the farm to
the market nearby to them in order to earn some money to buy basic needs like; clothes, soap for bathing and petroleum for the house lamps because
there was no electricity. My grandmother did not attend school

Personal Narrative : My Family History
I have always been mature for my age, growing up an only child kind of does that to you. I had to watch over my little cousins quite often and at
that time in my life, I dreaded babysitting. The crying, the screaming, the tantrums; they annoyed me to no end. Olivia, being the youngest, would
say, "your not the boss of me!" Umm, actually I am while your parents are away, so please just listen to what I ask of you. After two long years of
babysitting, I had decided I really did not like kids, that I would never have any of my own. But when I turned fifteen, I regretted ever saying that,
seeing as my family history was about to catch up to me. I always knew there was something "off" when it came to genetics in my family. I watched
my mom go...show more content...
Well, I knew all to well what my body was going through. It scared me to the core. I watched my mom go through this, now it is happening to me.
I do not want surgery; I am way to young for this! The thoughts I kept having were the worst. I decided to Google some of my symptoms; which
was the wrong thing to do. I have cancer? I am dying? Google, although very handy at times, was my worst enemy that night. I finally decided to
talk to my mom; she had been through this, she would know what to do. She told me that she had already noticed what was going on and had
scheduled an appointment at a gynecologist for me. Oh no, I am not going there. Mom, you know what they do to women there, right? Within the
next couple of weeks I was sitting on a cold, hard doctors bed, wearing a paper vest, looking down at the foot stirrups, shaking to my core, just
waiting for the doctor to tell me the inevitable. I know he is going to tell me I am sick that I am going through everything my mom went through.
Or worst. Once he walked in, he tried to make jokes. Sorry doc, but your jokes are not helping so just please stop trying to be funny. I know what
your about to do to me, those jokes are just going to make it even more awkward. And they did. During the exam, my doctor scarred me for life; he
talked to me about dating his stepson, all because he knew I was a virgin. What the.... Are you kidding me you weirdo! When he finished, he said,
"everything looks good, but lets set up an

My History And My Family History
Do you want to learn about me and my self– perception ? well then here are some fact about my family history , childhood , school life and future so
you can learn about me . My full name is Mia Silva Mendoza . My dad chose my name because of the actress playing Mia in the movie fast & furious .
My nickname is wolfie because my favorite animal is wolves . Here is some family history fact about my family's life .I would describe my parent's
hard workers because they try to give me a good life and education . Their name are beatriz and mario , my dad's occupation is maintainance , My
mom occupation is to babysit . My mom is funny , hardworking ,loving , and caring . My dad is hardworking ,athletic ,caring ,and funny . I have
one younger sibling her name is Miley she is a 9 year old girl . I am the oldest in my family I like this position because I do get a little respect from
my sister and I get to be her role model . I am also the first girl born in my dad's side of the family on my dad's side of the family I have a cousin the
same age as me put I am 2 weeks older than him but they say that when we were babies we looked like identical twins . Some of my family lives in
santa ana , costa mesa, and mexico . We celebrate holiday together as a family and spent the entire holiday with each other happiness and love .
Some special gifts I got is a mini ipad for my 10th birthday , a pair of diamond earring from my friend giovana for my 11th birthday , a heart locket
from my cousin for christmas , and a chromebook and a mini 8 instax camera for christmas and those were really great gifts . My childhood facts
that I have . When I was a child I was shy ,funny,caring,and kind . I lived in costa mesa with my aunt then we moved to an apartment in Costa
Mesa . During the first month of third grade in kaiser knights elementary school I moved to santa ana we moved because we want to live with my
uncle and my parent decide to move out of the apartments . My earliest memory is my mom after having my little sister and me holding my little
sister at the hospital . Some game I play are hide & seek ,tag ,soccer, and football .My favorite toy was stuffed mini mouse .I like so much because I
would have company during

My Family History : Diabetes
After thorough research into my family history I've realized that my family has a history of developing diabetes. Also known as Diabetes mellitus is a
group of diseases that develop in the human body because of too much sugar in the blood system. There are different types of diabetes such as type
one, type two, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type–one diabetes is a chronic condition, in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
Type–two diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. Prediabetes is a condition when your blood sugar is
high, but not high enough to be type–two diabetes. The final type of diabetes is Gestational diabetes which is a form of high blood sugar affecting
only pregnant women. The human body needs an adequate amount of insulin production, so when your blood cells are deprived of insulin you
develop diabetes. Diabetes affects over 382,000,000 people worldwide, so in perspective that's ever one in eleven Americans has some form of
diabetes. According to the center for disease control statistics," out of the twenty–nine million people that have diabetes in the U.S, only twenty–one
million have been diagnosed". Which means about a quarter of Americans don't even know they have diabetes yet. My family's medical history
consists of a variety of diseases such as diabetes, prostate cancer and AIDS. When we eat certain foods our body breaks down the food into glucose.
Glucose is our body's main source of

