What a day! An hour+ drive to the Schuylkill County Coal Regions for a Lithuanian cousins reunion on one of the hottest days this August. Still, that did not deter our chatter around the open firepit, sans fire, on the grounds of Catalpa Grove at Lakewood Park for most of the day. The link will drop you on their homepage to view several pictures of this modern rustic venue tucked neatly in the woods, including "our spot".
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| Tony, Ken, Ron Christina, Robin, Kristine |
I arrived at noon, as did Ron & Ken, who were in from Michigan the day before. Christina, her mother Robin, and her Uncle Tony, in from Harrisburg PA, had arrived earlier along with her son and brother. Today was the first time I met Christina and her family in person, another treat! And that led to the next treat ahead...lunch.
The event menu, sponsored by the Knights of Lithuania Council #144 Amber District, was true to our recollection of foods our families made during our childhood and beyond. So, during our lunch-around-the-firepit we discussed our grandmothers' recipes and how many we still make. Missing from the menu, for me, was the potato pancake known as bleenies (blynai), a favorite of mine that my grandmother made and thankfully taught my mother. I never heard of Bandukes, but was happy to find out they were meatballs... that went very well with my order of Pierogies! For recipes of these goodies and more, click on A Coalcracker in the Kitchen.
As festival events go, this one was pleasantly low-key on beautiful walkable grounds, complete with vendors of Amber handmade jewelry, souvenirs and crafts, ethnic displays and a local historical society. We also enjoyed ethnic music, roaming men and women in historic costumes and outdoor plays depicting lives of Lithuanians and historical stories told for generations. On a side note, Lithuanians are the great source of information about all things Amber, a fossil resin thousands of years old discovered in the Baltic area in the 1850s.
My interest in genealogy drew me to the Mahanoy City Historical Society table, where I purchased a book, Lithuanians of Schuylkill County and spoke to Paul, one of the society's knowledgeable volunteers for many years. Paul helped me a few years ago trying to track down an address in Mahanoy City, listed on a ship manifest as a destination for my great grandmother Anna (Ambrazaviciute) Jamitis traveling to America as a single girl from Lithuania. Unfortunately, we could not confirm the address was located in Mahanoy City as stated on the document. Ahh, a day in the life of a family genealogist.
Our day of family comradery ended with dinner at a favorite local restaurant that Christina and her family frequented when they lived in the area. During our meal, we vowed to meet again next year for as long as we can travel. The day renewed my desire to jump back into my genealogy records, looking for missed clues or new information since my last research spurt. Using online archive sites, I can say with certainty I found several gems to share with my cousins and a few more to help confirm research questions stagnant on my family tree for a few years.
Fun stuff if you're me 😁!
