Dokana

Men carrying loads of furze on pitchforks to feed the fire of a lime kiln, Dokana, 1962. Photo by J.M. Koksma (35 mm colour transparency), Koksma/Bingen Archive.

A functioning lime kiln by the main road, Dokana, 1962. Photo by J.M. Koksma (35 mm colour transparency), Koksma/Bingen Archive.

A visit with Matina at her home in April 2009 encompassed all that is traditional about Greek hospitality, beginning with greetings and pleasantries followed by offers of coffee and Greek shortbread. At the conclusion of the visit there was a tour of her garden, which nowadays consists of a collection of carefully tended exotic plants in pots tailor-made to Matina’s decreased mobility. Beneath her front steps in a sunny position facing north grows a magnificent basil bush as tall as a man, brimming with life. The bush, a mass of leaves and flowers attracts many bees that busily dart from flower to flower, so dense that it has to be tied back with pieces of stocking to keep it from blocking the side path. From a nearby bucket of water Matina took a handful of basil cuttings that had already sent out tiny white roots and offered them to me for my garden as a gesture of friendship. Gestures like this come from a long tradition of sharing with friends and neighbours and in a small way perpetuate some of the customs of village life.

Located along the main road half way between Chora and Agia Pelagia is Dokana a small village comprising of about 25 houses. This is where Matina was born on the 19th July 1920 with the assistance of her maternal grandmother Matina Glitsos. Her father Vasily, was also present that day. Matina was the third child with an older sister Alexandra, a brother Anarios (Erny) and two younger sisters Dorothy and Eleni. Throughout her childhood Matina was blessed with good health. Although Matina’s mother and father both had the same surname prior to their marriage they were not related. She said that everyone in their village had the same name, ‘Glitsos.’ Her maternal grandparents were Mina and Matina Glitsos and her fathers’ parents were Anarios and Alexandra Glitsos.

The home in which Matina was raised was built in the traditional style with a domed ceiling. There were three rooms which provided enough space for each child to have their own bed. A table and chairs where they sat to eat meals furnished their kitchen and to ensure they had good table manners her parents taught their children to eat with knives and forks. As there was no electricity, kerosene lamps provided light and wood fires were used for cooking and heating.

Out of necessity their lifestyle followed a pattern of hard work and self-sufficiency. Provident living ensured there was enough to eat but it took a lot of work to produce everything and their comfort came at a price which was their father’s absence. He went to America four times always putting away money for his daughters’ dowries. The only one to benefit was the eldest daughter as all of the family’s savings was lost during the Great Depression. Whenever her father returned to the Island, the money he brought went towards the upkeep of their small farm and family essentials - there were never presents or luxuries.

Maintaining a garden meant there was always plenty of work and each child was expected to contribute. Their garden was planted with a wide variety of vegetables the main crops being potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, radishes and lettuce. The water supply for their household came from a well on their land with additional wells supplying water for cultivation in other fields. One good crop of potatoes and onions lasted the family all year and after the harvest these vegetables were stored in a cool, dry place under their house away from the light. When they returned home from school each day they had jobs to do. The animals had to be fetched and brought home for the night. There were three sheep, several calves, two donkeys, goats and chickens. Winter on Kythera was very cold and if you left a dish of water outside during the night it would turn to ice.

In addition to bread, their daily diet comprised of cheese, meat and vegetables. A large dome shaped brick oven, built separate from the house baked seven large round loaves of bread at a time which was enough to last their family for a whole week. Matina remarked that the bread was not like today’s bread. If there was any left after a week it was still fresh enough to eat. She thinks the bread’s freshness was due to the type of yeast that was used. Her mother also baked delicious biscuits called Paximadi. The old oven is still there though the shed that housed it has long since fallen down. Her family owned fields here and there with lots of olive trees, fig, apple and pear trees, grape vines and they also cultivated wheat. After harvest, the wheat was taken to the mill at Mylopotamos to be ground into flour.

Sometimes they ate lamb and once a year they had pork. Matina’s father used to buy a young piglet from the market at Potamos which they raised until it was large enough to slaughter. The meat lasted two to three months. Portions of it were given to the grandparents, and what was left over was preserved in a mixture of olive oil and herbs or made into delicious sausages. Every part of the pig was used.

‘My mother was a lovely woman she did everything,’ recalled Matina. ‘At night she used to cook meals and milk the goats - she never stopped. She was always very tired. My poor mother worked so hard.’ The milk was used to make a beautiful soft cheese. To make the cheese hard it was hung outside in a basket to dry. It was similar in taste and texture to ‘fetta’ cheese. To entertain her children she used to tell them stories. She was very popular in the villages. Her mother was skilled with the loom and used to make fabric from cotton and from wool fibre which she spun from the fleece gathered from their sheep. With the aid of a loom that was kept in the house she made beautiful clothes, blankets, jumpers and shawls for her family. Matina still treasures the bedspread her mother gave her seventy years ago when she left the Island. This colourful bedspread patterned in yellow, brown, pink, red, purple, and aqua is made with home spun wool and finished with an unusual decorative fringe. Matina’s mother never went to school and could neither read nor write. She once came to visit the family in Australia, but then returned to the Island. Her mother passed away when she was in her eighties. Their family house is still there and one of Matina’s nephews lives in it now.

