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Genealogy-MyGrandfather'sTERRIBLE Journey Quite often when I do Genealogy Research - I can feel my ancestors tapping on my shoulder and whispering in my ear - to find their story and get it told. I had only met my maternal Grandfather briefly. A summer in San Francisco while listening to my Grandmother and Great Grandmother bash him My research has revealed what a difficult beginning my maternal Grandfather lived. I feel compassion and understanding for the man. I can look at my own family's history and see how it has repeated itself. I grew up in a household where there was emotional and physical abuse. My brother reacted and ran away from the abuse resulting with him being in Juvenile Hall and eventually to McKinley Home for Boys for the remainder of his childhood and teenage years. He said that he was better off there. I suspect that my Grandfather went through a similar scenerio. I found his records from San Quentin Prison. This was the story that I heard. That he was a criminal. When I knew him, he was law-abiding. Last week, I found a 1930 Census in addition to additional prison records. The 1930's Census was for residents at the Preston School of Industry. This was a reform school for boys. My grandfather had entered this place when he was 15 to be trained as an electrician. He aged out and spent an additional two years in San Quentin Prison. His crime at the age of 15 was Forgery. So my grandfather spent seven years in prison for a non-violent crime that he committed as a young . My research had revealed horror stories about the Preston School of Industry. Prison Employees often used the boys for sadistic and sexual purposes. Ironically - the reform school was built for the purpose of creating a more humane situation for who were went to prison with the adult inmates. My Grandfather walked through hell and Thank God - he made it to the other side. So why am I in Washington D.C. lobbying on Prison Reform and Solutions to the Drug Problems in West Virginia and Beyond. I am doing it for you. Granddaddy.   Abracadabra  |
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