Jack and Natalie

So, some of you might be wondering why I chose this title for my blog. It's the combination of two very special people in family tree--two people I have never met. I only know them through stories about them passed on by my family. Jack was my mother's grandfather, her mother's father. She called him Gaga (that's her spelling, because she pronounces it Gugga). His full name was Johnathan Banks Goldthwait--we think. One census record shows him as Johnathan, but my mom always thought it was just John. Who knows?! Either way, he was known as Jack in the every day world. I actually loved the name Jack before I even knew that it belonged to Gaga. I've always hoped to name a little boy that if I should be lucky enough to be a mother one day. Having the familial link makes me want to do it even more. I'm learning more about my great grandfather every day. My mom has always shared great stories in passing with me. From what I know he was incredibly kind hearted and a great confidant. Even though we've never met I've always felt like kindred spirits with him. So, that's where the Jack comes from. Natalie is the name of my dad's mom--my grandmother. I've spent my whole life trying to learn as much as I could about my Hungarian ancestry and all things Katona, but I recently began to realize that I was neglecting a huge part of my own history. My dad and uncle were raised my their widowed mother, her parents and her sister. Who they are has a lot to do with those people, and, thus, who I am has a lot do with those people. I think my dad quite possibly loved her more than anyone in the whole world. While his stories of her are few in numbers, they are always filled with great humor. In my family we joke a lot and certain things are Smith Traits (after my mom and her maiden name), and certain things are Katona Traits. In reality, though, I think a lot of the Katona Traits are also Feather (my grandmother's maiden name) Traits. I recently asked my uncle to share as much as he could remember about day-to-day details on my grandmother, Natalie. He took his time and produced a fabulous email filled with little memories and snippets of stories. I balled my little eyes out reading every word, learning about the woman I never met. Now I feel like I have a great glimpse of who she was and I am so grateful. And, so, she is the other name for my blog title. Ken and Sharon just doesn't sound as glamorous (sorry mom and dad), but I think they would agree that both of these people had a lot to do with the shaping of who each of them has become, and, thus, who I am today. I am hopeful I will get to pass these monikers on through my own children's names some day. As I learn more about both my great-grandfather and my grandmother, I will try to put little stories on here. Especially when I have a few uneventful weeks in a row, which is sort of the norm for my quiet and busy life. All my love.