The nearest villages, Mylopotamos to the east and Fratsia to the south west were important both economically and socially. Matina remembers her godmother Katina Stratigos from Mylopotamos with deep affection and also her sons Anagrio and Pavlos. She thought the village of Mylopotamos was something special and declared that it was her favourite village on the Island.

Matina enjoyed going to school and most of all loved reading and would read anything she could find. She attended Fratsia elementary school until the age of twelve. Each day Matina walked to school in the company of other children from her village. They had no shoes and went barefoot summer and winter. It was a one-teacher school attended by about 120 pupils. A class mate of Matina’s, Betty Comino also resides in Brisbane. (Oral History story Betty Comino). Several times a year, their teacher Constantine Pavlakis took the whole school on a nature ramble. On these occasions they examined the natural surroundings, collected flowers and objects of interest, enjoyed a picnic lunch and played games.

Matina’s teen years were spent helping her mother in the garden, with cooking, making bread, general housework and washing. The procedure on washing days was to place the clothes in a large round cane basket and cover it with a clean cloth on which a quantity of grey ashes was sprinkled. Boiling water was then poured over the top of the basket and left to stand. The final stage of the washing was done in a long tub made out of wood which sat on a garden bench. Finally the clothes were hung out to dry on a line that was strung between the olive trees. Matina still remembers how clean the clothes became using this method of washing. No one on the Island uses this method anymore as these days most people have washing machines.

Her family attended Saint Lefteri church in their village. A priest came once a month. The whole community took care of the general maintenance of the church and saw that it was cleaned, painted and kept in good order. Matina does not have any special memories of Easter or Christmas other than the lack of a priest, but recalls there was always plenty to eat. New Years day was her father’s name day - St. Basilis. All of the children and grandchildren gathered together that day to celebrate. This was a family tradition. Alexandra her older sister who was married to Panayiotis Cassimatis lived in another village and used to come with her family.

At the outset of the second World War Anarios (Erny) Glitsos, Matina’s older brother who resided at Tamworth in country New South Wales offered to sponsor his younger sister’s migration. He sent Matina forty pounds to cover her expenses which included enough money for her return fare to Greece in case she changed her mind when she got here. Matina was eighteen years old when she left in 1938. She sailed on the English passenger liner “Otranto” with six other girls from the Island. She remembers Port Said and passing through the Suez Canal and enjoyed the voyage very much especially the entertainment, games during the day and dancing at night. Of the six girls who travelled together from the Island, Matina and Stella Cassimatis (Manolessos) from Logothetianika are the only ones still alive. Her brother Anarios (Erny) whom she remembers fondly as a very good brother married Silvia Georgiades in Sydney. He passed away in 1977.

One of her uncles, Vasily (Bill) Glitsos her mother’s brother, was waiting for her when the ship docked in Sydney. They spent the following week shopping and enjoying the sights before they departed for Tamworth which was a full day’s journey north by steam train. Although it was September, the beginning of spring in Australia, Matina was surprised at how cold it was when they reached their destination. Bill Glitsos owned the “Canberra Café” (which is still there) at Manilla, a small but wealthy town surrounded by farms that supported sheep and wheat growing, a distance of about twenty-three miles from Tamworth.

Another uncle, Bill Kalokerinos who was married to her mother’s sister, Doris lived in Tamworth where they owned a very good business called the “Golden Bell Café.” Bill Kalokerinos anglicized his name changing it to Summers and was known locally as Mr. Bill Summers. He and his wife Doris had a four month old baby girl called Mary. Matina went to live with them and for the next few years helped out wherever she was needed. In the beginning she looked after the baby, took the baby for a walks, did the ironing, helped in the home and in the café. When she first arrived in Australia Matina did not speak any English. Her uncle she remembers was a very nice man and she liked Tamworth very much. The baby she used to look after all those years ago is Mary Notaros married to Angelo Notaros. They live at Belle Vue Hill, Sydney.

Peter Theo Aroney originally from the village of Aroniathika came to Austalia when he was twelve years old in 1927. Coming from a large family of eight boys and two girls he established hard working habits from an early age. When Matina first became acquainted with Peter he and his uncle Jim Aroney were partners in a business in Tamworth. His uncle left the business in 1950 and one of Peter’s brothers Jim Aroney entered into the partnership. Jim’s wife was Helen and they had two sons, Theo and Jack. In 1952 they brought out another brother Tony who worked in the shop for several years before he moved on to Wallsend at Newcastle in New South Wales where he married Polixeni (Xeni) and had two daughters Vickie and Chrissie.

Matina and Peter were married at the Church of England, Tamworth by a Greek priest in February 1941. Because there were so few Greek families living in Tamworth at the time they did not have their own church. However over the years the number of Greek families increased to about thirty. Following their marriage Peter’s brothers joined them and helped run the restaurant which was known as Aroney Bros. Fish Shop. Matina said that Tamworth was a rich town, and remembers there were at least fifteen cafes trading during her time, most of which were Greek owned.

Long hours and hard work dominated their life style during the years they were in business. They never went to bed before 1 am, rising again at 7am. The only time they had for relaxation was on Sunday which they usually spent with friends. When they had a family holiday they went to Sydney. Matina said that Tamworth was a good town and considered they were very lucky to have such nice neighbours. Their only child, a daughter Chrisanthe (Chris) developed a close friendship with the daughter of an Australian family who lived next door. Chris married Con Gleeson in Brisbane, Queensland in 1962. At first they lived in Kyogle before establishing their home in Brisbane where they raised their four children Katina, Stanley, Peter and Maria. Matina and Peter remained in Tamworth for 32 years relocating to Brisbane when Peter retired in 1970. Peter had heart trouble and sadly passed away on the 28th November 1981.

