A Little History

We went to see Valkerie with some friends, Great Show!! Wow, even knowing how the show would turn out, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and rooting for the good guy to win! But as we all know, he did not. But the show also made me start thinking about some of my ancestors, my Grandpa was a Jew and his mother was a Russian Jew that was smuggled out of Russia with another family during the reign of Stalin (who killed probably just as many people as Hitler), came to New York via ship, then married and had three children only to have her husband die. Due to some desperate times, she then put all three children into an orphanage. Now this is were the story gets really good, my Great Grandmother then remarried, not daring to tell her new husband that she had three children at an orphanage. She told him that she had two; they went and retrieved the two children leaving my Grandpa at the orphanage. I am not sure of the time frame, but the new husband eventually found out about the additional child that was still at the orphanage and promptly went to get my Grandpa as well. Soon after all three children were back with my Great Great Grandmother, the orphanage burnt to the ground, leaving no records or any information whatsoever as to whom the three orphaned children’s real father was, and my Great Great Grandmother never spoke of him.

I remember my Grandpa, even though he died very young, I remember how he would cut my French toast, how he would tickle us when we would get in bed. He collected wine bottles and they were the prettiest things I had ever seen, and he was a Jew and had a ring (that my mom currently has) that had all the symbols of the Masons. My grandmother searched and searched for information on his biological father and that bloodline with no avail. But I am very thankful for those who risked their lives to smuggle a Jewish girl out of Russia, and am thankful for a good man that happens to be my Great Great Grandpa.

Go see the show; it is one of those films that will stick with you.

I can also recommend "Forever Strong" (at Kaysville) very good show, and I just finished reading "Marley and Me", great read, not just for those of you who have dogs.