You Can't Go Home Again

Or can you? I was doing a Google Search on "1963 Obituaries Niagara Falls NY" in search of my maternal Grandfather James O'Rourke's date of death. I do not know when he died, just that he died the year before I was born (yes, I did just give away my age). As often happens when I research, I took a detour and clicked on my hometown newspaper to read the headlines, to see if any names I knew made the news.

I did not find the obituaries I was seeking, but did find an interesting article about an upcoming Niagara Falls Event "Niagara Homecoming 'Citybration". The event aims at bringing former residents home for at least a 4-day weekend if not to relocate "home". It is complete with tours, wine tastings, and job fairs. It is scheduled for the weekend of June 25.

From the article I learned that the Mayor of Niagara Falls, NY is Paul Dyster. I'd be willing to bet that he is a descendant of or collateral descendant of Melvin B. Dyster M.D., who was my and my brothers' pediatrician. Interesting. Also interesting was that the majority of Niagaran place names in the article are places/names I'd never heard of, making it obvious that places, as well as people, change.

One thing about Niagara Falls that will never change is the fact that it was the place of my birth and the site of a very happy childhood. I truly wish I could go to the "Citybration" next month. This city famous for such wonderful notions as honeymooners and such horror story truths as The Love Canal will always be "My Hometown".

(photo credit: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/12/4b/fa/niagara-falls.jpg)