Most of Matina’s immediate family lives nearby. They are all very close and provide emotional and social support for one another. Matina’s one surviving sibling her younger sister Eleni Cassimatis lives across town at Toowong. Eleni has three children, Irini, Mina and Maria. Matina’s daughter Chris and her family live at Coorparoo, while her nieces, sisters Chris Comino and Anna Comino (formerly Aroney) and their families live at Wishart. Chris and Anna Comino are the daughters of George Aroney, another brother of Peter Aroney. (Oral History story Chris Comino).

Still independent and self-sufficient Matina maintains an interest in gardening, needlecraft and enjoys social activities with her friends and family. She loves to crochet, embroider and knit and has made countless items including doilies, table runners as well as a cotton bedspread for each of her grandchildren. She began to crochet after she came to Australia explaining that she could not afford to buy cotton thread when she lived in Greece. When her house was broken into one Christmas while she was holidaying with her family, Matina’s large collection of craft work which was stored in a wooden trunk, as well as other valuables, were stolen. Matina was inconsolable as these items represented a lifetime of work. This year in June 2009, some of Matina’s embroidered tablecloths were showcased in an exhibition exploring Greek embroidery in Queensland, at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane titled ‘Stitches of the Heart.’ Never idle, her latest project is to knit matinee jackets for new born babies.

A broken hip last year set her back for a while but has not dampened her spirit and with the aid of a walker she is still able to accomplish most of the things she did before her accident. Twice a week she meets friends and enjoys a variety of social activities, games and outings.

The best time in her life she said was when she had her husband and daughter together as a family. Her greatest sadness was to have lost her husband in 1981 – he was 78 years old. She said he was a very good husband. He sent a lot of money to his mother. Finally, Matina expressed that her husband worked too hard and she would like to remind others that it is important to take time to relax and not always be working. Matina recently celebrated her 89th birthday at a special breakfast in the company of her ever expanding family.

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jennie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


Elias Vlanton, and Elias Vlanton, father and son, in Potamos, Kythera


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Ceri­As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes. and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cergo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

Jennie Vlanton visited Dokana,seeking traces of Evangelia Glitsos Constantinides

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited, and so was the rest of our group. Arriving, we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes, barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, our son Elias had the rented car, and he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kytherian roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots, I was very excited. Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the gliko pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta's father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather, a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home, in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo, while his host drank whiskey. In the meantime, Stelios, whose home we had been directed to, wel­comed us into his home. It was very neat and clean. Stelios was a widower. He had been watching a program on the television. He informed me there was no gliko pigathi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother, George Glyson, living in Australia. He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a gliko pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gliko nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, gliko pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jennie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Ceri­As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes, and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cerigo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

Jennie Vlanton visited Dokana, seeking traces of Evangelia Glitsos Constantinides

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

Glytsos family. Photo from Jennie Vlanton's collection of family photo's

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited, and so was the rest of our group. Arriving, we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes, barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, our son Elias had the rented car, and he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kytherian roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots, I was very excited. Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the gliko pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta's father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather, a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home, in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo, while his host drank whiskey. In the meantime, Stelios. whose
home we had been directed to, wel­comed us into his home. It was very neat and clean. Stelios was a widower. He had been watch­ing a program on the television. He informed me there was no gliko pigathi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother, George Glyson, living in Australia. He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a gliko pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gliko nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, gliko pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jennie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Ceri­As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes, and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cerigo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

Glytsos family. Photo from Jennie Vlanton's collection of family photo's

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited, and so was the rest of our group. Arriving, we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes, barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, our son Elias had the rented car, and he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kytherian roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots, I was very excited. Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the gliko pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta's father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather, a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home, in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo, while his host drank whiskey. In the meantime, Stelios. whose
home we had been directed to, wel­comed us into his home. It was very neat and clean. Stelios was a widower. He had been watch­ing a program on the television. He informed me there was no gliko pigathi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother, George Glyson, living in Australia. He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a gliko pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gliko nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, gliko pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jeonie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of teh Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in ­Akron. Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Ceri­As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes. and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cergo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited. and so was the rest of our group Arriving. we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes. barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, snce son Elias had the rented car, he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kyther.an roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots I was very excited Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the glifd pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta s father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather. a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home. in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo. while his host drank whiskey In the meantime, Stelios. whose
home we had been directed to. wel­comed us into his home It was very neat and clean Stelios was a widower. He had been watch­ing a program on the television He informed me there was no glifo pigdthi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother. George Glyson, living in Australia He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a glifb pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gltfo nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, glifo pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jeonie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of teh Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in ­Akron. Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Ceri­As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes. and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cergo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited. and so was the rest of our group Arriving. we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes. barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, snce son Elias had the rented car, he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kyther.an roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots I was very excited Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the glifd pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta s father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather. a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home. in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo. while his host drank whiskey In the meantime, Stelios. whose
home we had been directed to. wel­comed us into his home It was very neat and clean Stelios was a widower. He had been watch­ing a program on the television He informed me there was no glifo pigdthi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother. George Glyson, living in Australia He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a glifb pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gltfo nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, glifo pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jeonie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of teh Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in ­Akron. Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Ceri­As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes. and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cergo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited. and so was the rest of our group Arriving. we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes. barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, snce son Elias had the rented car, he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kyther.an roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots I was very excited Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the glifd pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta s father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather. a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home. in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo. while his host drank whiskey In the meantime, Stelios. whose
home we had been directed to. wel­comed us into his home It was very neat and clean Stelios was a widower. He had been watch­ing a program on the television He informed me there was no glifo pigdthi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother. George Glyson, living in Australia He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a glifb pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gltfo nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, glifo pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

