Family History Blog Post

The Monieson family originated in Russia dating back into the 1800s. Originally, my last name was Moniesov, a typical Russian last name at the time. As soon as my ancestors left Russia to have a better life in the United States, the last name gradually changed from Moniesov to Monieson. An interesting fun fact is -OV means -SON in Russian, meaning that my last name had the same meaning in both places. My ancestors had a very hateful relationship with Russia, so they made sure to keep living there in the past. No one in my family’s name is based upon religious affiliation and/or nationality. But, we do honor those who came before us. For example, my brother, Jonas, is named after my great-grandmother Josephine. 

Between 1815 and 1915 around 30 million Europeans immigrated to the United States, including my great-great-great-grandparents and their children. In the 1870s, the Moniesov family took a steamboat from Russia to New York City. They left Russia in the first place because of religious persecution and the government taking away their freedom to worship. As soon as they arrived in New York, they worked very hard to put up money for the family and raise their kids successfully. The Monieson family was thriving in New York until the 1950s, when my grandpa, Brian, decided he wanted to move and raise his family in Chicago. Chicago was becoming a booming economy, and Brian knew he was doing the right thing for our family. Eventually, he had a son named Steve, and Steve had a son named Owen…

Both sides of my family are Ashkenazi jews, so I was raised Jewish. Growing up in Glencoe, mostly all my friends and family friends were Jewish, so I did not have any problems with or against my religion. Some traditions we celebrate are Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hannukah, Sukkot, and many other Jewish holidays. Although we are Jewish, we do not live for religion. Unlike some families, we are not kosher or orthodox. We just celebrate the holidays traditionally and eat Jewish food on those holidays. I have been to Israel though and that was a great experience.

On my mom’s side of the family, there has been a struggle to fit in. My mother, Michelle, grew up in Los Angeles with a mom, dad, and sister. When she was about 13, my grandparents decided to take care of a young, Persian girl named Tarneh, who needs a better life in the United States. In open-arms, they took her in and made her part of the family. This did not come easy for Tarneh, she could barely speak English and was surrounded by people who looked nothing like her. But, as soon as she got used to things, she loved America. She made friends, learned how to speak English, and eventually raised her kids here. Her kids are now old but I consider them my cousins and great friends.

Overall, I had a great time talking to my father about his family and their beginnings. I don’t know much about my grandfather, so it was nice to know that he was a good man and put his family before himself. Also, it’s cool to know where my family originated and what life was like back then. The main thing I got out of this experience is that I sure am happy to be a Monieson.