RE: Family arams, OOP

[Phillip of Ghent <garm@teach.enet.dec.com>]

>    As someone who gained her mundane last name courtesy of a
>    grandfather's chance meeting with an Ellis Island offical, I am
>    always impressed by the stories told by people whose families
>    have used a single name over many generations.

>    I was born a "Brody".  When my Russian grandfather was
>    asked by the Irish official what his name was, he didn't quite
>    understand.  He pointed at the group of people he was traveling
>    with and said (in Russian), "I'm with those guys from Brud."
>    "Brudyah.  Brody.  Next!" sang out the immigration officer.

>    Ianthe d'Averoigne              kim.salazar@em.doe.gov
>    Kim Brody Salazar

My paternal grandfather made the trip to these shores throught he self-same
Ellis Island from Slovinia (which became part of northern Yugoslavia and is
now again Slovinia).  His name was "Grm" (roll the 'r' on your tounge - in
Slovinian it means "bush").  The immigration official couldn't tolerate a
name with no vowels in it, so he became "Garm".

Could have been worse...Supposedly there's a Canadian branch of the family
named "Germ".

					- Phillip