Is a small village on the road between Hora and Potamos near the intersection with the road to Mylopotamos. Evidence of ancient habituation has been found in this area. The name, Dokona, derives from the fact that during the British occupation, a road toll was collected there. The locals who used the road felt that they were trapped, thus the word Dokana (trap) was used to describe this location.

Early residents of this village since 1797 appear to have been the Glytsos family. Descendants of families originating from Dokana can be found in America and Australia.

Kythera. A History of the island of Kythera and its people. pp. 225-226.
1993.
Kytherian Brotherhood of Australia.
ISBN 0 646 15527 X

By, Jennie Vlanton

Homecomings section, Odyssey Magazine.

May/June 2006 Odyysey, pp.102-103

http://www.odyssey.gr/

Jennie Vlanton, a retired public school teacher, lives with her husband Elias in Kent, Ohio. Married in 1947, they have two children [both educators] and six grand-children. Jennie is a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio. For more of her stories about growing up Greek-and-American in St. Louis, Missouri, visit Jennie's website at

http://www.vlanton.com/


[[picture:"Vlanton, Jennie Husband son.jpg" ID:10441]]

Elias Vlanton, and Elias Vlanton, father and son, in Potamos, Kythera


As far back as I can recall, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a child until I became an adult, I heard about a place called Cerigo, (modern-day Kythera). My parents were both born and raised in Smyrna. Asia Minor, and yet I recall my mother telling my sister and brothers and me that her family had originally come to Smyrna trom Cerigo. Her maiden name had been Glitsos. Those facts intrigued me. Wnat was this place called Cerigo? Where was it? Would I ever be able to find and visit the village of my ancestors on Cerigo?

My parents had friends who were Smyrniotes, and some who were Cerigotes, from the island of Cerigo, but that had no significance for me.

After teaching in the St. Louis Public Schools for thirty years I retired from that profession. Then in my early seventies, a decision was made in the summer of 1995, for my husband Elias and I to take another trip to Greece. This would be our third trip there, and it was always an invigorating experience to visit family, and see the glories of ancient Greece. We would have with us our grandchildren Joanna and Elias. Joanna was going to Thessaloniki for a semester to attend Anatolia College. Added to the pleasure of our trip, we would meet up with our son Elias with his wife Jane and son Ari, also there.

In making our plans for our trip to Greece. I be­gan to think about Cerigo. Again, where was it? Af­ter a little research, and help from my son who was able to get me several books, in English and in Greek, I learned Cerigo was one of the Greek lonian islands in the Mediterranean Sea. I also learned that the name Cerigo is Venetian. From roughly the year 1207 to the year 1797, the island was mainly under Venetian rule. After 1797. for short periods of occupation, Cerigo was under French. and then Turkish rule. In 1814, the island officially came un­der the protection of Great Britain. Finally. in 1864, Cerigo was ceded to Greece, and the island re­ceived the Greek name of Kythera.

Oftentimes I had thought that it would be inter­esting to visit Cerigo. The only family information my mother recalled was that her grandfather had been a priest in Smyrna. but never mentioning when, or how many generations before, the first Cerigoti ancestor had come to Smyrna. It was obvi­ous no one had that information either. My mother said that the family name was not originally Glitsos. However, she had been told by family members the name Glitsos derived from a natural occurrence in the area. something about water. some kind of water. She used the term glikó pigathi (translated into well of sweet water), that would be the clue, our key to solve the family mystery.

I went back to studying the books carefully, and I discovered that today there were two villages with Glitsos inhabitants. One of the passages mentioned a village called Dokana. It said it was unknown why the village received that name, but that the first res­idents had the surname of Glitsos, since the days of the priest Gregory Logotheti about the year 1797.

How Dokana got its name?

[[picture:"Vlanton Jennie, in Dokana.jpg" ID:10440]]

Jennie Vlanton visited Dokana,seeking traces of Evangelia Glitsos Constantinides.

The other village that mentioned Glitsos resi­dents was Kipriotianika. The book explained that the village was first called Thrimonari, taking its name from the topography of the area It originally had residents from the island of Cyprus, and later residents with the name of Glitsos arrived. Armed with this information, and a map of the island of Cerigo. I felt we were ready to discover my Cerigo Kytherian roots.

[Ed - there are numerous other entries about members of the Glytsos family at kythera-family. Search under Glytsos.]

[[picture:"Vlanton Jennie Ancestral photo.jpg" ID:10442]]

Glytsos family. Photo from Jennie Vlanton's collection of family photo's.

This seemed like an adventure finally coming true! I was excited, and so was the rest of our group. Arriving, we headed for the village of Pota­mos, which was to be our base. I was immediately delighted and enchanted by it. The village held a warmth, charm and happiness for me.

Our pension was an old building that been renovated and remodeled a few years before. From the street we entered a courtyard that had chairs and several tables with umbrellas. There was a whitewashed wall shelding the patio from the street, about eight feet high.

