Family Tree

This is the second request I got from my Top Ten list.

Basically, Grace, got most of the Peter's Family Tree out of my Aunt Kathleen, something which I have failed to do. (Maybe Grace should have worked for the CIA)


I have always told Grace that I am Irish, Polish and German on my white side. In fact my mother told me that we are mostly Polish, but she used to hide this fact because she grew up in a German-Irish neighborhood.

My Uncle Francis said that we weren't that Irish, but the Irish relatives were the loudest, and so culturally that's what got past down.

I also remember Aunt Dolores telling me a story about a Polish tradition where the priest comes to each house and blesses meat (steak?) that has fat with a pattern in it, like a lamb. Anyway she was comparing it to what I told her about Chinese New Year and the Lion going from door to door. That was the first time I suspected that we were not as different (Chinese and White) as we are made out to be after all.

In any case, Grace got paper and pen and wrote down the tree according to Aunt Kath.


First the Peters Side i.e. Aunt Kath's Grandfather (my great grandfather)

Katharine Mary Glackin (1900. Ireland. Fresh off the boat)

married to

George Robert Peters. Texas. Crucible Heavy Metals. died 1964

Their children were

1)George Robert.


2)Richard John (This would be my grandfather. he had 6 children)
-Veronica
-Francis
(uh oh what is the order after that?)
-Richard
-Kathleen
-Tommy
-Charlene

3) Donald died 1938
+1
+1(3)
Cindy Lou Sweet. (I don't know what this means I'm just copying the paper. Feel free to chip in Family.)

4) Kenneth (Philly)
+Helen. I guess that means he married Helen

I found a letter from Aunt Helen congratulating my mom on having a baby boy. The return address is on Cottman Ave.

There children are

-Kenneth
-Bobby
-Peggy Margarete
-Jimmy
-Joey
-Donald
-Mary Jane.

Then some weird notation with
Jean Joan Bobby.

So I recognize some names. But truth be told I never learned how it all fit together exactly.


On to the Kirby side.
we start with
Ida Kirby whose Aunt (who was younger than her, was a model) She was born in 18 something

With her first husband she had 10 children.

Withe her second husband (the first one died) she had 10 more children, one of whom was named Tarzan.

With her 3rd Husband  "Chick" Grandfather Kirby (polish?) who worked in the Marine Terminal Shipyard in Philadelphia.

There children were
 1) Frank (killed WWII sniper) (he was a sniper or he was killed by a sniper?)

2)Thomas who m. Liz Judy Barownowski (I need some clarification on this)

3) Veronica (1920-) That's my grandmother who married Richard Peter's -Machinist)

4) Anna who married Bobby Ahrndt
(I have to fix the writing on this later. I think I do have to go on Ancestry.com and maybe some of my family reading this can chip in.)

5) Dolores
who had cousin Mark. I remember being called Mark accidentally by my grandmother as a child which is why I remember this name.

6) Dorothy aka Dotsy (youngest 80's in 2015)

7) Edward.


Here is the paper.


At this point Grace goes "So whose Polish? Whose German?"

The Polish genes are supposed to through Kirby, which was supposedly changed from Kutapatva (spelling?) Of course I went to Poland and asked the tour guide if he had ever heard of this name. He looked at me like I had two heads.

So it seems, I am pretty Irish. That would have been a much simpler answer, having grown up in Boston.
"What's your white side?"

"Oh mostly Irish."

 It would have been like an automatic in, instead of

"Mostly Polish, some German and Irish."


"It's the Polish genes that seem to live the longest" commented Grace. "The Irish side not so much."


Most people think I look Polish, or Italian (which I am not) or Hispanic (which I am not.)

Very few people think I look Chinese. Though that is the biggest section of my genes, and I'm pretty damn sure it's near 100%.... though again a lot of people made fun of my dad for looking kind of white-ish.

For some reason I'm having posting some old pictures I scanned for this. So I guess that will wait for another post.

From Uncle Rich
here are some updates you could edit if you like...George Robert Peters died at his summer home in Avalon, New Jersey. he had spent that morning manually installing pilings for his dock on the Avalon bay a few blocks from his summer home. after putting the pilings in by hand he went home had a bottle of Coca-Cola and had a heart attach. Next his sons Kenneth and Donald were twins. Next Richards children were Veronica, Francis, Kathleen, Richard, Thomas and Charlene. Next Donald was married and had a blue berry farm in Pemberton, New Jersey. Next Kenneth was married to Helen ( I think she is still alive) and his kids included Jean and Joan