THE FAMILY OF BENEDIKTAS GEZYS
I am Benediktas Gezys, a 15 year old born in Ireland with most of my family stemming from Lithuania.
THE NAME(S)
My mother named after my grandfather Benediktas Valias who died of cancer when my mother was 15. His grandfather was also named Benediktas, and I am at least the 5th Benediktas in our family lineage.
HOME [Šiauliai]
source: siaulia.lt
I wasn't born in Šiauliai, but my parents were born and raised there.
Šiauliai is a historic town located in the north of Lithuania. The name Šiauliai pertains to the Lithuanian word for the sun, "saulė". The founding of the town is related to the "battle of the Sun" taking place on the 22nd of September 1236, the grounds of which becoming the origin point of the town. The town's history was started through conflict and war and death would be a consistent theme throughout the cities history.
Throughout the 1500's and 1700's the town suffered through the plauge and an invasion by swedish armies, however afterwards the town would industrialize, setting up many industries and rebuilding the town. The town would be heavily destroyed again during the first world war.
A large portion of the town was destroyed again during the second world war, being occupied by the German & Russian army. After the war most of the town had to be rebuilt from scratch.
The town has many places of interest, like the "Hill of crosses", (which was also destroyed at one point)
FAMILY TREE
THE INTERVIEW
): When recording the interview the audio didn't go through so this is paraphrased from memory
For the interview section, I asked my grandmother,
What is your earliest childhood memory?
Climbing through a window and walking to a chicken coop. Her family lived on a farm.
Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
Photos, In particular she mentioned a photo of "the hill of crosses", where, at the time, her mother built the tallest one.
What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects?
Worst: Russian, Drawing
Best: Geography, Biology, Chemistry
What was your profession and how did you choose it?
Chemist in a laboratory, She chose it because it was a very well regarded subject with high prospects which she liked.
How do you remember your childhood being like?
Mostly lonely, mother worked all the time, father was in prison.
Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
Basic, no styles.
How was life like while the Russians invaded?
Life was hard as her father was taken to prison, happened when she was 4, mother went to work all of the time.
How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child? Very different.
People dress more stylishly. She first saw a TV when she was 17, so she is still not accustomed to most technology.
What do you know about your family surname?
Grandfather's surname was Zemepatis, meaning "land god".
What accomplishments were you the most proud of?
Family, everything else just came and went
Why did you choose your children's names?
She had a name for a boy only, but since she had a girl she used the feminine version. When her second child was born (my mother), she left the girl unnamed for 2 weeks and when a nurse came to supply some medicine she wrote a random name down which became the girls name...
How would you describe your spouse?
Friendly, outgoing, hardworking, well-hearted
When and how did you meet your spouse?
Spouse was a neighbour, helped her mother with housework (sowing the ground, fixing appliances, etc.), they met, went to the cinema together and gradually formed a relationship.