The pension was a short walk to the village center, less than half a city block. There was a cov­ered pavilion, with tables and chairs for dining there. We had most of our meals there, unless our son drove our group to a restaurant in another village A charming church was situated by the pavil­ion, and we were surprised to see women we had seen a few days before in their work clothes, barely recognizable, a complete transformation, to b wearing their Sunday best, attending Sunday serv­ices. Cars were parked and lined on both sides of tne pavilion. Small stores, a bakery, a restaurant, a grocery store, the post office, and the ever-present coffeehouse were located on one side of the street. Everywhere we went, everyone we met, were ex­tremely friendly and courteous, like old friends.

Ever-adventurous, our son Elias had the rented car, and he was able to take Jane and the children sightseeing to many parts of the island. They gladly went sightseeing, to the capital of Kythera, called Hora; also to a nearby castle, among other places. I chose not to go with them. I didn’t want any distraction to keep me from my mission; to find the village of my Kytherian roots.

Since we were unfamiliar with the island. we needed a guide to help us maneuver the various paths to achieve our goal. We were fortunate that we had made the acquaintance of Theodoros, who was very familiar with the island of Kythera . He had formerly had the job of refuse collector for the whole island. His job involved driving a tractor, col­lecting the trash. He knew practically everyone on the island. I was elated. I hoped he might know someone living there by the name Glitsos.

The day came when I was to begin my search to find my Kytherian roots, I was very excited. Could it be, after all those years, I would find the ancestral home of the Glitsos family? Would there still be the gliko pigathi after all those years? Would anyone recognize such a water well existed in this modern day? If I did find any Glitsos native, I reasoned I would start my search by asking if certain names sounded familiar; Kosta and Yanni. My mothers fa­ther, my grandfather. was named Kosta. He bad named his first born son Yanni. I reasoned that must have been the name of Kosta's father, if Kos­ta followed Greek tradition in naming his first-born son after his own father.

My search for my Glitsos ancestry started on a day when the sun was shining, beautiful summer weather, a good omen for me. My son Elias was going to drive us; Theodoros, our guide, my hus­band Elias and me We were to start first in the vil­lage of Kyprianika.

The village of Kyprianika was almost deserted, it had about seven inhabitants in all. We asked one man we met for directions. He directed us to a man named Stelios, across the street from where we were. The stranger invited my husband to sit out­side in the front of his home, in the shade. The man showed typical Greek hospitality, offering my hus­band a drink; he accepted ouzo, while his host drank whiskey. In the meantime, Stelios. whose
home we had been directed to, wel­comed us into his home. It was very neat and clean. Stelios was a widower. He had been watch­ing a program on the television. He informed me there was no gliko pigathi in that village. He could not make any connection with the names of Kosta and Yanni, although he did mention that he knew of a Kosta Glyson [Glitsos], who had a brother, George Glyson, living in Australia. He mentioned that the young people did not stay in the village, so many left searching for opportunities elsewhere, Aus­tralia being a popular choice. Of course, this was a temporary dead-end in my quest.

The search for the Glitsos relatives continued when we drove to the village of Dokana. Theodor­os took us to see a woman whom he knew whose maiden name had been Glitsos. She was a very kind sympathetic woman. She couldn’t help us, but directed us to another house, where an­other couple by the name of Glitsos lived. Theodoros took us there.

I was carrying a large white envelope with me, with all my notes and information. When the gentleman came to the door to speak to us, he noticed my envelope. I told him I was from Ameri­ca. When I inquired about the Glitsos family. his immediate reply was to ask me if I was going to file a claim of inheritance. I was astonished. I said no. I was just trying to trace the origin of my fami­ly By this time. we nad moved to the street, in front of his house.

I asked him if there was a gliko pigathi in the area. He resoonded by saying. and waving his arms, ' Yes, yes we have several wells of gliko nero'. At that moment, I knew that the two words my mother had repeated so often, gliko pigàthi, were enough to help me find my Kytherian roots.

However, connecting the names Kosta and Yanni, and establishing the number of years before that the family had been in Kythera would prove to be more difficult. Our informant directed us to the home of Alecos Glitsos. We found the house, and Alecos insisted we go into his home, because by then the day was getting much warmer. Alecos had been a farmer but self-educated He was a gracious host, and insisted on serving us the tradi­tional glass of water with a teaspoonful of vanilla in the glass. In a cabinet in his living room. there was a copy of Gone With the Wind in Greek.

Alecos had a brother named Kosta but there was no Yanni in their family. He could not make a connection of the two names Kosta and Yanni.

An unexpected development in Dokana was tne discovery of the Glitsos mansion. We drove a short distance there, and saw it. It was a rural man­sion, that in the days it was built was used for summer vacations and for the control and gather­ing of the produce from the noble's fields. It had a fortress-like character. The main house had a rec­tangular floor plan, with walls that appeared thicker at the base. There was a large courtyard with out­buildings. enclosed by a high wall. The outside of the mansion looked very well taken care of. I was speechless. I never anticipated an ancestor of mine, on a small island, could have achieved so much to have built such a home.

We left the village of Dokana and headed for Potamos to take Theodoros home. I thanked him for being such a good guide in helping me in my search of the Glitsos family. I couldn’t believe there were so many people who had the surname of Glitsos. It certainly was not a common name in the United States. I had never met anyone in America with that name who wasnt a relative.

