Pid and Me: These are the faces of genealogy.
Showing posts with label Pid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pid. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Amanuensis Monday - March 28
An excerpt of Pid's writing, dated Sunday, March 28 (year uncertain, likely 1993):
"Still have the sniffles. Out to see mom, she looks good. 60 degrees. Cooling down, raining."Most of Pid's journal entries were like this: short, factual, and to the point. Her letters, on the other hand, tended to be longer and more detailed. I still have many of them.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Mystery Monday - A Mystery Solved
When I started this blog just a few short weeks ago, I wrote an explanation for the blog's title. I had selected this name in honor of my grandaunt "Pid" whose unusual moniker was something of a family mystery.
Well, I am so glad I wrote that post because I received a response from a relative who remembered hearing an anecdote about the nickname's origin:
Well, I am so glad I wrote that post because I received a response from a relative who remembered hearing an anecdote about the nickname's origin:
"The story...was that there was an older man in her life when she was a toddler (around 3 or 4 years old) who was named Phil. Apparently she could not pronounce 'Phil,' instead repeatedly and frantically saying 'PidPhiddyPiddyPid!' or something to that effect, and thus, the nickname was born."This is a fantastic story and I was thrilled to hear it! My heartfelt thanks go out to the wonderful family member who shared this with me.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Mystery Monday - Who Are You William Strong?
"Who are you, William Strong?" is a question that I've been asking lately. I've only gathered a few fractured theories and partial facts thus far:
1880 suggests that both of his parents were born in New York. 1900 places his father's birth in Canada, but his mother's in New York. And the 1910 census indicates that both parents were born in Vermont. I have been unable to find any record of William prior to 1880.
Of course, there is family legend in the mix, as well. One story insinuated that William was originally from Canada, but left under questionable circumstances. As a result, he moved to New York and changed his name to "Strong." I'm naturally going to take that bit of folklore with a grain of salt.
So, my mystery today is: Who was William Strong? When and where was he born? Who were his parents and where were they born?
I can only hope that my next trip to New York will yield some additional clues or, at the very least, some direction.
- He was born around 1852, possibly in New York.
- Based on Pid's recollection several years ago, his middle name was Edward.
- He was married to May (sometimes transcribed as "Mary") Reynolds around 1873.
- He lived in Willsboro (Willsborough), New York for a substantial portion of his life--if not all of it.
1880 suggests that both of his parents were born in New York. 1900 places his father's birth in Canada, but his mother's in New York. And the 1910 census indicates that both parents were born in Vermont. I have been unable to find any record of William prior to 1880.
Of course, there is family legend in the mix, as well. One story insinuated that William was originally from Canada, but left under questionable circumstances. As a result, he moved to New York and changed his name to "Strong." I'm naturally going to take that bit of folklore with a grain of salt.
So, my mystery today is: Who was William Strong? When and where was he born? Who were his parents and where were they born?
I can only hope that my next trip to New York will yield some additional clues or, at the very least, some direction.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Story of Pid's Water Jar
This past week, I posted a picture of a glass jar and labeled it simply "Pid's Water Jar" for Wordless Wednesday. Yesterday, I received a request for some words of explanation and I'm more than happy to oblige!
My grandaunt "Pid" was a very practical and frugal person. She didn't believe in spending money on anything she deemed frivolous or unnecessary. She was a "make do with what you have" sort of person and rarely bought things just for herself.
Pid liked to keep drinking water in her refrigerator, but rather than buying a pitcher, she used a large pickle jar that she had on hand. That jar was in Pid's fridge as long as I can remember and, as it turns out, my mother can recall that same jar from her own youth. It was a known and expected constant: if you visited Pid's home, you would be drinking a glass of ice-cold water poured from that pickle jar.
The jar is now in my home--stored in a safe place, but one in which I can see it every day.
My grandaunt "Pid" was a very practical and frugal person. She didn't believe in spending money on anything she deemed frivolous or unnecessary. She was a "make do with what you have" sort of person and rarely bought things just for herself.
Pid liked to keep drinking water in her refrigerator, but rather than buying a pitcher, she used a large pickle jar that she had on hand. That jar was in Pid's fridge as long as I can remember and, as it turns out, my mother can recall that same jar from her own youth. It was a known and expected constant: if you visited Pid's home, you would be drinking a glass of ice-cold water poured from that pickle jar.
The jar is now in my home--stored in a safe place, but one in which I can see it every day.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Pid Was Her Name
Pid was my grandaunt. And, as you probably gathered, "Pid" was not her given name. We come from a family that bestows mysterious nicknames on its members for reasons unknown. Florence Maud was dubbed "Mizzy," Elizabeth Lucretia was called "Luli," and Evelyn Natalie was known as "Sophie." My name is Danielle, yet to my grandparents, I was "Henrietta." Figure that one out.
Then there was Evelyn May, better known as "Pid." Unfortunately, there is no one left from her generation who remembers how that moniker came about. It was just always there and somehow perfectly illuminated the person she was to us. In fact, when we heard someone outside the family call her "Evelyn" or "Evie," it rang untrue, as though they were talking about someone else.
As a person, she defined the unusual name. If there were a dictionary entry, it would read:
If, at any point, someone mentioned the above characteristics, a family member would probably respond, "Oh, you're talking about Pid." And we would smile.
Although widowed and childless, she somehow became the de facto matriarch of our family. Inexplicably, she was everyone's mother.
It was with Pid that I began exploring family history. She shared the stories of her deceased siblings, her late parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and beyond. On December 28-29, 2002, I spent the night at her home and stayed up into the wee hours listening to her stories and recording everything she could recall about her family, reaching as far back into the past as she could and sharing things only she knew.
It was a long and perfect night that I will always treasure. I didn't know it then, but the timing was fortuitous. On March 13, 2003--less than 3 months after she had shared her priceless memories with me--Pid was the victim of a fatal accident at the age of 80. If we hadn't taken the time to explore our family history together that evening, it never would have happened at all.
So, that's why I'm dedicating this genealogy and family history blog to my dearest "Pid"--the one and only.
Then there was Evelyn May, better known as "Pid." Unfortunately, there is no one left from her generation who remembers how that moniker came about. It was just always there and somehow perfectly illuminated the person she was to us. In fact, when we heard someone outside the family call her "Evelyn" or "Evie," it rang untrue, as though they were talking about someone else.
As a person, she defined the unusual name. If there were a dictionary entry, it would read:
 |
| Pid, ca. 1979-1980 |
- Pid n. A woman who exhibits the qualities of frugality, fierce independence, strong opinion, moral high-mindedness, temperance, outspokenness, charity, and selflessness. Such a woman may lecture others on moral turpitude, then grant them tremendous generosity without question.
If, at any point, someone mentioned the above characteristics, a family member would probably respond, "Oh, you're talking about Pid." And we would smile.
Although widowed and childless, she somehow became the de facto matriarch of our family. Inexplicably, she was everyone's mother.
It was with Pid that I began exploring family history. She shared the stories of her deceased siblings, her late parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and beyond. On December 28-29, 2002, I spent the night at her home and stayed up into the wee hours listening to her stories and recording everything she could recall about her family, reaching as far back into the past as she could and sharing things only she knew.
It was a long and perfect night that I will always treasure. I didn't know it then, but the timing was fortuitous. On March 13, 2003--less than 3 months after she had shared her priceless memories with me--Pid was the victim of a fatal accident at the age of 80. If we hadn't taken the time to explore our family history together that evening, it never would have happened at all.
So, that's why I'm dedicating this genealogy and family history blog to my dearest "Pid"--the one and only.
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