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Archiver > HUNGARY > 2002-03 > 1015903072


From: "Elizabeth V. Cardinal" <>
Subject: Re: [HUNGARY-L] Re: Why search family history
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 22:13:43 -0800
References: <00a101c1c953$9420ca50$b4531442@laszlovkwp0w1m><002901c1c95c$b00e83c0$03fea8c0@terri><00c601c1c95f$6b8774c0$b9522b44@southg01.mi.comcast.net><001c01c1c961$84fa6e60$1018530c@parents>


I became hooked on genealogy about 20 years ago and started with my Irish
family. They are an extremely interesting lot and it was most enjoyable to
prove and disprove family lore.

My maternal grandmother, Theresa GRUND, died when I was two. My maternal
Grandfather, Janos TEGYI was a very, very quiet man. The only thing I
remember him ever saying was that he took care of the roses in Franz
Joseph's garden and my grandmother was from one side of the river and he
from the other.

My mother born in NYC, had been taken to Hungary when she was five. The
story I heard was that my grandfather abandoned his wife and three children
and out of desperation she returned home with the generosity of her older
financially comfortable sister who did not like the US. My mother told few
stories of what it was like to be there during the first years of World War
1 and to find her aunts body by following the large hair pins in the woods.
Supposedly she was raped and murdered by a soldier. She would mention a
name here...kept a picture of a favorite cousin, her mothers passport and a
few other pictures but never any real details.

I hadn't a clue where to start with a "foreign" non English speaking
country. No relatives were alive that could tell me much of anything and
the one who did couldn't be bothered.

A letter to the Hungarian Government written in English just asking how I
could find information on my grandparents brought me a reply in English.
The letter told me no records of my grandmother could be found but gave me
the date and place of my grandfathers birth.

That hooked me....but sad to say...I still cannot find a thing on Grandma
and seem stuck on my grandfathers side.....can't get beyond his father...
Elizabeth V. Cardinal


www.geocities.com/evcardinal/

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