Sunday Surprise

Well there has really been two surprises today.

Image from Ancestry.com

First this morning one of my second cousin in England emails me with a copy of my grandmother's Naturalization papers.  Now there is no way I would have looked for Naturalization papers on her, she was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  As I looked at the papers and saw all the correct information.  Yes this is my grandmother but why is she filling out Naturalization papers. 

After a few minutes the light bulb came on and I remembered that my first cousin telling me.  That Grandma Minnie was very involved with the vote for women and she was very upset when she went to vote and she couldn't because her husband wasn't a citizen.  And I remembered that during certain years, women lost their citizenship if their husbands weren't citizens. 

Imagine from Ancestry.com

So Grandpa died in October of 1925 and by December 1925 she was sworn in the court as an American citizen again.  I am getting the impression that Grandma was a pretty sharp cookie and she didn't let any moss grow under feet.  I also think it was important to her to be an American. 

The second surprise came from another first cousin who sent me a 4 page document with more information about my grandpa's family.  This is the first time we have been in contact.  This was written by his Mom, my Aunt Bea back in 1988.  The names and dates I knew but she added more stories to the facts.  Some of them very interesting. 

It has been a Family History Fun day!!