I felt we had finally achieved my dream. I had found my Kytherian roots. Cerigo was a wonderful dream come true. I am eternally grateful to my son Elias for his invaluable help and patience to make my dream come true.

I am the daughter of John Karedis, who is the son of Gregory and Panayiota Karedis who were from Dokana. My mother is Dina Karedis (lionas) who originated from Nufpacto Greece.
I am married to George Tzoukas, a non-Kytherian, and have 2 sons of my own Evan and Jonathan Tzoukas.

Nicholas Glytsos addressing the September 2004 Conference in Kythera organised by the open University of Kythera municipality, the University of Athens and La Trobe University.

There were two conferences in September, 2004, in Kythera. The first one had the theme 'Kytherian Migration: Historic Diaspora and Contemporary Massive Population Movements' . It was organised by the Open University of Kythera Municipality, the University of Athens and La Trobe University, 16-19 September.

This photograph was taken at this conference.

The second was the 'First International Symposium of Kytheraismos' with the theme: 'Kytherian Identity'. It was organised by the Institute of Kytheraismos, 24-26 September.

[[picture:"DSCF0136 (1).JPG" ID:5157]]

There were two conferences in September, 2004, in Kythera. The first one had the theme 'Kytherian Migration: Historic Diaspora and Contemporary Massive Population Movements'. It was organised by the Open University of Kythera Municipality, the University of Athens and La Trobe University, 16-19 September.

The photograph above is taken from this conference.

The second was the 'First International Symposium of Kytheraismos' with the theme: 'Kytherian Identity'. It was organised by the Institute of Kytheraismos, 24-26 September.

The text below is based on a speech delivered at this symposium.

Photograph. Dr Nicholas P. Glytsos chairing one of the sessions at the first Conference.
The lady on his left is Professor Louka Katseli of the Department of Economics of the University of Athens and currently Director of the the OECD Development Centre in Paris.
On his immediate right is Assistant Professor Antonios Kontis of the Political Science and Public Administration Faculty of the University of Athens.
Next to him, is Emeritus Professor Rossetos Fakiolas of the National Technical University of Athens.


From Kythera to Australia, from Poverty to Prosperity

Dr Nicholas P. Glytsos

Principal Researcher, Centre of Planning and Economic Research. Athens, Greece

Paper presented at the International Symposium
Of Kytheraismos with the theme: Kytherian Identity
Organized by the Institute of Kytheraismos

Kythera 24-26 September 2004

Brief Curriculum Vitae
Nicholas P. Glytsos, Ph.D. (Economist)

Dr Glytsos was born in Dokana Kythera and he graduated from the Kythera High School. He holds a B.A. (Econ.) degree from the Athens University of Economics and Business, a Diploma (Economic Development) and a Master’s (Econ.) degree from the University of Manchester, England and a Ph.D degree from Syracuse University of the USA.

Dr Glytsos is Principal Researcher and for many years held the position of the Head of the Division of Labour Economics at the Centre of Planning and Economic Research in Athens, Greece. He was also appointed Visiting Fellow at Princeton University in the USA and he has taught in American and Greek Universities. For four years he served as an elected member in the Executive Committee of the European Association of Labour Economists (EALE).

For fifteen years, Dr Glytsos was the Greek Delegate at the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee of the OECD in Paris. Four of these years he was the Vice-Chairman of that Committee. For six years, he was also the Greek Delegate at the Economic Policy Committee (for Labour issues) of the European Union, in Brussels and for another six years Greek Representative in the European Union Network for Migration (RIMET). He also served for two years as Vice-Chairman at an ad hoc Committee of the Council of Europe, on migration, in Strasbourg. Currently and for the duration of the period 2002-2006, Dr Glytsos is the EU-Wide Evaluator of the EU project EQUAL in Greece.

Dr Glytsos has presented – very often invited – scientific papers in tens of international conferences in various parts of the world, has published two books (monographs), as well as tens of papers in esteemed international journals and international and Greek collective volumes of very well known publishers. He has also been referee on behalf of several high quality international journals and on behalf of Greek Universities and Research Institutes.

See, http://ideas.repec.org/e/pgl2.html
for more extended biography, and to gain access to other downloadable research papers.

A "Google" search on the world wide web under "Nicholas P. Glytsos", will provide access to numerous other papers published by Nicholas Glytsos.]

From Kythera to Australia, from Poverty to Prosperity
Dr Nicholas P. Glytsos

1. What has left the exodus to Australia
According to the recent Australia population census, the Greeks of Australia were in 2001 of the order of 449,000 people, of which a rather large proportion are of Kythera descent. Most of the Greeks that immigrated to Australia between the end of the 19th century and 1940, originated in the islands of Kythera, Ithaca and Kasteloriso. This emigration has greatly affected the situation in these islands. The consequence for Kythera, which is the interest of this paper, was that the exodus to Australia of the 1950s and 1960s deserted the island, resulting over the subsequent years in decayed houses and ruins everywhere, transforming many places into “ghost villages”. Looking around in the island one sees in all villages ruins that would be even more without the recent intensive reconstruction of old or the construction of new houses. This is due to the development of tourism and the rise of the standard of living of Kytherians, as well as the coming of other Greeks who buy or build houses, and the return of some Greek migrants for shorter or longer periods of time.

