Ethnic Relations Autobiography
I have mulitple ancestors who are from different parts of the world. My
dads grandma’s name was was Giovana Guido came over here in 1924 and didn’t
speak English very well, she only spoke Italian. She came from a town in southern
Italy called Amanantia, Italy. She was 24 years old when she came. His grandpa’s
name was Franseco Gagliardi. He was already living here in 1924 because he
served in the war he also was from Amanatia, Italy. He was 38 old when he got
here. He had three children Margeret Rose Gagliardi, Samuel Gagliardi, Orlando
Gagliardi. My Grandma’s name was Margeret Rose Gagliardi and she was born in
1926. She was born and raised in Ambridge.There were many other Italian familys
that lived in Ambridge near that were from the same part of Italy and her parents.
Every year the people who live here who’s familys were also from Amanatia, Italy
have a picnic at Economy Park called the Pisiona Picnic.
My Grandma then married James H. Beck. His mom was born in Germany
and his fatrher was born in the United States. His fathers name was William H.
Beck, and his moms name was Margareta Graham. She was born in Germany and
came over to Milldvale, Pennsylvania in 1922. Then in 1925 my grandfather was
born here in Pennsylvania.
Then my grandparents got married in 1954 at Christ the King church in
Ambridge. They then bought a house in Baden and had three children, Deborah
Beck, James F. Beck and Joann Beck. My Aunt Deborah and her husband live with
their two daughters in Lexington, Kentucky. My Aunt Joann lives with her
husband and four children in Hopewell, PA. My father was the only boy. Him and
my mother had two sons and a daughter, William J. Beck, Kelly L. Beck and me
James F. Beck Jr.
My grandparents my mothers side were all born and raised in New
Brighton. Their ancestors were from England. They lived their lives in New
Brighton and many of their children lived near each other. There name were
Lotus and Mae Radcliff. They had nine children, Clair, James, Eva (my
grandmother), Robert , Jack, Marylou, Shirley, Daniel, Lena all Radcliff’s. Robert
and Jack were twins and they both married women named Helen. To this day the
Radcliff family still has a family reunion every year. Out of the nine children only
three are still alive.
My mother’s father’s parents came over from the Ukraine in 1913. There
names were Stephen and Mary Fedyski and had four children, Harry, Katherine,
my grandfather William and Stephanie, all Fedyski. All of their children were
born in Freedom, Pennsylvania. None of the four children are living.
My granparents got married on July 3, 1943 in Philadelphia where my
grandfather was stationed in the Navy. They built a house in Rochester, PA and
had three children, William Jr., Robert and Susan (my mom) all Fedyski’s. My
Uncle William lived in Beaver but is now deceased, my Uncle Robert lives with his
wife in Battle Creek, Michigan with their three children.
One of the changes that my Great Grandfather Fedyski had happen to him
when he came into the United States is whoever signed his name on the list of
people coming to America changed the spelling of his name, it was supposed to
be spelled Fedycki and the person wrote Fedyski.
My mother’s memories are of holidays together with her family, aunts,
uncles, and cousins eating stuffed cabbage which her Grandfather Fedyski would
make, also he would make homemade bread with boiled eggs weaved into the
dough.
My fathers’s memories of his childhood, were going to his Nana’s and she
would have homemade spaghetti and little meatballs. Everyone would go to her
house on Christmas Eve and eat a traditional Italian Ethnic Relations