My great grandmother Mary grew up on a farm in Castleblayney, Ireland before deciding to emigrate to America at the age of 18. From stories I have heard, there was nothing Mary valued more than family. Mary and her 6 siblings lived together with their parents in a small Irish cottage before leaving home to both America and New Zealand in search of a better life. Once settled in Queens, New York, Mary would always host family and no matter who was visiting, she always had a party for them. How much she valued family has been passed down through the generations and continues to resonate in me as well. I always look forward to the holidays as it is a time where my family is brought together, year after year. Being with my family has always been a place of comfort, as we truly are a unique bunch. We can thank Mary and her journey for showing us the importance of these gatherings. At the same age Marie left the family farm, I returned to it. As a graduation present, I was able to go to Ireland and visit Castleblayney. While there, we visited the school she went to, town square, and the farm. My family is not one that saves many things, and because of this, this trip is when I felt the closest to my great grandmother and family heritage as a whole. Although not a physical object, I will always have the memory of standing in front of our family farm where my great grandmother stood a century before, keeping the memories close but saying goodbye for a better life.

– Kelly Pagniello

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