The population of Kythera from 8,178 persons in 1940 is today (2001) 3,532 people and without the foreigners less than 3,000. From 1965 onwards, those who die annually are more than those who are born. If you look around, and if you can distinguish the Kytherians from the foreigners that have flooded Kythera, you will see only old people. The school children are by 30 per cent less than the population of 80 years and over of age and 80 per cent less than the 65ers and over. All of these are the long term consequence of the postwar overseas emigration and to a lesser extent the movement of people to Athens. During the great emigration period to Australia, 1951-1971 alone, the population of the island declined from 6,507 down to 4,102 persons, a fall of about 37 per cent.

The chain migration from father –to son- to brother and so on, depopulated whole communities. The elderly Kytherians with close relatives in Australia express often their sad feelings that emigration separated families for ever. Characteristic of the intensive emigration of Kytherians to Australia and less to other countries is the fact that out of the 27 kids that we were going to school from my little village of Dokana, 17 emigrated to Australia and 2 to the USA, whereas 7 of my cousins went to Australia and the USA. And this is not a special or unique case; it is rather the rule for most of the families in Kythera. These kids and so many others left the island, particularly during the first postwar years because they did not have anything to eat or shoes to wear, they did not have where to work, and most importantly, they did not envisage any hope that things would improve in the years to come. They saw, however, a future and an opportunity in Australia and that is why, if they had the chance, they were leaving the island in great numbers.

2. What the Kytherian arrivals met in Australia and what they managed to achieve
Having the syndrome and the ambition of the immigrant not only to survive but to succeed and to start a new life in the new country, Kytherian immigrants, as any other Greek immigrants, worked hard and long in an unknown environment without speaking English, requiring several years of work to pay for their journey to Australia. Some of them, as Nick Poulos, who went to Australia in 1951 at the age of 12 1/2 years worked, as he himself said, 5 years 18 hours a day 7 days a week to pay for his fare. Since their integration in the new country was difficult they had the necessity to be together with other Kytherians and the need to organize, either around the church that was the basic nucleus of Greekness and the orthodoxy, or creating brotherhoods that helped them both to be in familiar and friendly environment and to integrate in the Australian society, which was not easy, given the prejudices of the time.

During the long emigration period from Greece to Australia, there was a gradual change in the form of employment of Greeks. Upon their arrival and the first years of their stay, the Greeks with the very low educational level and the lack of any technical experience could not be employed in Australian enterprises as employees, therefore they were forced by the circumstances to create their own business or become employers. However, over time and as they were gaining more experiences, learned the language and as new more educated cohorts of Greeks were arriving, the form of their employment was changing towards offering more depended work, having acquired the qualifications for these jobs. As a result, while, in 1947, about half of Greek immigrants were self-employed or employers, by 1981, this proportion went down to 24 per cent.

With their own insistence and hard work, the Kytherians managed not only to survive and to integrate, but to reach high achievements and dominate, even some to be distinguished. Years back, as Tamis notes, “The Kytherians who [in 1945] represented the backbone of the Greek Community in Sydney, influenced and controlled the Community. The economic integration of Greeks and therefore the Kytherians in the Australian economy is today complete. The level of unemployment of the Greeks as a whole does not generally differ from the average unemployment of total Australian population. Only some Greeks of the first generation who are employed in declining industries suffer more unemployment compared to the rest of the population. Furthermore, in times of recession of the Australian economy, as for instance during the period 1981-1991, the average employment of Greeks was affected roughly in the same way as the employment of total Australian population, the rate of unemployment increasing analogously. Thus, any employment problems that may exist are more or less common with those of total population; they are not special to the Greeks.

By the same token, the income of Greeks is not materially different. The average income of Greeks reaches 95 per cent of the average income of total Australian population. However, at the lower end of the income scale, at least in the State of Victoria, for which I have data, the proportion of first generation poor is much higher than the corresponding proportion of the total population of the state (29.7 per cent against 15.3 per cent).

Since the mid-1970s, the Kytherian emigration to Australia has stopped, with the consequence that the first generation is not any more renewed with young immigrants and is gradually shrinking. The rather safe prediction is that in a few years time those surviving of the first generation would retire from economic life, leaving entirely the legacy of their descendants in the Australian economy and society, who already have years ago been playing their own important role.

3. How Kytherian immigrants raised their children and prepared them for a better life
Despite their long stay in Australia, or America and Canada for that matter, Greek immigrants, and among them Kytherians, perhaps even more, tried and managed to preserve their Greek identity and raise their children properly, so that they speak Greek and observe the Greek traditions, in a way to sustain their national identity. They seem to have succeeded on this better than some other nationalities. Thus, in every 100 first generation Greek immigrants in Australia, 226 descendants speak Greek, whereas in every 100 first generation Italian immigrants, 162 speak Italian. This rather high achievement is due to the fact that a high proportion, 89 per cent of first generation Greeks and 68 per cent of second generation speak Greek at home. Another factor conducive to this is the high proportion of marriages among Greeks, as well as the extensive system of Greek language instruction in the ethnic and day schools.

In spite of their low education, or perhaps because of that, first generation Greeks had the ambition that their children achieve what they themselves were unable to achieve, i.e. to be educated and have equal opportunities as any other Australian to progress and climb up the social ladder as equal to equal with the Australians. They raised them accordingly, and their children, in turn, raised their own offspring - perhaps to a lesser degree in the sequence of generations - in a way that without forgetting their Greek origin to advance economically and socially.

