BESSARABIA OR WHITE RUSSIA OR USSR OR, UH MAYBE ROMANIA?

I've been doing  genealogy research on and off for a couple of years. I've written before about how difficult it is for me. I wonder how many other people don't know enough to get information.

I did get lucky when I found my grandparents marriage certificates. I purchased them and they had each listed their parents names. Holy Cow. I now know more names. Except for one.
 Damned people with fancy handwriting. One of my great grandmothers' was named X-ali. The X is in lieu of whatever letter it is. I can't make it out. It might be a G, or a Y or some other letter. That, is of course the least of it, because I don't know where she was from. Ah you're thinking. She is finally getting to the point.

ONE OF THE POINTS

Just an aside, one point is never enough. You know me by now.
This point starts with geography. My mother's father, Grandpa Joe, was allegedly born in Bessarabia. I never met him, but the tales I recall aren't that helpful. When he lived in Europe, the place he lived was called Bessarabia, or maybe White Russia, but it was part of Romania. The main reason I know this difference in his home country was because of the mamaliga he made. ( I hope I'm remembering the right name.  Especially if you remember that I consider cutting up a cantaloupe as cooking.) And so I just did some research. I looked up mamaliga and it is Romanian polenta, usually served with black beans.  So, it is a Romanian recipe. I don't remember any beans, but knowing the word confirms the Romanian connection. At least it's good enough for me. 

HAIL THE CONQUERING HEROS

Papa Joe was born in 1882 or thereabouts. Now I am having to go back to look at the world map for that year and see what it says about Bessarabia.

Bessarabia (Romanian: Basarabia; Russian: Бессарабия Bessarabiya,Turkish: Besarabya; Ukrainian: Бессарабія Bessarabiya) is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. Bessarabia occupied the region where modern-day Moldova and Ukraine are located.
In the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812), and the ensuing Peace of Bucharest, the eastern parts of the Principality of Moldavia, an Ottoman vassal, along with some areas formerly under direct Ottoman rule, were ceded to Imperial Russia. The acquisition was among the Empire's last territorial acquisitions in Europe. The newly acquired territories were organized as the Governorate of Bessarabia, adopting a name previously used for the southern plains, between the Dniester and the Danube rivers. Following the Crimean War, in 1856, the southern areas of Bessarabia were returned to Moldavian rule; Russian rule was restored over the whole of the region in 1878, when Romania, the result of Moldavia's union with Wallachia, was pressured into exchanging those territories for the Dobruja. (Wiki)


Wow. That's a lot of turmoil in not so many years. If my Grandpa was born around 1882, he would have been a baby during the last upheaval. His parents would have been Bessarabians, but he would have been a Moldavian? or Russian? At least now I understand why he said he was from Russia when he immigrated or emigrated. I know which is which, but I'm talking about both.

I believe he left when he was either 11 or 13 and came to the states with a brother. His older brother/brothers? were already in the States. It appears that he did not pass through England like the only two relatives I've located. I don't know if his parents ever left either. He fought with his brothers and he was dead before I was born. Lots of mystery and intrigue. Okay, so I can be easily intrigued.

Which leads me to a topic.
How many times has Europe been chopped up?

Clearly, I have no intention of answering that question with an actual number.

It's not just Europe. I don't know enough history to know about the conquering of the Far East, Near East and Africa. Or any country, land mass or other place I may have missed. I know that people from all around the world follow this blog, so if I missed you, let me know. It was not intentional.

And that leads to another topic
How many forms has the earth had?



I hear tell that the actual land has chopped itself up as well. The Lady Gaia has a mind of her own.  Volcanos erupting and spewing and forming land masses. Whole continents that drifted apart. Seas appearing and disappearing. Freezes, Hot spells, catastrophic disasters of all kinds.
It may not matter what your belief system is. At least it doesn't matter to me. The part that matters is that here too, we have no control. Not that we shouldn't have been more careful in our treatment of our planet. I think we treated her very, very badly. Did we speed up some destruction? I'm not a scientist. Perhaps a philosopher. In any event, it's just another thing for which I have no definitive answer. 

THEORY?

We know that people/governments/crazy mother fuckers change the borders and boundaries of the lands we live on. Theoretically, we should have some control over that. Generally, the people who are involved are not happy with the changes. When the world was less populated, if you were able to, you left, and went somewhere else. Hopefully a better and more stable place.

Now, where do you go?  Besides the fact that the governing powers won't let you leave, when you do, what are your choices?

It should seem fairly obvious that not too many countries are willingly taking in immigrants. Well, the fact that so many may be terrorists, does make it a little harder on the average Mohamed.  Even so. Where could you go?

The changes in how we live are a huge  factor. Who wants to go the an island that doesn't have cable or cell towers? Running water? Electricity?  Food?
And what's to say that should you go somewhere like that, you won't have a tsunami?

It certainly seems like the odds are stacked against us human beings. And most other living creatures on the planet.

SO WHY AM I SEARCHING OUT MY ROOTS?

Perhaps I am a bit afraid of looking forward. I'm at an age where I have time but not all the time in the world. When I was younger I would have been out there rallying, trying to change things. Making a difference.

There comes a time in one's life, at least for me, to put down the gauntlet and let someone else take over the fight. If you want a future, you have to be active in creating it.

And so, I am looking at the past. When I see the dates of my great-grandparents and grandparents births, I try to imagine what it must have been like for them.

If I'm doing some arithmetic on my Grandpa Morris, his dad Zelman was possible born in 1830 in Poland. Possibly Lublin. Wow. What was it like?
Obviously, by the time my Grandpa left it couldn't have been too great. He was born around 1883. He was 20 when he arrived in England although I can't find a record of his immigration there. I do know that he just walked out of Poland and across Europe to leave. I don't know what port he left from, but I know he walked there. Was it France? Germany? I'm looking.


I am now appreciating how hard life was that long ago. Hatred and poverty are powerful motivators.

QUESTION FOR US ALL?

Will we ever learn?

As Dr. Phil, whom I don't like, but will quote anyway, has said.  "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior."

Boy do I pray that he is wrong.



As usual, I had no idea where this would end up. I'm rather surprised at where it did. I had no idea that I was thinking about this.
Reminder to self:

1. Stop leaving the house.
2. Don't listen to people talking politics.
3. Leave the house but use noise deadening earphones.
4. Don't talk to people.
5. Don't talk to self. But the voices won't stop. yes they will.  no they won't, oh shut the fuck up.