first 3 days

2009-08-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

and re. that last pic, check this out

(Want the full set of pics, with us and other adults included? email me for a link to the snapfish account.)

Frida Helena

2009-07-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

We both loved the name Frida as soon as it made it onto our initial girl-name list. However, when we did a little research we quickly found that there are two strong, independent female ancestors as great namesakes for our daughter.

Frida was the name of Josh’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mother. She was widowed young, with a very young daughter. She decided to escape the strictures of life as a widow in the shtetl, where she worked as a midwife, and followed her clientele to the United States. Emigrating alone with a small child—she was clearly a brave and resourceful woman!

Frida was also the name of Andrea’s father’s father’s mother’s sister. Frida was one of 3 children. She never married, and she placed her inheritance from the family textile business into a trust to support the higher education of her siblings’ descendants. Andrea and her brother were both beneficiaries of this trust. Another independent, forward-thinking woman!

Josh’s maternal grandmother was named Annalee. She was warm and good-humored and deeply devoted to her family; Josh and his siblings all adored her. Her Hebrew name was Hannah Leah. Frida’s middle name, Helena, honors Hannah Leah. (In Jewish tradition, ancestors are often honored with names beginning with the first letter of the honoree’s name.) The name Helena also honors Helene Jordan, who was the president of the Minnesota chapter of the Philanthropic Education Organization, which supports higher education for women. Andrea’s mother’s graduate studies in the US were sponsored by a PEO International scholarship, and Helene became a dear and respected friend of Andrea’s parents, and remained so until her death a few years ago at age 101. She was a warm, intelligent, strong, gracious woman. Finally, the name Helena honors Andrea’s father’s maternal grandmother, Helene.

frida

first 3 days

Frida Helena