McGinnnis – Many Branches, One Tree

Happy Birthday, Mamma!

Joan Joyce (Schiavon) Huesca 1928 – 1987 Today, on this Fourth of July, as the United States turns 242 years old, my mother, Joan (Schiavon) Huesca, would have turned 90. We lost her 31 years ago this Fall. Sometimes it seems as though I saw her only yesterday. Other times it feels like it … Continue reading

Travel Tuesday: Rebirth in the Land of Mañana

Benita (McGinnis) McCormick (1889 – 1984) Phillip Columbus McCormick (1892 – 1981) When a letter begins with the words, “Sit down,” a big announcement is sure to follow. That was how my great-uncle-and-aunt, Phillip and Benita (McGinnis) McCormick, learned that their daughter, Jane, had married her true love, Eldon “Ole” Olson, in a private church ceremony in … Continue reading

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Dear Uncle Pat

Benita (McGinnis) McCormick (1889 – 1984) Benita McGinnis painted this watercolor rendering of her Irish uncle sometime during her visit with relatives in Ireland in 1913. Unfortunately, we may never know more about “Dear Uncle Pat,” as she titled the painting, except that he was 93 years old at … Continue reading

Wisdom Wednesday: Crossroads

Gilbert Cayetano Huesca (1915 – 2009) Joan Joyce (Schiavon) Huesca (1928 – 1987) My parents, having decided that our family should leave the high altitude of Mexico City for the sake of my little sister’s health, now had a decision to make: Where should we go? Flickr Creative Commons, Photo by Laenulfean We had been living … Continue reading

Talented Tuesday: Domestic Goddess

Mary Jane (Gaffney) McGinnis (1858 – 1940) My great- grandmother, Mary Jane (Gaffney) McGinnis, wearing a dress she made for her engagement. Conneaut, Ohio, circa 1884. Known for her generous heart and her delicious pies, Mary Jane McGinnis held a special place in the memories of her descendants who knew her. My mother, Joan Joyce … Continue reading