The Genealogy Parade

Bill West of West in New England challenges the genea-bloggers to describe what they would put on their float in a genealogy parade. I like this challenge!

The main feature of my float would be a Train Car. My mom’s family were railroaders in and around Pittston, Luzerne County, PA.
On the train would be a large group of coal miners. My dad’s family were coal miners in and around Nanticoke, Luzerne County, PA, not far at all from Pittston.

There would be women around the train wishing their men a safe day at work. The women would be wearing hats. Apparently Margaret Doyle Conroy, the very one I cannot find in 1880, worked as a milliner in NY or NJ. A milliner is a hat maker.In the background of the train would be a storefront, for the store my great-grandfather Edward Hodick used to own.

There would be children around the train, too, all eating Kaloches, to represent the favorite Christmas treat my dad’s mother Mary (Hodick) McHugh used to make. Apparently these are very labor intensive, so they also represent the hard-working people that make up my past and current family.

There’s my float. I hope you enjoy it in the Genealogy Parade!