Jeannie, Thanks for sharing your Heartwarming CELEBRATION with us ALL!! I'm just beginning my quest for Eastern European Ancestors across the Ocean. I to hope my "Hunt" will be successful. Many of us, I'm sure, are Celebrating the "fruit of your labors" with you from afar. We ALL need encouragement & CELEBRATION. :) Elaine > [Original Message] > From: <jeannieuno@aol.com> > To: <HUNGARY-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 12/4/2005 2:43:15 PM > Subject: [HUNGARY-L] 100th Anniversary...December 04, 1905!!! > > High... > 100 years ago today, my Hungarian GreatGrandMother, Mary > Bojt�r-Boyter, (32 yrs) and 5 of her children, Sophia 13, Katherine 10, > Julia 7, Alexander 4, and lil Mary 6 months, landed at Ellis Island > after a long, rough sea voyage on the Gerty, from the port of Trieste. > Her husband, Joseph had come over before her (arrived Sept. 20th 1904) > to set up housekeeping and also helped to tell Mary how to live aboard > the ship. > The food provided by the ships company was horrible. She told of > people who had not planned their trip well enough and did not have > enough food to last the voyage. These poor souls sold their possessions > for food. Joseph had told them not to wear any good clothing on the > voyage, and to pin money under the clothing of every child so that they > would not be sent back. She told of people not aloud to stay because > they had bugs on their clothes and nothing clean to wear. > They all seemed to do well except one daughter, who developed > "spots", and the whole family was afraid that at least she or all of > them would be sent back to their lil village of �jvid�k in Budapest. > They were lucky enough that the spots had disappeared by the time they > sailed into New York Harbor. > Mary always told that this was one of the most frightening > experiences of her life. To this day, I can't imagine what it must have > been like for her to leave her home, taking her 5 children, getting > aboard a ship and sail steerage across the Atlantic to a country where > she knew no one but her husband, and could not speak the language. We > definately have to admire what a strong and courageous woman she must > have been. > THANK YOU MARY!!! > I would also like to thank my mother's cousin, Miriam (Snookie) for > her stories and information, and a HUGE thank you to the HUNGARY list > at rootsweb for your help in bringing facts to these stories. Everyone > on this list is so kind and helpful, I love you all!!! (And I'm sure > I'm not done with you yet!!!) > I've been hooked on genealogy for awhile now...I do it mostly for > the challenge of the hunt and for the joy of finding something after > hours of searching. I'm hoping after I'm gone somebody in my family > will continue it, but if they don't that's okay, too. It was my hunt... > > Jeannie A. Gibbs, very PROUD > descendant of Maria Bojt�r, > Owner/Manager of J & J Village Market > and Gramma Jeannie to: Zach, Leah, > Hannah, Camden, Madelyn, Ian, > Mhallik, Maliyah, Ryley & Danny!!! > > What is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of > our ancestors by the records of history??? > > > > > > > > > > > > > >