Sunday, November 13, 2011

Family History







I was inspired by some of my children who are turning their blogs into books of memories. I have attempted to wirte my family History but this does sound like more fun and more work.

This is a picture of my great Aunt Kit. Then picture of my grandparents.

I was born in a coal mining, steel mill country. Steubenville,Jefferson,Ohio and this is where both of my parents were born and reared. My paternal grandmother was born here as well. My paternal grandfather came from Pittsburgh, Pa. My maternal grandmother was born in a small town beside here called Mingo Jct, Ohio. My paternal grandfather came from Wheeling, WVa. I do not know much about my paternal grandfather other than his name was Lawrence Aloysuis Welsh. I assume he was Roman Catholic since I don't expect grandmother to have married outside of her religion. My grandparents later divorced (which was against the Church and a sin). He died when my father was about 5 years of age. I believe his death was attributed to alcoholism. My grandmother comes from a large family. One sister, Helen died in infancy all the others lived long lives. There were eight children and of these only three married and two had children. My father was the oldest. He was the only child of Margaret and Lawrence Welsh. Grandmther gave birth to him when she was 41 years of age. Her sister, Mary, has two children. Gorman (Breeze) and Margaret Mary Nolan.
They were a close nit family. Aunt Kit (Catherine) told me once that when the church bells rang every day at noon the family would get down on their knees and pray. Even to the end of their lifes my grandmother lived with her sister Kit and her brother John. Kit died in 1974, grandmother in 1975 and John in 1979. They had lived in the same home until Aunt Kit died. My grandmother was suffering from dementia and was unable to care for herself and she and John were place in a nursing home in nearby Wintersville.