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Friday, April 1, 2011

A is for Ancestor










I have entered the A-Z Challenge for the month of April. I'll be posting every day except Sunday, using a subject starting with the letter of the alphabet for each day, beginning with A. My theme is Flamenco

A is for Ancestor. The picture below is my ancestor, Grandmother Amelia.


'
Amelia studied dance in Germany and was given a trip to the US for her 16th birthday. Here she met Charles, also from Germany. They fell in love, married and homesteaded lake shore land in South Dakota. Amelia yearned to put on ballet slippers again but her new role was being wife and Mother.

Amelia and Charles had 18 children, my Father being the youngest. Many of their kids inherited her passion for music and dancing. Our huge family gatherings were as robust as any musical theatrical production. I thank Amelia for my life-long love affair with dance, especially Flamenco.
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39 comments:

  1. hyperCRYPTICalApril 1, 2011 at 2:08 AM

    A fine ancestry Manzanita - with the love of dancing in your genes! Excellent!

    Anna :o]

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  2. Francine HowarthApril 1, 2011 at 2:21 AM

    Hi,

    Lovely pic of Grandmother Amelia. So you know how to dance the light fandango.

    The car: I want,I want, I want . . . ;)

    best
    F

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  3. ElizaApril 1, 2011 at 2:23 AM

    Lovely post. I spend a lot of time on Ancestry.com trying to find my ancestors.

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  4. Arkansas PattiApril 1, 2011 at 4:03 AM

    Such a lovely lady and interesting she was also a dancer. But 18 children??? Mercy, that didn't leave any time for twinkle toes. What a huge family of cousins you must have.
    PS I am still chuckling over the comment you left.

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  5. SageApril 1, 2011 at 4:22 AM

    Lovely picture.. if only it could speak.. what stories she might tell xx

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  6. CA VerstraeteApril 1, 2011 at 4:46 AM

    I love old family pix. so interesting, and neat that you can make that connection! Thanx for stopping by!

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  7. AnonymousApril 1, 2011 at 4:59 AM

    What a treasure to have the old photos. I am working on getting ours scanned. It's going to take a while.
    Looking forward to your A to Z posts.

    http://mybabyjohn.blogspot.com/

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  8. Teresa EvangelineApril 1, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    I know it was common then, but my first thought was, yet another woman gave up her dream because of marriage. And eighteen children. The dancer that lived inside her all those years...

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  9. Rosalind AdamApril 1, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    That photo of your Grandmother is amazing. I love the dress she's wearing. Just imagine having to wash all that stuff without washing machines and biological powders. And it's a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it.

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  10. N. R. WilliamsApril 1, 2011 at 5:47 AM

    Isn't it amazing how different we all dress today from our grandparents age? I have photo's of my grandparents, both born in Minnesota in the 1880's. Family is everything.
    Nice to meet you.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.

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  11. JenApril 1, 2011 at 6:14 AM

    I wish I knew about my ancestors! I think it would be fascinating but I don't even know that much about my grandparents let alone the greats!

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  12. JenApril 1, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    Also, please take off the word verification for the A-Z challenge. You can do so in your settings. :)

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  13. TexWisGirlApril 1, 2011 at 6:31 AM

    WOW! That's one huge family! Great heritage too!

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  14. JulesApril 1, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    What a word to start with, great choice! I have no dancers in my family but then I consider my dancing more of a wiggle :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  15. Old KittyApril 1, 2011 at 6:47 AM

    Oh Manzanita!!! Wow!! Wow again!! Your beautiful grandmother is a perfect and sublime start to this challenge!! Thanks for sharing her beauty and talent here!! Take care
    x

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  16. IngerApril 1, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    How interesting, dancing is in your blood. What a lovely way to begin the A - Z challenge. I can't wait for more to come.--Inger

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  17. AnonymousApril 1, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    In those days, nobody smiled for the camera, alas! But, 18 children! Wow! My maternal grandma gave birth to 10, and I thought that was a lot!

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  18. Su-sieee! MacApril 1, 2011 at 9:22 AM

    Oh, Lady, how I would've loved to have been at one of your family gathering. I can just imagine the music, the joyous noise, the love. Did all 18 children live into adulthood? You've got me wondering about her life.

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  19. AnnApril 1, 2011 at 9:46 AM

    What a beautiful, fashionable woman. To give up dance to homestead....a choice that required much strength of character.

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  20. JayneApril 1, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    Oh your grandmother looks so beautiful! Thank you for sharing more about her, and I love the theme you have chosen for the A-Z. :)

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  21. Doug SkinnerApril 1, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    Fantastic history...Great story.

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  22. Talli RolandApril 1, 2011 at 10:20 AM

    18 children! Wow! What a fantastic story and a great way to kick off the challenge.

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  23. Raquel ByrnesApril 1, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    You HAVE to explain your blog title. I'm dying here. Welcome to the challenge!
    Edge of Your Seat Romance

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  24. Natalie DeckerApril 1, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    Nice. So many different A words out there and all of them have been great.

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  25. Cat LavoieApril 1, 2011 at 1:29 PM

    Beautiful picture! :) Can't wait to read your other A-Z posts!

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  26. TaleiApril 1, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    Wonderful Manzanita! I would love to dance Flamenco! ;-)

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  27. Lynda R Young as Elle CardyApril 1, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    wow...18 children! My goodness.

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  28. RosieCApril 1, 2011 at 2:28 PM

    That's so nice, to dedicate this first post to such a great woman, who you could say brought the life of dance into your life. I don't envy the 18 kids, though. :)

    Rosie
    East for Green Eyes

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  29. wendyApril 1, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    Now that sounds like kind of a fun project for April. A-Z.
    Amelia sounds like a strong woman. I love stories about our ancestors. 18 Kids.........wow
    My father was the youngest of 12.
    so, dancing is definitely in your blood....totally

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  30. FrikoApril 1, 2011 at 3:13 PM

    She looks like such a well-mannered 'proper' German lady of her time that I find it hard to imagine her dancing.

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  31. ManzanitaApril 1, 2011 at 3:26 PM

    Thank you dear bloggy friends for your comments.
    I love you all
    Manzanita

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  32. UnknownApril 1, 2011 at 3:34 PM

    Hi Manzanita ;)

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  33. JJApril 1, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    Manzi: She is exactly how I would have pictured her!

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  34. ShawnApril 1, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    Beautiful tribute to your Grandmother! Eighteen children... Can you imagine!!!

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  35. KayApril 1, 2011 at 11:29 PM

    It is such fun to see this wonderful photo of your grandmother. I can't even imagine having 18 children. She must have been very strong and healthy. I hope you've inherited those genes.

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  36. Hilary Melton-ButcherApril 3, 2011 at 5:54 AM

    Hi Manzanita .. C for crumbs .. your father was one of 18 .. interesting to read their story .. and yours now too .. cheers Hilary

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  37. ChuckApril 3, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    Very cool theme for this challenge. I look forward to being educated in the ways of the dance...cha cha cha.

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  38. Kittie HowardApril 5, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    What a fabulous tribute to your grandmother! I was especially moved by how she wanted to continue to dance but accepted her responsibilities as a wife and mother. As much as she wanted, she knew that life had transitions and was at peace with that, a definite German trait that I admire in my German friends.

    What a great way to begin the A-A challenge. Thank you for sharing your grandmother with us!

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  39. AnonymousApril 6, 2011 at 1:49 PM

    18 kids? Wow, bless her heart. Your family gatherings must be a rowdy thing to behold.

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