My great grandmother was a Polish(?) immigrant who arrived in Philadelphia at 22. She was unmarried, and pregnant. The father of her child was married and had given her hush money to emigrate to the US. She landed in Philadelphia, where there was a large eastern European emigre community. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, a mini-port of entry, similar to Ellis Island in New York, was located at Delaware and Washington Avenues in South Philadelphia. It was an incredibly tight knit community- with many who landed never needing to learn English. I remember sitting on the knee of my grandmother’s father, my great grandfather, and him speaking to me in Ukrainian. The only English words he had ever bothered to know were strings of swear words. That is another story. There are mountains of stories of eastern European folk landing in Philly.
My grandfather’s mother was called Lidia. Soon after she landed, she met a Russian man who fell in love with her despite the fact she was with child. Lidia and Prokopof maintained a relationship, although they didn’t marry.
According to the University of Pennsylvania, “On September 19, 1918, (the Spanish) flu arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and within days, 600 sailors had caught the disease.” Within a matter of weeks, Philadelphia became the city with the highest death toll in the US. Lidia, who worked on the docks, took ill in mid-September 1918. My grandfather, who was just 2, was in the tiny apartment with her when she died. Prokopof found her two days later. He ended up adopting my grandfather, and raised him as his own, though he himself never married again.
When I look at the map of my blood ancestors, I am split in half- Irish and Eastern European. I know my origin story from my Irish side- down to the city where my grandfather was born. But the Eastern European map is a constantly shifting mystery.
This prompt has really made me think more than write tonight. Grateful for it.
— Cristine
My grandfather’s mother was called Lidia. Soon after she landed, she met a Russian man who fell in love with her despite the fact she was with child. Lidia and Prokopof maintained a relationship, although they didn’t marry.
According to the University of Pennsylvania, “On September 19, 1918, (the Spanish) flu arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and within days, 600 sailors had caught the disease.” Within a matter of weeks, Philadelphia became the city with the highest death toll in the US. Lidia, who worked on the docks, took ill in mid-September 1918. My grandfather, who was just 2, was in the tiny apartment with her when she died. Prokopof found her two days later. He ended up adopting my grandfather, and raised him as his own, though he himself never married again.
When I look at the map of my blood ancestors, I am split in half- Irish and Eastern European. I know my origin story from my Irish side- down to the city where my grandfather was born. But the Eastern European map is a constantly shifting mystery.
This prompt has really made me think more than write tonight. Grateful for it.
— Cristine
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