When documenting your immigrant family’s experience, keep in mind that immigrants could have been “up in years as well.” Widowed individuals, on their own for the first time in decades, may have felt the pull to “cross the pond” with one of their children. Empty nest couples whose last child was emigrating may have felt they had no other choice or decided it was time for a new adventure.
And you never know, Grandpa or Grandma may have been the driving force encouraging their children and grandchildren to emigrate–only to decide to join them.
2 Responses
Yes indeed. I never dreamed my great grandmother had actually “moved” here. I assumed her presence in the homes of 2 different children in 1910 and 1920 censuses in the same town in Wisconsin was just an extended visit or 2 seperate visits. I always wondered when she went home to Slovakia and where/when she died. Lo and behold, I just stumbled upon her death certificate at the home of a 3rd child in Michigan! I’ll never know if she had truly immigrated or was just visiting, but now I’m starting to think she intended to stay here.
I have 6 who were, loosely, beyond what one often considers typical immigrant age. Two were couples and two were widows. All of them would have been left behind as all their grown children immigrated.