At the river: where it began and where it is ending.

Early this morning I was sitting on a bench looking at the gray rippling water of the Delaware River and thinking about how my life began near the river, in Philadelphia, and now now that I am 80, it is getting close to ending, still next to the river.

My ancestors, no doubt came up that river from Europe across the Atlantic. I suppose that likelihood because my ancestors were German and Irish and I know that a vigorous German colony grew in Philaelphia at the time of my German ancesors arrival in the early 1800's. Also, I have read a bit about the Irish coming over through the port of Philadelphia, as well as through the port on the eastern side of the river through the Immigration station in Gloucester City. I don't have firm facts or dates for their arrival, but I feel fairly sure that they came through this port. I look at the river and I feel the boat coming to dock after all that long time at sea and my ancestors being so eager to feel land under their feet again and get on with their lives in their new world.

I don't know much about the German ancestors in Philadelphia but a cousin, now deceased was given a wooden cover photo album with dozens of formal studio photography portraits of the German ancestors, Sandman and Young (Jung). My Great grandmother Catherine Sandman is in that album at age 16 - the others all look prosperou and good looking, and the fact that ehere are so many makes me feel that they had a vigorous family life and the comfort and support of a community of people like them. They were listed in the city directory by trade as bakers, brewers, tailors, watch makers and seamstresses.

I have a xerox copy of a group portrait of the Irish clan, McQuiston, Gallagher and Welsh. The patriarch, Hiram McQuiston, grandfather of both my biological Grandmother and my adoptive one, had a haulage company and brought goods from ships on the river to the stores and markets in the city. My adoptive Grandmother Lavinia McQuiston (Lyons), sister of my biological grandmother Sarah McQuiston (Goldy), all her life attended Gloria Dei, Old Swedes' Church on the riverfront. That is where my family went to church when I was a child and where I went to Sunday school. I have many memories of those Sundays going to church beside the river, walking in the ancient cemetery. My favorite memory though is the summer excursions on the Wilson Line to Riverview Beach where our church familes would all spend the day with picnic lunches and little boat rides in the sunshine and grass, so beautiful contrasted with our concrete and asphalt brick canyon world at home. I feel so luck to be on this side of the river.

We old folks talk about senior citien residences the way young men talk about cars. My river walk is from the parking lot of Proprietor's Park to the Gloucester City riverfront senior housing building. I almost never see any of the peole who live there, perhaps it is too hot for them to come out, or too early. I was looking at the building and thinking about what it would be like to live there, with the park right next door and that nice walking path, not to mention a view over the river.

It doesn't matter though, because my plan is to age in place and stay in my little bungalow until the end, but you never know......

Happy Trails!

wrightj45@yahoo.com