Author of two Philadelphia Holiday Stories – http://www.AChanceEncounterWithAMostUnusualAcquaintance@Amazon.com http://www.A-Glimpse-From-Christmas-Past@Audible.com
Speaking for both my wife and me, we are the offspring of family immigrants who came to America from countries that were ruled or were going through a time of crisis, such as the Irish Potato Famine or impoverished nations like Germany, Russia/Ukraine, and Czechoslovakia.
I am a descendant paternally from the McClellan, Brady, Clifford, and Donahue families, who all immigrated from Ireland back in the 1860s to the Philadelphia area, now known as the Grey’s Ferry area a.k.a. ” The Devil’s Pocket”, of South Philly. McClellan and Clifford are on my grandmother’s side, with the Bradys and Donahues on my grandfather’s side. My family is steeped in Philadelphia history, especially during Prohibition, when my grandfather was a bootlegger who, with my uncles, ran liquor from Philly to Atlantic City. He also ran the only Speakeasy in the Pocket. His day job was a paperhanger and painter, and my grandmother worked at Pennsylvania Hospital doing housekeeping.
The Depression hit them hard, and like many families, they had to do whatever it took to keep their home. My father dropped out of school in the 9th grade and joined the CCC, a program initiated by Roosevelt that provided work for young men. He worked in the Appalachian area of Pine Furnace, Pennsylvania, where he helped build roads and other infrastructure. Being young, he was trained to be a dynamiter, as many of the younger recruits who had no family were considered more expendable in case of accidents. Those same men, many like my father, and my future father-in-law (Tank Sgt. under Patton who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, etc), would later build the army that fought and won in WWII. Yes! The Greatest Generation is without dispute. Many of our family members and relatives fought in both WWII and Korea, losing friends.
On my maternal side, my ancestors are the Cotterall on her father’s side and the Knoufs and Hisdorf on her mother’s side. They immigrated to the Shamokin area of Pennsylvania just after the Civil War, coming from Ireland and Germany. Interestingly, they arrived through the Catholic Church, which would send men from Germany to the United States in search of work in the mines and mills. The mills and mines funded through the church would then bring a boatload of women, chosen sight unseen, as part of a matchmaking effort. Well, to their credit, they went on to have 10 children. My mother’s great-grandfather’s wife, Anna Rudkin (supposedly of the Pepperidge Farm Cookie recipe Rudkins) died giving birth to my grandfather, Andrew Cotterall. He eventually married my grandmother, Annamarie Knouf.
My wife has a similar story, deeply rooted in Irish history, particularly regarding the early IRA Sons of Hibernia Philadelphia Chapter on her great-grandfather’s side (Wm. Crossin). They also migrated to the Tasker region of South Philadelphia and the Drexel Hill area (Crawford’s/ Deals) of the Philadelphia suburbs. Her great-grandfather can be found in the Drexel Hill history for starting the Samuel Crossin Fife and Bugle Corp. affiliated with Delaware County’s early history.
Her grandfather on her paternal side migrated from Czechoslovakia at the young age of 15, accompanied by his brother George (who later returned) and their friend Pecko, who both stayed. Their families settled in the Oakview area of Drexel Hill, and like my grandfather, who at one time worked for Baldwin Locomotives. Her paternal grandmother also migrated and settled in the area from the Russia/Ukraine area as the border switched over the years.
Needless to say, both our families are steeped in local and Pennsylvania history in general. It is up to us to carry on in building our own legacy while building on theirs.
Point to Ponder: Try to learn your roots, history, and legacy. Learn to appreciate the hardships they face and the sacrifices they made in bringing you to where you are today. Then say a prayer for them and be grateful.
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