Nicole Decristan

Ms. Raymond
UWRT 1102
15 January 2015
WP #1
Growing up in a huge Italian family was always a privilege in my eyes. From the food to the
family jokes, I was never bored and I certainly enjoyed myself every holiday and family
function. My whole world as a child was, and still is, based around loyalty and always putting
my family first. All of the morals that I knew as a kid came from one outstanding woman. At a
total height of only four feet and eleven inches stood my great grandmother. My great
grandmothers name was Maria but everyone called her Mary. Everything about my great
grandmother was little. She had little hands, a little head, little feet and little legs. One thing was
for sure; the only big thing about my great grandmother was her personality! She grew up in
Austria where she never attended school. She was one of twelve children. At the age of twentynine she came to the United States with my grandfather who was a one year old at the time. Both
my great grandmother and grandfather were one the Conte Di Savoia ship and they arrived to
Ellis island in 1934. My great grandmother had two other sons when she arrived to the united
states and one daughter. Prior to coming to America she had a daughter who died at the age of
three. Despite the struggles my great grandmother endured, she always did whatever she had to
for the family. She was a classic, old school, Italian woman who cooked like no other and
cleaned like she was waiting for the president to arrive. She spoke broken English but always
managed to make everyone laugh despite the fact that most of the time you really couldnt
understand her. She raised three extremely hard working sons who were taught to always provide

for their children and wife. Although my great grandmother died before I was born she left a
legacy behind and stories that no one will ever forget.