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A Remarkable Story of Survival
By Sahndra Tweel Starnes
Last year (2020) was the 100th anniversary of my mother’s immigration to the United States. During that year of the COVID pandemic we heard frequent references made to the Spanish flu of 1918, which is how Mom’s story began.
Everything I tell you has been passed down by word of mouth and can’t be verified or documented, but it is our story the best that we know.
There were 6 children born to Nicholas and Tukla Michael in Kfeir, Lebanon. Edna, Farris, Bertha, William, Mary (my mom) and the baby whose name is unknown and who died in the cradle due to an unfortunate event. Mom always said there were many more children living in that house and mentioned the number 12, but no one really knows. She said many of them died. Nicholas was a peddler and died of a heat stroke leaving Tukla to raise the children. Then Tukla caught the Spanish flu in 1918 and died also. Nicholas’s mother tried to care for the children, but it was too difficult alone and so she wrote her sons in the United States to send for the children.
Four of the 5 children boarded a ship to Marseille, France in order to come to America. The oldest daughter, Edna did not come with them because she had previously gotten married and moved to the Ivory Coast. Farris, Bertha, William, and Mom stayed in France to await the time they could board a ship bound for the USA, but every time they had an opportunity to board, Farris was told he couldn’t go with them, due to encephalitis. Eventually, the other 3 left for the states without him. Farris went in a different direction and ultimately ended up in Brazil where he lived and raised his family. How I wish I could have known the details of the journey of these 4 children! I cannot even imagine what they went through to get where they were going.
In France there was a paid caregiver for the children. However, I don’t believe they were being taken care of. Aunt Bertha told me that they were so hungry they ate clay. They must have been roaming the streets for food.
Somehow, someway in 1920 they were able to board a ship bound for the great USA and ride in steerage so that they could get to Ellis Island. And there they were met by their Uncle Albert Michael who took them home to West Virginia.
Mom told me that when they first arrived on Ellis Island their bellies were swollen from malnutrition, they had ringworm, and they had head lice. They had to be bathed and their old clothes were burned. Then they were treated for ringworm and their heads were shaved to get rid of the lice. But, thank God, they were alive! They all chose a birthdate because none of them had records as to when they were born. Mom chose December 20, 1912. We’re pretty sure she got the year right, but that’s all.
Whenever I would ask my mom what she remembered about that whole experience, she said that she couldn’t remember anything until they landed on American soil. She was 8 years old by then. The previous 2 years of her life were so bad that her mind just blacked them out. But then something good and wonderful came along. She had a chance to eat, and she remembered her first bite of American bread. At a later time on the train going to West Virginia, Uncle Albert gave her a pack of Juicy Fruit gum and she thought it was so good that she put all 5 sticks in her mouth at one time.
Bertha, Bill, and Mom were all taken to Uncle Albert’s house and treated with medicine until they were well. Then Uncle George and Aunt Saidi asked to have Mom come and live with them. They had 5 boys and no girls. So Mom was raised by George and Saidi Michael in Charleston while Bill and Bertha were raised by Albert and his wife, Minnie. Mom had no idea that someday Minnie would be the Aunt of her future husband, Leonard.
Mom started first grade in Charleston and was able to complete the sixth grade, but when she started 7th grade she was also working for Camel Michael at the Royal Confectionery and not getting enough sleep. She said she would fall asleep in class. Since it was so hard to do both, the decision was made to end her formal education. When the depression hit, everyone worked hard to survive. By the mid 1930s Mom was working at the Diamond Department Store making $12.00 a week, which contributed to the total family income to help feed everyone. Then in 1937 my dad, Leonard Tweel came to Charleston from Huntington and met Mom.
Several months later they were married at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Charleston. They took up residence in Huntington, WV where they raised four children, born in this order: Tom 1938, Betty 1942, Judy 1947, and Sandy 1955. In March of 1955 Mom was naturalized at the age of 42.
Mom and Dad owned and operated a restaurant throughout their entire marriage. However, about the time I was born in 1955 they downsized to a smaller, operation called Leonard’s Grill. That little place was my second home. In fact, as did many families back then, we all pitched in and worked at the “store” whenever needed. Dad had a stroke in 1969 and could no longer work. He passed away in 1973. Mom kept the restaurant going until she sold it in 1977. She passed away in 1998.
