Irish-English

Papa’s World – my maternal grandparents from my mother’s side – Nora and David Aiken.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

During my early youth – my grandma raised me as my parents both worked.

I remember sitting on her lap and asking when I could go to school to see a first grader

walking down the street – who was two years older than I!

I think this puts me at about four years old!

She was everything to me and I am sad that my memories are not more there about her.

Nora and David Aiken

These were my mother’s parents and he passed away before I was born – my middle name is after him.

Granma was 85 years old when she passed away and had 11 children!

She was PA. DUTCH – Maiden name of Schick,

and followed the lumber camps around –

cooking meals for all the lumberjacks in Pa.

She met my grandfather during that time.

He was Irish and English – a big man – some say 6’3″ –

They were both what we called down homers in Pa.

The Brookville – Corsica area below Dubois.

My grandfather was a farmer and produced his own flower – pork – beef – milk and vegetables.

It was said during the Great Depression – he would walk and carry food to the neighbors

to keep them from starving – never asking for anything in return –

as they had 11 children of their own to feed.

He passed from a heart attack as he was pulling a hog up to butcher.

I think he was much this way.

Just a little family history to pass on to my kids – as there is not many left of my generation.

Thanks for reading – PAPA’S WORLD MY SITE: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA – PAPA’S WORLD

Papa’s World – Mary and Fitz- Donna and Roger – my mom and dad – sister and brother.

/ Tom / Leave a comment
Good day everyone – the beginnings of a new day.

I am guessing this picture I am about to show you were taken some 81 or 82 years ago!

My brother was some ten years older than I and my sister some fifteen years older.

I will soon be 73 years old!

In this picture are my mother Mary and my dad “Bob” Fitz.

Mary holding Roger with Donna standing in front of my dad Bob. He was over six feet tall.

Today if my brother had lived he would have been 83 years old

and my sister Donna would have been 88 years old.

My father passed when he was 59 years old and I was 19 years old.

He passed from lung cancer.

His full name was Clarence Russel Fitzsimmons –

everyone for some reason called him “Bob”!

FITZ was his nickname.

He was a supervisor for the South Penn Oil Company and many a time I remember him taking me to work with him.

Later after he retired from there he was part owner of the local Western Auto.

He actually graduated from H.S. when he was a Sophomore – but his father – who was a teacher –

made him take his junior and senior years over as he was too young to go find a job.

He played basketball and baseball and later would manage the local baseball town team.

He was an avid golfer and bowler – a mechanic and carpenter.

He loved fishing and would spend every summer two weeks –

deep into the far northern Canadian wilderness.

Mary my mother was Pa. Dutch from her mother’s side and Irish Catholic from her father’s side.

My dad was Irish Protestant and that made for quite the dynamics in the house.

There were many fun times in that house!

Dad’s ancestors came straight from County Tyrone in Ireland.

But mom ruled the house so to speak – she was not that big but she was a little spitfire.

She once thumped him on top of the head with a frying pan!

She taught me this.

She lived to be almost 98 years old and everyone loved her.

She would sit on her front porch on the main street in little Eldred, Pa.

Cars would go by and honk their horns and windows rolled down, “HELLO MARY”!

She baked pies – cakes – homemade and rolls and bread.

They both taught me this.

My sister was 15 years older than I and my brother 10 years older than I.

So when I came along it was more or less a second family for them.

Then my younger brother was four years later.

They are all gone now but not forgotten.

I am the last of that family – I have two sons to pass the name on.

Thank you for reading Papa’s World – a little about my family –

MY BLOG SITE: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA ELLA SHERRY – PAPA’S WORLD!

Papa’s World – HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

For the last three years we have come to North Myrtle Beach to watch the parade and visit some of the hundred vendors lining the street – drink some green beer and enjoy the day!

The waves of green proceed down the street – people catching candy and other prizes thrown by the participants in the parade!

The parade will last about 1 1/2 hours – there are several stages of live music –

the whole of the main street is blocked off and hundreds and hundreds of people are about!

My heritage of Irish – from my father’s side –

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA’S WORLD – HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY!!!!!