My full name is Henry Joseph Shrier. My first name has little significance, as my parents just liked the way it sounded. Although, my middle name, Joseph, was taken after my grandpa Joe. While I’m not entirely sure, I believe the name Joseph may have been given to my grandfather for religious purposes, being that we are a Christian family. As for my last name, Shrier became the family name only two generations ago. My grandfather was adopted after his father left at a young age. He was adopted by Forest Shrier. His biological father had the last name Hartwick. However, nothing is known about the past lives and origins of both the Hartwicks and the Shriers.
On the other hand, we have a lot of information concerning the other parts of my family. My great great grandparents on my mother’s maternal side, the Lampanis, were from Montefiascone, Italy, just north of Rome. They owned large vineyards and invented a grape press for making wine. They made their way to New York in the 1905. My great great grandparents on my father's maternal side, the Ciaramataros, came from Sicily in 1910. Both families ended up in Michigan, where my parents were born. They came with little understanding of English, struggling to navigate American life. Both families, being from Italy, were Roman Catholic. This has carried through to the present, as my family continues to recognize Catholic religious holidays and beliefs.
As for stories connected to the roots of my family’s identity, there are a couple. We are not entirely sure about the validity of the story, but my grandmother claims we have a distant connection to Pope Pius. Whether of not it’s true, it shows the strong religious connections of my family tree. Also, relating back to the Lampanis’ vineyards and wine production, there is a story that claims a bishop sent a scout ahead of him to survey the villages along the route for the best wines. The scout was told to write 'Est' on the door of the inns he visited when he was particularly impressed with the quality of the wine. At the Lampanis’ Montefiascone inn, the scout was reportedly so overwhelmed with the local wine that he wrote Est! Est!! Est!!! on the door. While it’s a simple story, it serves as an example of the Italian heritage of my family.
Great family legend stories, Henry!
ReplyDeleteI think it's fascinating your family was able to come together after being basically across the world from each other. I also admire your family's ability to adapt to the English language and their willingness to learn the ways of American culture. It's times like these where we are able to appreciate the sacrifices our families have made for us.
ReplyDeleteWow Henry! I find your Italian heritage super interesting. The fact that both of our families came to America without understanding much English really demonstrates how the world views America as the land of oppurtunity. I also had no idea you are Catholic! And it would be crazy cool if your grandmother’s claim is true.
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