Page 4 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, December 13, 2024 From Malden to Hudson Valley: Two strangers discover shared family legacy and hidden history of enslavement in New York Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net By Kami Nguyen / Neighborhood View leanor Mire, a lifelong Malden resident, wanted to learn about her family’s past after she watched the Ken Burns documentary series, The Civil War. “I always point to that because E there was so much he put into that that I absolutely didn’t know, and I thought I knew about the Civil War,” Mire said. “That pushed me to start looking into my family and how they related to the Civil War, and that opened the floodgates.” HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Dan - 1972 Take Advantage of our Holiday Specials! Chris 2024 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE! MANY ITEMS ON SALE!! Cohiba Special: Five Cohiba Blue Churchill Cigars for Only $75. A Savings of $50! Or, a Box of Cohiba Blue Churchill Cigars Now Only $299. A Savings of $50! * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * GIFTS UNDER $30 - GIFT CERTIFICATES HOURS: OPEN SUN. - WED. 9 AM - 6 PM / THURS. - SAT. 9 AM - 7 PM R.Y.O. TOBACCO & TUBES ON SALE! Humidor Special! Model A holds up to 25 cigars incl. ash tray, humidifier, hygrometer, cigar cutter and leather pocket holder! Special Price! $99.95 WE MAKE HOUSE KEYS! A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 “Staatsburgh” - Debra Bruno (left) and Eleanor Mire at the Staatsburgh State Historic Site in Duchess County, NY. (Credit: Bob Davis) Mire’s ancestors are part of a myriad of individual family histories that have shaped the past, present, and future of the United States. Some stories are waiting to be told, truths yet to be discovered. In her new book, A Hudson Valley Reckoning, Debra Bruno reckons with her family history of slaveholding and the realities of slavery in northern states. At the center of this story are Mire’s ancestors, who were enslaved in the 1800s by Bruno’s ancestors in upstate New York. Mire’s great-grandparents on another side of her family moved to Malden in 1906 from Boston. They initially came to Massachusetts from Williamsburg, Virginia in 1826 after they were freed from Southern slavery by General Benjamin Butler, who himself was from Lowell. Mire and Bruno met in 2020 while researching their family histories. The serendipity of how they found each other led to a close friendship ever since. Going through some of the research that her cousin had already done pointed her to the area of Coxsackie in Hudson Valley, Mire recalled.She heard that someone was looking for information about enslavement in the Hudson Valley and connected with them through a Facebook page called “I’ve Traced My Enslaved Ancestors and Their Owners.” As fate would have it, that person turned out to be Bruno. The two met in person in Wash“Hudson Valley book cover” - The cover of Debra Bruno’s new book, ‘A Hudson Valley Reckoning’ features a photo of Mary Vanderzee, from whom Eleanor Mire is descended. In the book, Bruno reckons with her family history of slaveholding and the realities of slavery in northern states. (Credit: debrabruno.com) ington, D.C. where Bruno lives. “When we met it was like my long-lost sister. I mean, we just immediately clicked,” Mire said. In the genealogical world, people who meet don’t often keep in touch with one another, but Mire and Bruno, both history lovers, enjoyed researching together. “We had what we call rabbit holes. We’d find some bit of information and knowing that we really probably wouldn’t find anything substantive, we went looking anyway. The interest and the chase was there, trying to find out,” Mire said.
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