My object is a part of a sterling silver serving set that my ancestors brought with them when they immigrated in the 1700s from Ireland to what is now the United States. My ancestors fled Ireland when protestants were being persecuted in England. When they first arrived, they settled in Virginia. After the Revolutionary War, they moved down to South Carolina, and then years later ended up in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Through all of those moves, all of the silver in the set was lost except for a ladle. This ladle is the object I have chosen for this project. While looking at the photos, you will notice that it is cracked. During the “Siege of Vicksburg” of the Civil War, (when the Union Army invaded Vicksburg), my ancestors buried some of their favored possessions so that the Yankees could not find or take them. The sterling silver set was one of the things that they buried. At the end of the war, while they were digging up their possessions, the shovel hit this ladle, causing it to crack. This object is special to me because it has been in my family for centuries and is a reminder of how hard my ancestors have worked and what they have lived through. It is also a symbol of my heritage and Irish culture.

– Mary Quin Roller

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more