Essay about My Family Heritage
My Family Heritage
Family Defined
The word family has changed so much in the past century. A family back in the 1950's was probably considered a husband, wife, and one or more
children. Times have changed and families have become much different. The Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others book definesfamily as
a, "Unit made up of any number of persons who live in relationship with one another over time in a common living space who are usually, but not
always, united by marriage and kinship" (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 243). Families can be broken up into five different types. The first is the
traditional family, which includes a mother, father, and their biological children. Next, is the blended family which includes...show more content...
William, known as Bill, was born on July 20, 1921 in Minneapolis, MN. He worked in the plaster/stucco business for over 25 years before working
at Northwest Airlines. His wife's maiden name was Lorraine Mulcahy. Lorraine was born on August 13, 1922 in St. Paul, MN. Lorraine went to
college at the University of Minnesota where she got her Bachelor of Science degree and became a dental hygienist. My grandma "Lo" is the
genealogy nut in our family. She has searched for birthdates, marriage licenses, and other documents of her grandparents. I called grandma Lo to get
some information on my great–grandparents and family stories. I found out I was part Norwegian and I never even knew it! Grandma Lo's parents
were Edward Mulcahy and Olga Shermoen. Her father Ed was born on April 15, 1880 in Minneapolis, MN. Ed worked as a claim agent for the Great
Northern Railroad in the twin cities. Olga was born on March 15, 1888 in Hawley, MN. She also worked for the Great Northern Railroad as a matron.
Edward was 100% Irish while Olga was 100% Norwegian. This makes my grandma Lorraine 50% Irish & 50% Norwegian. My grandpa Bill was
adopted in Minneapolis so his genealogy is unknown. He was told by his adopted parents that he was mostly Irish. If we pretended Bill was 100%
Irish, this would make my mom 75% Irish and 25% Norwegian.
Father's side
My father's name is Gerald Otto Utz. He was born on January 23, 1950 in Springfield, MN. He is

Reflection Of My Family History
What I am today is the reflection of my family's history. History of endeavors, pains, failures and growth. One evening, I was talking to my grandma
and she started telling about our family. At first, it seemed quite boring, but ended up in tears and made me learn the most important lesson of my
life. It was quite a deep thing to realize for a kid but fortunately and eventually I understood. It started with my dad's childhood. After my grandfather
suffered health problems, at a very young age of 10, my dad had to take the charge of his family because that time my family didn't had money even
for bread. My dad worked at a bookstore from morning till evening and after the long day of work. He could earn just about to fill their stomachs.
But after my father, he had one brother and three sisters and their education and despite being a lady who were not usually allowed to earn back then,
my grandma started working for VDC. Sadly, in the Nepalese–Indian societies, people aren't judged keeping their hard work, talents in the mind. And,
those who want to grow are pulled backwards due to jealousy. In time of need nobody showed up, and helping seemed bragging only. After all
endeavors, striving and thriving, today what we are up to is the result of the sacrifice of my grandma and my dad's childhood; However, with our
heads high, we are proud, and are happy to have a self–made life and respect in the society. Though, I was not a part of what happened, but I
understand my part of

The Story Of My Family
The story of my family is one that I do not tell often. Although my entire family may not be in agreement at all ties, I know that there is a purpose
for every single person in my family; there is a reason that I have the ties I do. Each person and each event builds on the continuous story of my life.
Each new day is another chance to embark upon a journey that has the potential to change my life forever. Every time I see my parents, I tell them
that I love them. Life itself is so fragile, and we never know what is in store for the future. When I think of my family narrative, I think of courage,
resilience, love, compassion, joy, difficulty, and many more emotions and reactions. This is the story of my family as it relates to Marriage and
Families today.
My parents were married on January 15, 1994. They have been married for 22 years now, and the beginning of my family was signified on that day.
My parents were married for 2 years before having their first child. Twenty years later, I am still their only child. My mother's pregnancy with me was
filled with stress and unexpected turns. I was born prematurely at two pounds and twelve ounces; an entire two months prematurely. My mom had to
stay with me in the hospital for months because I developed jaundice and other conditions that deteriorated my health. The problems did not end there,
however. I would love to believe that racism and colorism are not issues anymore, but sadly they are even today. The sight of my pale skin led

What I Learned About My Family History Essay

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What I Learned About My Family History Essay