Nov 24, 2005 6:56 pm US/Central
Family Name Conjures John Wayne, Gentle Ribbing
by Bill Hudson
(WCCO)
Many associate the Thanksgiving holiday with the Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock.
But the Pilgrims were more than religious wanderers. For some it was their family name.
And for those who still carry the name, being called Pilgrim evokes both pride and gentle ribbing!
As sure as worshippers at Colonial Church dress in that old attire each Thanksgiving, and school kids put the crayons to paper, folks like Leslie Pilgrim of Mendota Heights, Minn., accept the chuckles at the mere mention of their name.
She's one of many with the Pilgrim name. It's how she signs her artwork and her checks.
"As an adult what I get are the John Wayne impersonations every once in a while," she said. "It's amazing how many people have seen the movie "True Grit."
"Well pilgrim, I see you're still protecting the ladies," Wayne said in the movie.
It's that reference mimicked in many of Wayne's westerns that cause Rebecca Pilgrim Swinney to shudder.
"I'm not a big fan (of John Wayne)," she said, laughing.
Her family traced their Pilgrim roots back generations and, while proud, this recent bride decided to take her husband's last name, Swinney.
"When you call the phone company and give it to them they start laughing at you," Swinney said.
But besides a little joking, some want to know if those with the name can trace their roots back to the very first Thanksgiving.
"There are no problems, but a lot of questions about the name as far as, 'Did your ancestors come over on the Mayflower?'" Pilgrim said. "I wish I could say yes, but they didn't."
So next time the kids grab the crayons and recreate that historic feast, remember the real Pilgrims just down the street.
"There's a little teasing but it's a name everyone recognizes," Pilgrim said.
While many credit the English for the "Pilgrim" name, it's actually a derivative of a French word for a voyageur or wanderer.
(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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