So true. I enjoyed reading your grateful expressions about your ancestors. Beautiful that you treasure the gift they left. I think your trip will be so sacred to you as you walk the places they walked and experience being there. Keep us posted.
Maria Elena Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 17, 2019, at 2:10 AM, Billy Shear <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Cheri,Deb& Elaine > > I don't think it matters if I'm a Silva,Barabosa, Mello or Mendona, we are > all from the same gene pool. My grandfather left his beloved country to find > a better life. He left first, and saved enough money to have my grandmother > and their four children come to the greatest country in the world. Why > because the opportunities were so great. He work very hard, and started a new > life, never to look back. Now, 100 years later, I make the trip back to were > he started. That in in it self, is quit amazing. Think of these people, who > had such great courage to make the voyage to a strange and unknown world., > They are the heroes of this story. Yes, I would like to know the town they > came from, and if I still have relatives there, but in the bigger scheme of > things it really does matter. I will go there and see the beautiful world he > left. He and my grandmother afforded me the greatest life, I now enjoy so > much. I will never forget my heritage, and never forget what this man and > woman have done to create such a great life for myself and of my relatives > now experience.I never met my grandfather he died at 62 years of age after > being hit by a car. His & my grandmothers sacrifice has enriched all of the > Silvia's life's and I can't even count how many now live here. The sad part > is many may never give it a second though. I look forward to going to the old > country, and seeing all the great people and things that he and my > grandmother once enjoyed. I hope that all you get to make the trip at least > once in your life. I will let everyone know how it all worked out. I'm > heading there April 20. > > Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. > > Mario Silvia > >> On Sat, Mar 16, 2019 at 10:44 PM Elaine Mello <[email protected]> wrote: >> Mario, >> >> It might help to think of this more like a treasure hunt - or a mystery to >> investigate. Even on the U.S. side I'm finding digging up information to >> be a challenge - my grandfather came over via the passports as Antonio De >> Mello Barbosa, but got listed in the first U.S. Census here with his parents >> as Silva (after his mother's maiden name) which was mislabeled on Ancestry >> as Liba since they couldn't read the name properly - he got married as Silva >> and later on was listed as both De Mello and Mello on various Massachusetts >> documents. >> >> What helped me get back further than that was finding his naturalization >> documentation which listed the village (or freguesia) and led me to this >> group here. I found his naturalization papers on Ancestry, which listed his >> home on Sao Miguel. The church documents do take some time to go through, >> but the more you do, the better you get at reading them, recognizing >> handwriting and appreciating when there was a priest who wrote with a >> clearer hand that makes it easier to read as you go along. It does improve >> with time as you work your way through the documentation. But it does take >> a bit of detective work to find out information to lead you in the right >> direction. >> >> Don't give up looking! >> >> Elaine >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Azores Genealogy" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Azores Genealogy" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores.
