I don’t know why Magdelaine Mazeres left France for America. She arrived in the late 1870s, a single woman, navigating the bustling city of San Francisco alone. She ended up in a bad situation. Would she survive the challenges ahead of her as a single parent alone in the city? Let’s find out. Here is…
Category: About My Ancestors
Women Worked For The WPA: The 1940 Census and Marie Grace Bonita
Did you know that women were employed through the WPA during the Depression just like men? The 1940 US Federal Census is one place where we can find out if our relatives were working for the WPA. Look under the employment section. If you see WPA in the Industry column, it means the person was…
Harry Jackson, I Need to Talk to You
There are many ancestors I’d like to invite to dinner if I had the chance. My great grandmother, Margaret (Jones) Jackson used to dance on tables when she was a little tipsy. That’d be entertaining. My great great aunt, Marie (Pacheco) Cosma, must have been an awesome person since everyone including my mom called her…
A Friendship Reborn After Decades of Neglect
My grandma and grandpa had to uproot their family during the Depression in hopes of finding work. When they moved from Oakland to Salinas, my grandmother was like a fish out of water. She found friendship in her sister-in-law’s sister, Eva Nunes. The young mothers found common cause. There was a 40 year gap in…
The Smiling Bride
I have several favorite photographs. But, a wedding photo from the early 1900s, has captivated my interest ever since the day it fell into my hands Not Your Usual Dour Turn of the Century Wedding Photo You ever notice that no one seems particularly happy in old wedding photos? It seems that the gravityy of…