By Sahndra Tweel Starnes
Last year (2020) was the 100th anniversary of my mother’s immigration to the United States. During that year of the COVID pandemic we heard frequent references made to the Spanish flu of 1918, which is how Mom’s story began.
Everything I tell you has been passed down by word of mouth and can’t be verified or documented, but it is our story the best that we know.
There were 6 children born to Nicholas and Tukla Michael in Kfeir, Lebanon. Edna, Farris, Bertha, William, Mary (my mom) and the baby whose name is unknown and who died in the cradle due to an unfortunate event. Mom always said there were many more children living in that house and mentioned the number 12, but no one really knows. She said many of them died. Nicholas was a peddler and died of a heat stroke leaving Tukla to raise the children. Then Tukla caught the Spanish flu in 1918 and died also. Nicholas’s mother tried to care for the children, but it was too difficult alone and so she wrote her sons in the United States to send for the children.
Four of the 5 children boarded a ship to Marseille, France in order to come to America. The oldest daughter, Edna did not come with them because she had previously gotten married and moved to the Ivory Coast. Farris, Bertha, William, and Mom stayed in France to await the time they could board a ship bound for the USA, but every time they had an opportunity to board, Farris was told he couldn’t go with them, due to encephalitis. Eventually, the other 3 left for the states without him. Farris went in a different direction and ultimately ended up in Brazil where he lived and raised his family. How I wish I could have known the details of the journey of these 4 children! I cannot even imagine what they went through to get where they were going.
In France there was a paid caregiver for the children. However, I don’t believe they were being taken care of. Aunt Bertha told me that they were so hungry they ate clay. They must have been roaming the streets for food.
Somehow, someway in 1920 they were able to board a ship bound for the great USA and ride in steerage so that they could get to Ellis Island. And there they were met by their Uncle Albert Michael who took them home to West Virginia.
Mom told me that when they first arrived on Ellis Island their bellies were swollen from malnutrition, they had ringworm, and they had head lice. They had to be bathed and their old clothes were burned. Then they were treated for ringworm and their heads were shaved to get rid of the lice. But, thank God, they were alive! They all chose a birthdate because none of them had records as to when they were born. Mom chose December 20, 1912. We’re pretty sure she got the year right, but that’s all.
Whenever I would ask my mom what she remembered about that whole experience, she said that she couldn’t remember anything until they landed on American soil. She was 8 years old by then. The previous 2 years of her life were so bad that her mind just blacked them out. But then something good and wonderful came along. She had a chance to eat, and she remembered her first bite of American bread. At a later time on the train going to West Virginia, Uncle Albert gave her a pack of Juicy Fruit gum and she thought it was so good that she put all 5 sticks in her mouth at one time.
Bertha, Bill, and Mom were all taken to Uncle Albert’s house and treated with medicine until they were well. Then Uncle George and Aunt Saidi asked to have Mom come and live with them. They had 5 boys and no girls. So Mom was raised by George and Saidi Michael in Charleston while Bill and Bertha were raised by Albert and his wife, Minnie. Mom had no idea that someday Minnie would be the Aunt of her future husband, Leonard.
Mom started first grade in Charleston and was able to complete the sixth grade, but when she started 7th grade she was also working for Camel Michael at the Royal Confectionery and not getting enough sleep. She said she would fall asleep in class. Since it was so hard to do both, the decision was made to end her formal education. When the depression hit, everyone worked hard to survive. By the mid 1930s Mom was working at the Diamond Department Store making $12.00 a week, which contributed to the total family income to help feed everyone. Then in 1937 my dad, Leonard Tweel came to Charleston from Huntington and met Mom.
Several months later they were married at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Charleston. They took up residence in Huntington, WV where they raised four children, born in this order: Tom 1938, Betty 1942, Judy 1947, and Sandy 1955. In March of 1955 Mom was naturalized at the age of 42.
Mom and Dad owned and operated a restaurant throughout their entire marriage. However, about the time I was born in 1955 they downsized to a smaller, operation called Leonard’s Grill. That little place was my second home. In fact, as did many families back then, we all pitched in and worked at the “store” whenever needed. Dad had a stroke in 1969 and could no longer work. He passed away in 1973. Mom kept the restaurant going until she sold it in 1977. She passed away in 1998.
William (Bill), Bertha and Mary Michael
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