My Family's Centennial Anniversary to American Celebration

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My family recently celebrated the centennial anniversary of the arrival of my great grandmother (and grandmother) to America. I wanted to share this with others here who've had their own immigration story.

This is the story of how my grandmother, Winifred Ryan, came to America. The year was 1908 and she was the youngest of five children at that time, living in Cleator, England. Her father, James Ryan, left for American about two years prior, recruited by Phelps Dodge to work in the copper mines in Southern Arizona. During those two years, the only contact my great grandmother, Margaret Ryan, had with her husband was through letters, which took several months to reach him. He worked hard in the mines to save enough to bring the rest his family to America.

Within 10 months of arriving in America, Margaret gave birth to her sixth child. She would have a total of seven children before she died in 1916, eight years after she arrived in America. She felt lost in the small, partly isolated town of Bisbee, Arizona, and often talked fondly of the 'Old Country.' She was ill for the last few years of her life, but there were no tests done back then, so nobody really knows what made her ill. By the time she passed away, my grandmother, Winifred, was sixteen and working in the local post office.

My grandfather, Clark Hickcox, met Winifred Ryan, at an Elk's Lodge dance, and their courtship lasted for two years before they married in 1926. Clark was twelve years older than Winifred, the same age difference also between my great grandparents. Clark came from a family of dairy farmers in Wisconsin and moved to Arizona for his asthma. He fought in WWI, and received a Purple Heart for getting gassed by the Germans in France. He battled with emphysema in his later years but smoked until the day he died of a heart attack one morning, while sitting down for breakfast and reading the paper. I never got a chance to know my grandfather.

My grandmother, Winifred Hickcox, came to live with us when my father realized her memory had gotten so bad that she couldn't even tell him how her apron had burned patches on it. She lived with us for about 2 years until we could no longer tend to her needs and we placed her in a convalescent home. She died several months later. While she stayed with us I became very close to her. She was the sweetest, most loving person I have ever known…and she had great sense of humor. She also tended to worry a lot. One time, we were both sitting at the table eating some cookies and she spontaneously took the empty cookie box, placed it upside down on head like a hat, and started marching in place while singing, "Salvation Army is the best thing the world!" She used to say to me, "I love ya, like ya." When I asked her why she would say it that way, she told me that when my father was very young, he got all upset when his mother told him she loved him and said, "You love me, but you don't like me!"

So here's to my grandmother. I know you are with me always. I love you…I like you…and I sure miss you.

This is a picture of my grandmother, Winifred Ryan (second from left) outside their home in Cleator, England.

Margaret and James Ryan - I think this was taken back in Enland.

My son Marcus, brother Mark and his son Ethan.

My father, farthest to the left, sitting.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Great post.

Did any of them come through Ellis Island?

Edited August 24, 2008 by WideAwakeInTheUSA

[trinket 30]

Thanks for sharing and glad you have old pictures saved in such a precious manner

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Great post.

Did any of them come through Ellis Island?

Thanks...wish I would have spent more time editing what I wrote, but oh well.

Yes, they all registered through Ellis Island. My father has the official document and once I can get a scan of it, I'll post it here.