Remembering Mom: A Mother’s Day Tribute

Today is Mother’s Day and I am missing my mother, Anna.  It is the 12th Mother’s Day since she passed away.  She may not be physically present, but she definitely lives on in my heart and in so many wonderful memories.  I wrote a special tribute post for her, “Mother’s Day Reflections from a Daughter’s Heart” on the ReelGenie Blog.

Mom teaching me how to Polka at my cousin’s wedding in the 1970s at the Slovak Club in Duquesne, PA


On this special day, I am also thankful for my godmother, Helen, my grandmothers, aunts, and all of my other female ancestors.

Happy Mother’s Day!



Copyright 2013, Lisa A. Alzo
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Fearless Females Blog Post: March 29: Honoring a Female Ancestor

March 29 — Create a free Fold3 (formerly Footnote) Memorial Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley’s post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your ancestor.


[Note: This post originally ran during the Fearless Females series in March 2010]


I chose to create a free Fold3 Page for Elizabeth Alzo (my grandmother). I used data from the Footnote database to help build the page – there are links to the 1930 census entry for her and to her naturalization petitions. I also added an image of her obituary, and plan to add some stories, and more information down the line.

Copyright, 2013, Lisa A. Alzo
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Fearless Females Blog Post: March 23: Create a Timeline

March 23 — Create a timeline for a female ancestor using your favorite software program or an online timeline generator such as OurTimelines.

This is a timeline for Elizabeth Fencsak Alzo (using Our Timelines)


Copyright 2013, Lisa A. Alzo

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Fearless Females Blog Post: March 15: Six-Word Memoir Tribute

March 15 — Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors.

Here is mine:

Elizabeth Fencsak Alzo (paternal grandmother): Fine hair. Tough as nails. Enigma.




Copyright, 2013, Lisa A. Alzo
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Fearless Females Blog Post: March 4: Marriage Records

March 4 — Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

[Note: This post originally ran during the Fearless Females series in March 2010]

I have marriage records for both sets of grandparents.(I’m opting not to post those here). My father’s parents, John & Elizabeth (below) were married in Duquesne, (Allegheny County) PA in January 1915 in SS. Peter & Paul Byzantine Catholic Church. He was 21 and she was 18. I don’t have any stories but do have a photo (see below).


My mother’s parents, John & Veronica, were married on November 1,1924 in St. Nicholas Church in Barton, OH. Their wedding and reception lasted for three days. I wrote about their marriage in my book Three Slovak Women.


Copyright, 2013, Lisa A. Alzo

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Fearless Females Blog Post: March 15: Six-Word Memoir Tribute

March 15 — Write a six-word memoir tribute to one of your female ancestors.


My entries below were first published on my Blog in 2008.

Anna Figlar Alzo (my mother): Generous heart. Wonderful cook. Dearly missed.

Verona Straka Figlar (maternal grandmother): Family devotion. Inner strength. My inspiration.

Elizabeth Fencak Alzo (paternal grandmother): Fine hair. Tough as nails. Enigma.




Copyright, 2012, Lisa A. Alzo
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Ten Things I Learned at Our Family Reunion-2011 Edition

On July 9, 2011 my mother’s family held it’s 44th annual reunion at South Park near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We hold these gatherings under the acronym ALAFFFA (this stands for Abbott, Lizanov, Alzo, Figlar, Figlar, Figlar, Augenstein). Each year we have a different theme for our reunion. This year’s theme was Mardis Gras.


Here are ten things I learned at my 2011 Family Reunion:

1. It takes teamwork and good advanced planning to make sure everything goes smoothly on the day, and yet the day comes and goes so quickly—I never get enough time to visit with all of my aunts, uncles, or cousins.


2. It’s amazing we’ve having this reunion faithfully for 44 years and that my generation is now in charge.


3. For those no longer with us: Grandma and Grandpap, Doug, Uncle John, Aunt Ann, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Toni, Uncle Joe. We miss you all very much. We know you are with us in spirit.


4. If anything goes wrong, it’s always “Eddie’s fault—Eddie!!!” (just teasing cousin, Ed).


5. You can plan organized activities and games, or have the latest toys or gadgets, but the kids seem to have the best time with good old fashioned fun: the sliding board and climbing apparatus, and anything that involves water (water balloons, squirt guns, etc.)


6. There has never been an event in my family where we ran out of food. We always have way too much (and plenty of leftovers)!


7. Even your closest relative will fight you for the last few homemade Lady Locks (small, cream filled puff pastries that melt in your mouth). My mother used to be the chief baker of these delights, but she passed the torch on to my Aunt Margie who makes them now that Mom has passed away.


8. There will always be a need to “Go for Ice” (inside joke in our family).


9. It’s not a real party unless “Aunt Fun” is there! And Uncle Mike always has the most creative t-shirt reflecting the theme.


10. My grandparents always stressed the importance of family and of being together. Yes, life moves on and the reunions evolve but one thing remains constant: We honor their memory by making the effort to gather each year.


Next year is our 45th reunion and we’ve already started making plans for a special reunion weekend celebration.


Photos by Lisa A. Alzo

Copyright, 2011, Lisa A. Alzo

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