Amy's Blog

This is the second entry in a series of entries that I started about my family leading up to my annual family reunion that I just came back from a few days ago.  In my last entry https://amymariekc.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/family-matters/ , I mentioned my grandma’s brothers and sisters and their large families.  In this entry, I am going to talk about how Grandma and her family came to be. 

The Potawatomi Indians were forced off of their land in Indiana in 1838.  They walked over 600 miles and made their way to Sugar Creek, near Osawatomie, KS.  Several died along the trail.  http://www.potawatomi-tda.org/

E qua ke sek was a small Indian child who lost her mother and father to illness along the trail.  Rose Phillippine Duchesne was a French nun who moved from St. Louis to Sugar Creek to teach the Potawatomi Indians.  Sister Rose taught E qua ke sek. E qua ke sek eventually moved with Sister Rose and the other sisters to St. Mary’s Mission, which is now St. Mary’s, KS.  The Potawatomis eventually settled in Oklahoma.  Their reservation is in Shawnee, OK.

James Slavin was an Irish immigrant who worked as a carriage driver for Bishop Mieage, the first Bishop of the territory of Kansas.  When Bishop Mieage would visit the Cathedral in St. Mary’s, E qua ke sek would serve the Bishop and his staff.  James and E qua ke sek fell in love and were married.  E qua ke sek was baptized a Christian and given the name Theresa. 

Jim and Theresa had several children, and three survived.  James, John, and Mary.  Mary, their only surviving daughter, settled near Belvue, KS and also married an Irishman, James Doyle.  Mary and James had five children, Sister Mary Conception, Florence, Leo, Gene, and Genevieve.  Florence married Thomas Pearl and they had six children, Marjorie (Marj), James (Jim), Robert (Bob), Maureen, Virginia (Ginger), and Gerald (Jerry).  Grandma Doyle made a point to pass down her Indian heritage to her five children.  Florence did the same with her six children.  Grandma Marj has done the same with her kids and grandkids. 

Every year the descendents of Jim and Theresa get together for a Slavin family reunion.  In recent years, the reunion has happened in conjunction with the Annual Potawatomi Reunion festival in Shawnee, OK. http://www.potawatomi.org/ The Festival is three days of eating, drinking, games, and dancing.  There is also an opportunity to tour and view the many facilities on the reservation: the grocery store, casino and entertainment complex, golf course, camp grounds, wellness center, and many more.  My Grandma made a point to take us kids on the trip every year.  We last traveled together to the Festival in 2006. Every year we have a blast experiencing the Potawatomi culture and catching up with relatives. In 2007, I was ill and was unable to make the trip, so Grandma traveled without me.  In 2008, Grandma was ill and we stayed home to be with her.  Last year, we realized that Grandma isn’t able to make the trip any longer.  She is in her late 80s and just isn’t able to travel long distances, especially in the Oklahoma summer heat. 

This year was the first year that I was able to get over my guilt of leaving Grandma behind to make the trip. I’m so glad that I did.  I will post about this year’s trip in another entry.