A Pirate's Life For Me!! Arghhhhh

I called my sister the other day with a question I had about our family tree. I had noticed that back in 1684, Nicholas Schoonover was born to Derrick Van Viliet and Debora Davids. I wondered about the drastic name change from Van Viliet to Schoonover. My sister had a fascinating explanation. It seems that Derrick Van Viliet was also a pirate called "Pegleg". (I'm quite sure that with that nickname he also donned an eyepatch and carried a parrot on his shoulder.) That rascally pirate had an affair with Debora Davids (who was married to another, by the last name of Schoonover). They produced Nicholas who was, subsequently, brought up as a Schoonover. Gotta love family tales! :)

On another note, I've been watching a new show on tv called "Who Do You Think I Am?". It follows the family trees of a different celebrity each week. So far they've shown Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmitt Smith and Lisa Kudrow (her family's story brought tears). Certainly makes me wish I could travel the world to track down my family history.

Question #2 What Was Halloween Like For You Growing Up?

Halloween was the best holiday ever when I was little. Next to Christmas, that is! I remember when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old and when my Mom and I got home from trick or treating there was a special bag of candy and a plastic skull on a black stick that rattled when you shook it. It had been left for me by a family friend while we were out. I had that thing for many years and it always fascinated me. That was probably what started my fascination with horror movies and Stephen King books.

I remember a couple of costumes in particular. One was a brides outfit. It was beautiful (I thought), long and white with a filmy veil and white "silk" gloves. The next outfit I particularly remember was a brown bear. We had found a bear mask somewhere and Mom made me an outfit out of an old fur coat. She'd even cut back the sleeves and used one to make me a fur cap to cover my head.

And, of course, there was the candy! When I got old enough to go out with friends and without my Mom, we would walk from one end of town to another until our bags of candy were so full we could scarcely lift them. In fact, one year, my brother Kevin's bag of candy was so full that he ended up dragging it. When he got home there was a hole in the bottom of the bag and he had lost a good deal of his stash. The rest of us had to share ours with him. That was ok, though. We had plenty left over!

STORYTELLER

I am the safety net.
We think we will always remember
and we don't.
We can't imagine forgetting,
but we do.
I must catch our lives
from becoming
faded memories.
I must tell our story
so we will never forget.
I am a Storyteller.

~Unknown~

QUESTION #1: What's Your Favorite Ice Cream?

OK, so what does this question have to do with telling your family story? Even the simplest question can release a flood of memories. If this one doesn't do it for you then maybe the next one will. Here's my answer.

My favorite ice cream is plain old vanilla. Not very exciting at first glance, but imagine the possibilities. Vanilla can become anything you want at anytime. I can add fudge or strawberries or butterscotch. Whipped cream and cherries. Crushed cookies or candy bars. It never has to be the same twice.

I remember when I was very young, maybe 4 or so, we lived in Waterville, NY. Every Sunday we attended the local Methodist church and after church we would go to a small ice cream place where I would always get the same thing~A vanilla cone dipped in butterscotch. I was in heaven! Then we would drive into the country and buy eggs from a lady who always gave me a cherry tomato.

There... simple, pleasant and a small tidbit about myself that can be passed along to future generations. Certainly not earthshattering information, but it's something that will go toward making me more real to people who will never get to meet me. The kind of chatty detail that I wish I had about MY ancestors.

So, go ahead and answer this question for yourself. Leave a note in my comments if you like, but most certainly write it down or record it. I'll be asking more questions as we go along and giving you some hints and tips about how to find your own family history. So join in the fun and let's go on the storyteller's journey together.

THE FIRST STEP

I remember my mom telling us stories of our Mayflower ancestors. I remember her telling about when she was little and tried to sic the dog on the neighbor kids, of how my grandfather would come to the house after he and my grandmother divorced and would cry when she refused to let him see his daughters. I wish she had written all these stories down (or that I had a better memory).

As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate the importance of knowing where you came from. Learning who your ancestors were and what they did and how they felt creates a much needed connection and grounding in our busy lives. When family stories are passed down it helps you learn how you are similar as well as different from other family members. Maybe you'll find out how you got that unusual name or the dimple in your chin. Or why Aunt Gert was such an old grouch.

Someday someone will want to know all about you. So get out the old photos, your camera, video recorder or just paper and pen. Let the journey begin.

IN THE BEGINNING.....

"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage~to know 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, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness"

~ALEX HALEY~


For Alex Palmer Haley (1921-1992). One of the great American storytellers.