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Published: June 22nd 2017
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May Markoff in front of her house
May is my 2nd cousin once removed (i think!?) So today is the day to meet some 'new'relatives in Clayton NC
The Unchained tour group are making their way to the next destination in the Blue Ridge Mountains, whilst I travel on to Clayton NC
I'm trying to follow a trail to a lost part of my family tree - the ancestors and descendants of my grandmother Chana Eisenberg - born in eastern Poland
I know my grandmother came from a small rural village called Czervonka, which I have visited. She was purported to be a farmers daughter - probably a small holder*
I know she had at least a brother and two sisters and that one sister Rose (Roze) went to to California, one Miriam went to Montreal, and the brother (nickname Tuncho) went to Argentina
My cousin Faigie in Montreal suggested I contact May Markoff, who she says is descendant of my great aunt Miriam Eisenberg (Married name Opolsky )
May and her family are the present day link to that long lost connection. Because of a rift between her mother and family all ties were cut and the family unit headed into the US resulting in decades of lost contact. Its only
a contact with another relative in Israel that May learnt of her connection with the rest of us.
After an initial run through rural bits of North Carolina I head onto the interstates via Greensboro to Clayton
It takes a few minutes to find where she's lives as its out of central Clayton on a 'newish' enclosed estate, and the roads aren't on my 5 year old satnav mapping. A young man takes time out form moving into his newly acquired country house to look up the address on his cell phone and give me directions.
A blue trail on my satnav screen plots where I am routing so I can find my way out again. A few minutes after passing some seriously luxurious mansions with horse filled paddocks May's house appears on the corner of a junction.
I get greeted by husband Michael, and taken in to meet May who greets me as if we have known each other far longer.
Lunch is served almost immediately. I was only expecting to be here for an hour or so.
I'm there from about midday to early evening: to begin I get a guided tour of the
house, garden and surrounding estate.
May then gets out a scroll of about 6 - 8 ft long. Her family tree meticulously drawn out by hand. It puts my digitally assisted work to shame really. However after some time we managed to fill some gaps and move some relatives around on the tree.
Theres are some unsolved mysteries though surrounding two photographs of ancestors I thought ere my great grandparents on my father's patrilineal line, but May has them as the matrilineal
More work to be done
May and Mikes children eventually arrive for Fathers Day along with spouses, one grandchild and one pair of in laws.
After introductions and various conversations I get served dinner early as I have to depart for the Blue Ridge mountains and don't want to be riding in the dark - with deer and various other bits of wildlife afoot.
I leave shortly after, Not before taking a family group shot and and slightly emotional hugs and farewells
Just as well as I arrive at Roaring gap after navigation a twisty mountain road, just as it begin to absolutely belt down - breaking up my colleague rider's
evening of beer and politics
200 miles further away from meeting my long lost cousins, I flop into bed.
Quite some day!
*Jews were increasingly restricted in their entitlement to hold rural land or to farm, which drove them into the cities where they found employment in a limited range of permissible occupations and where they could more easily be identified for taxation purposes.
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