He explained to me that only the men with the surname "House" were of any importance! OK..that was about 1967 in central Indiana on the farm where men at that time had that kind of values. BUT NOT ME!!! LOLOL!!! I remember being so furious because my cousin who was male, with the right surname was in the tree, but my brother....was not! I vowed right then and there to spend the rest of my life hunting down the women and inserting them into the tree. And I've done just that!
It has been an on-again, off-again love/hate relationship searching out my ancestors. I have come across some incredibly famous female ancestors who just MUST be part of the family tree. And of course, I've added my dad's line, the Moores. Through this research, I have learned that in my family, it took less than 50 years and only 2 generations to completely lose a native language! Gives me new meaning to the expression "time flies". No one has stories of the Civil War, much less the American Revolution. They barely talk about the Korean confict. No one discusses either World War. It is past, done, and forgotten. So you can imagine my struggle at reviving family lore!
Through the efforts of fellow researchers, I have linked one of my lines back to the Kings of England. Yes, I always knew I was a princess! Har! Har! But it did inspire this layout titled "My Royal Tree and Me", detailing the flow of my family and where we split and came to the US and declaried our allegiance to this country. This LO was published in an F&W book, "Family Tree Pages for Scrapbookers".
The bottom corner pulls down and shows the entire family tree with photos of past Kings and Queens in that line.
Somehow down the lines I am the 23rd cousin 3 times removed to Queen Elizabeth...think she will invite me over for tea?
This line also links back to Jewish ancestors. That is the only connection I have to any Jewish blood in me...I'm pretty much gentile through and through. But I do have an inate love for anything Judaica and it inspires a lot of what I create. To me, the Star of David is simply a symbol that I am seeking the Messiah's return. Knowing the Messiah will return again is the most beautiful thing on earth....quite personal, but inspires so much of what I do when I play.
I used to make dolls. And at one time was quite heavily involved in that "world". I started making a line of Jewish Peddler Immigrant Dolls....simply because mom asked me to make her one. They were quite in demand, each one standing about 24" tall. They are hand made down to the Arba Kanfot. They each have a hand made, embossed leather T'fillin, a Yarmika, and are just about as authentic as you can get.
My hubby requested that I make one for his 50th birthday. Meet Kerpholtz Ephrian Lowenbert from Coldounlaws, West Wemyss, Fifeshire, Scotland. Did you know that Scotland is the only country that has never killed Jews? His ancestors had lived there since the late 1600s and most likely immigrated from Germany. Most of his ancestors were Masons. His father had worked in a coal mine. Jews were not allowed to own land in America, so many became peddlers.
He has a letter in his pocket that he wrote to his wife last night, his immigration documents, his passport and this doll is peddling pots, pans and books. Even his wool hat was hand made. Oh, his wife's name is Jenena Lenit Moher....I still need to create her!
Just so much fun to create....and inspired once again by my love for Israel, for keeping history alive, for creating art that has meaning.
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