Monday, January 30, 2012

Did I mention my great grandfather, WH Cullen was a Republican?

When I was growing up in Ohio, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a name associated with infamy. The New Deal was un-American and Medicare was socialized medicine.  My parents even voted party over religion in the 1960 election, when they cast their ballots for Richard Nixon.  I remember running around the Spencer Elementary schoolyard at recess shouting, "Nixon, Nixon, he's our man.  Kennedy belongs in the garbage can!"  This familial predilection for the GOP was as much genetic as it was environmental.  Both paternal great grandfathers, Dr. John U. Fauster, and WH Cullen were strong Republicans as were my maternal grandparents, the Holsts who were from the Minnesota congressional district that now boasts Michelle Bachmann as their representative.

When my Great Aunt Bebe died in 1981, I came back for her funeral.  I spent several days at her house in Paulding and late into the evenings went through boxes of photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards, and old grade cards from both Seth and Bebe that had been saved by my great grandparents but never thrown away.  I saved a fraction of them, including several Fort Wayne newspapers that were published the day after Pearl Harbor.  If I can find a way to put such large sheets into pdf and post them, I will. 

But, of the other newspaper articles I saved, one is a full page map of Ireland  from the Chicago Tribune in 1935, showing where the various Irish clans were located.  The Cullens are found frequently  in the northwestern part of Eire.  I had this page framed.  But the other newspaper articles are evidence of my great grandfather's political leanings.  I offer them without further comment:









Although, it seems he was not a supporter of a second term for Herbert Hoover:


1 comment:

Laura said...

Hi Gina,

I come from a Republican family as well. My mother was brought up in the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago's south side which was Irish and Democrat. Her mother ran for alderman in that area. Needless to say she lost. Now my immediate family is all mixed. Two of us are Democrats, one is Republican, one Libertarian and one Independant who usually votes Republican...
I am enjoying your family history very much!