Featured Article by Jack Powers
My introduction to genealogy came quite recently. While I grew up on my grandparents’ stories about their family history, it wasn’t until I got older that I started to listen. Now that I am older and have a new curiosity for genealogy, I am able to explore some of my family’s roots via research and stories they told me. Like me, my Nana was born in the suburbs of New Jersey. Descended from immigrants, I found out half of her family hailed from County Meath and Dublin, Ireland. The other half of her family origins were shrouded in uncertainty. However, after research, it was confirmed that she had English lineage through the last name Eggleston. I can remember her telling me about this, and how she had believed an Englishman to have fathered her grandparents. This was unknown for much time, since he had returned to England and had not served as a figure in these children’s lives.
Similarly, my Pop (grandfather) was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and had Irish roots. Presumably, his family immigrated from County Waterford, Ireland. I also remember my Pop talking to me about his Irish family, and how they came to the United States in search of better opportunity and freedom. From what I’ve gathered surrounding him, he also had family hail from Germany (according to research, Baden, in the south of Germany). Going forward, I hope to continue uncovering where I truly come from. Doing so has helped me gain a newfound appreciation for my family, and I feel has drawn me closer to them, whether they are still here or not.
