Thursday, October 6, 2016 – We Are Family. Mavoureens.

Thursday, October 6, 2016 – We Are Family. Mavoureens.

Our vocabulary word for today is “mavoureen.” It is an Irish/English noun that means darling or dear.

So Dear Mavoureens,

Look at this photograph.

The original photograph is in my safety deposit box. The names of those in the photo are written on the back in my father’s handwriting. A copy of the photograph hangs in my entry hall.

If you are a descendent of a Duckworth, Duffey or Faraldo from Colfax, Louisiana you are related to someone in this photograph. So who are these people?

L-R on the ground – the dog. I do not think we are related to the dog.

Front rows L-R – The two little girls with the giant bows are Myrtle Duffey Davis and Georgia Watkins Burns. The woman seated next to Georgia is Lucinda Williams Duckworth – aka Old Mama Duckworth. She was my great grandmother. She is holding Lillian “Snookie” Faraldo Kaiser.

The woman seated next to her is Mattie Marie Brister Duffey – aka Maw Duffey – my other grand grandmother. The little boy in front of her is Randall Edwin Duffey – my father. He appears to be around five years old which makes the photograph taken around 1912.

Seated next to Maw Duffey is her daughter, Lula Duffey Faraldo. Next to Lula is her husband, the infamous Uncle Poleet – Hypolite Bartholomew Faraldo. The baby is Uncle Poleet’s lap is Mooney Stallings.

The little boy standing behind Old Mama is Paul Faraldo.

Back row L-F – Edna Duckworth Faraldo. Standing next to Edna is Gaston Faraldo and standing next to Gaston is Mary Rose Duckworth Duffey, my grandmother and namesake.

I believe standing next to Rose is Bill Stallings and his wife Louise Faraldo Stallings. Clarence Faraldo stands next to Louise and Mary Duffey Watkins stands at the end. She is Lula’s daughter, mother of Georgia Watkins Burns. Mary is a sister to Charles Edwin Duffey who married Rose Duckworth.

The matriarch of this family today is Mattie Lou Faraldo Furby. She has said some of the names are incorrect. Perhaps someone can share and get her thoughts.  EE, since you are next in line, you need to look too.

Your task is to determine how you are related to these people and then try to explain to others. For example: My grandmother was a Duckworth who married a Duffey whose sister married a Faraldo. Therefore we are all double related somehow. We are from Louisiana after all, but the folks pictured here were and are our mavoureens.