What‘s the most interesting story you have heard about one of your family member?
I come from a large family, and one of my uncles-by-marriage was named Ora L. Hovies. He was always just "Ora L." to everyone, and I called him Uncle Orrie. The thing is, no one outside the immediate family ever seemed to know what that mysterious "L" stood for. He never told his middle name, keeping it a tightly held secret.
The story behind his unique name is pretty wild. He was born on the west coast of Washington State, soon after his parents arrived in a covered wagon, having crossed the USA as pioneers. During her pregnancy, his mother was craving citrus like crazy – which, of course, was completely unavailable on their arduous journey across the country.
So, when her little newborn boy arrived, she gave him a truly unusual moniker, a name inspired by the very food she had craved most. For years, only the family ever knew the full truth.
That is - My Uncle Orrie's full given name was actually Orange Lemon Hovies.
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That's a fantastic family story about a name. I actually heard a similar one about a woman who named all her daughters after flowers—Violet, Daisy, and so on. When she finally had a boy, she called him Jonquil.
#FamilyStories #FamilyHistory #UniqueNames #FamilyFirst #Family
