They sailed on 13 February 1849 and the trip took until the end of March. The food ran out & they had to eat potato peelings. Great-grandmother told of seeing people who had died being thrown overboard, but in this family, everyone survived the trip.
All the children and birth years were listed on the back (my great-grandmother was Caroline). The youngest listed here, Gustav, always said he was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but this proves he was born in Austria (Bilin).
I am very grateful that my family threw nothing away. This is a prized possession!
I agree! That's quite a treasure!
ReplyDeleteJean, this is AMAZING! It shows the power of a keepsake. The stories stay alive in the family because there is a tangible treasure that keeps them real. This was not long after my Irish DOYLE ancestors made two voyages across the ocean to NY and back again to England where they stayed a couple more generations before coming to Pennsylvania. All of the story was lost to our family memory. You are blessed indeed!
ReplyDeleteI agree. These tangible items are so valuable to the family. You are indeed lucky.
ReplyDeleteKeep those ancestor stories coming!
Bill ;-)
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/