My Family History

 I interviewed my maternal great-grandfather, James McKinnell(80), because, our relationship is tight-knit. My great-grandfather has a great memory and I thought that he would be a wonderful source of information. It turns out that I was right and he supplied me with facts I never thought existed. The following interview took place over e-mail on August 18, 2008.

My ancestors emigrated from Scotland. Although my great-great-grandfather was killed in a coal mine at a very young age(43), and his story was not shared, my great-great grandma’s story(Margaret Gillispie) is vivid and full of twist and turns. She traveled on a steerage, the cheapest fare to America, with a boat full of women who had yet to learn English. After the rigorous trip she landed on Ellis Island, where all the emigrants where taken. Met by her brother they waited for two days for the Police Chief to put a $2,500.00 security bond on my great-great-grandmother, therefore she was not to be a burden in the U.S. or the town she was to live in. My great-great-grandmother and her older brother boarded a train to Pittsburgh, PA.  My great great grandmother lived to the age of 99.

When I was little it was a great challenge to say,“great-grandparents”, so I came up with the names favorite grandma and grandpa. Although sometimes when we are all together it can get confusing the name never has and never will change. They met in Miami, Florida when my favorite-grandfather moved there with his mom and siblings. 57 years ago they flew to New York to get married and live, but they decided that the smell of smog in the morning is not the conditions they would like to raise their children in. They moved back south to Miami were my favorite-grandmother gave birth to all three of her children, Susan, James, Jr, and Kim Shirley McKinnell. My favorite-grandpa was hired by the Miami Fire Department, a job he kept for 32 years until he retired. My favorite-grandma (Shirley Anne Shoemaker McKinnell) stayed home to fill her house with love and compassion. Her son and daughters each have there own special memories of their childhood, whether it be their first bike ride or a school play, my great-grandparents where there to support their children in whatever they chose to do.

My grandparents with retirement approaching have gotten crazier and crazier. With their motorcycles by their sides, Susan and Jeff Poirier belong to what I call a “motorcycle gang”, but that is my effort to make them look cool. Really they belong to a group of people; mostly couples that have bikes and trikes.Trikes are motorcycles with three wheels. Don’t get me wrong, I love my grandparents but, how many of your grandparents disappear for weeks at a time with a group of people on Honda Goldwings, Valkyries and scooters. Earlier, I said that I call my great-grandfather something other than great-grandfather, its kind of the same thing with my grandfather. My grandpa is French-Canadian and the French- Canadian name for grandpa is Pepe, so that’s what we call him. Not only does my pepe have a motorcycle trike but, he also has a tattoo, it's a dragon. He has to cover it up with sleeved shirts at his job, Paychex’s payroll specialist. My grandma is currently an insurance coordinator for Thomas Eye Group. Both were born in Florida but, didn’t meet until middle school. I'm sure neither thought they were gonna be married one day. They became good friends at the beginning but when my pepe had to move to another school they didn't speak again. Then again in high school they were together. They got married after high school and moved to Atlanta. My grandma gave birth to my mother and my Aunt Heather, with a seven year difference. Two kids was enough for them because my mother was a handful, the rebellious child. Who would have thought that a friendship in middle school would lead to them riding off in the sunset on motorcycles.

If you ask anyone in my family who the character is, they probably couldn't come up with one answer. We all have our own little special quirks that make us, us. My whole family is a handful but, I am blessed to be part of it. They all are loving and compassionate. Even though we all live in different parts of the Southeast, we regularly have a get together that is more than a family reunion. The distance forces us to have a Christmas, Birthdays, and Thanksgiving all in that one visit. We all often stay more than one day but, that’s the way it will always be and I have no problem with that. Some people may think my family is a little whack, we are, but they are my family and even though some may be crazier than others I wouldn’t trade them for the world.