This way, the pioneering Greeks, and among them Kytherian, immigrants prepared their children to be educated and acquire qualifications that would enable them to play in fields, such as science and politics in which they themselves could not for understandable reasons play. It is true that the educational level of the second and subsequent generations, particularly of women, is generally higher from the level of total Australian population. A proportion of 23 per cent of second generation (26 per cent of girls and 21 per cent of boys) have higher education compared with 17 per cent of total Australian population, and with only 5 per cent of their parents. Furthermore, the proportion of Greek youth who from secondary education enroll to the university is the highest compared with any other nationality in Australia.

The descendants of the first generation are indeed fully integrated and decisively determine things in several sectors of economic life. Very often they are superior in performance and achievements compared to total Australian population, and even excel and become leaders in political and economic life. Individual economic branches that the Greeks, particularly of the second and third generation, not only demonstrated good performances but have been distinguished, in the last 30 or so years, are the fishing industry, construction, pearl trade and the food industry. Where they have a dominating place is furniture manufacturing, having a market share of 80 per cent. They have also demonstrated a high performance in real estate, taxis, gas stations, tires and clothing.

4. What would Kythera be without emigration
From the viewpoint of the sending country, migration is a multidimensional phenomenon, having a mixture of positive and negative implications for various aspects of economic and social life. These implications are more severe for a small and poor community that Kythera was at the time of the great exodus of people to Australia. With the benefit of hindsight, one may wonder what Kythera would have been, had so many of its inhabitants not moved to Australia and elsewhere. Some may say that if all these people stayed put, the island would not have been depopulated, at least until the tourist industry was developed. In this line of thought, some could go as far to suggest that, instead of having today so many foreigners (about 20 per cent of total population or about 40 per cent of the labour force) to sustain the economy and demography of the island, we would have our own people around who would fill the vacuum and do the job, taking the place of the foreigners that would had never come, because they would not be needed.

Who could, however, say with some degree of certainty what the situation would really have been if! And more importantly, what would be the personal achievement of all those who in difficult times for surviving on the island left? Judging on the basis of the existing conditions at the time of mass departure, would be difficult to admit that the island and its people would have been better if emigration did not take place. Most probably these people would live in poverty like so many who did not move, depriving themselves and their children of the opportunity of a better life in Australia, where naturally they worked hard but they had the chance and the opportunity to do so. I am afraid that for all those years until Kythera started to develop and the standard of living of people to rise, thanks partly to the transfers by the Kytherians of Diaspora, we would still have ruins all around with the difference that people would live in these ruins in misery and poverty. In my view it is less painful to have just ruins or ‘ghost villages’ than ruins with people in them.

In the context of this discussion, compare in addition, the place that would have to day the then would be emigrants in Kythera, doing the jobs that the foreigners are now doing and consider their own contemporary position and that of their children in Australia, described above. Apart from that, Kythera would be deprived of the money they sent to relatives or their donations that improved directly or indirectly the infrastructure of the island, i.e. the hospital, the aged peoples home, and even the high school that was built earlier, mainly with donations of Greeks from the USA.

Many put the question whether emigration is in effect ‘a blessing or a curse’ and depending on their point of view they interpret it one way or the other. I think that realistically at least for Kythera, under the circumstances prevailing at the time of the rush exodus, and the benefits accruing thereof to the migrants themselves and the island at large, emigration could be characterized as a ‘shift from a curse to a blessing’. In the immediate postwar poverty stricken Greece suffering from high unemployment and the non-existed possibilities of individual survival, not to say anything about prosperity, where else would daring people turn other than abroad?


5. How the multiple implications of Kytherian emigration materialize
By way of a conclusion of this presentation, the various implications of emigration from Kythera, could be formalized in the framework of a sequence of five chains or chain reactions, which as the Olympic Circles are related. The first chain, call it demographic, works its way through the serial emigration of members of one family, that apart of the sad consequence of separating families, leaving usually the parents or grant parents behind, deserts whole villages and has further longer term implications of decaying demographic developments of the island - the young leave the old stay and reproduction is falling.

The second chain of reactions is related to the identity of migrants and the preservation of the material and not only the folkloric Greekness. Integrated but not assimilated in the Australia society, the Kytherians transfer, as I noted earlier, to their children their Greek identity, including the Greek language and the Greek orthodox faith, and they nurture them in the way to inspire nostalgia for the ‘unknown’ country of their ancestors and the urge to visit and know it.

The third chain is the economic. Despite their bad memories from the deprivations they suffered in Kythera, they never forget their country and they don’t leave alone their relatives. They supported them when times were difficult and they also supported Kythera when it was mostly needed, helping to build the infrastructure of the island. Family members who stayed behind saw their life to be improved and through this the economy of the island to progress. In 1975, the remittances of immigrants in Australia to their relatives in Greece, including money transferred by them for investment or other purposes, was of the order of 15.4 million US dollars, raised to 18.8 million in 1985 and 30.4 million in 1993. Every Greek immigrant in Australia transferred (1991) on the average 150 US dollars per year. With the possibility of some error, assuming that the Kytherians were no different in their remitting behavior from the rest of Greeks, and say that they represented even one –tenth of Greek immigrants (various much higher figures have at various times be presented), one may calculate that the Kytherian immigrants in Australia would at the time transfer to Kythera about 2 million US dollars annually, which corresponds to about 700 US dollar per inhabitant of Kythera.

The fourth chain reaction, call it political, concerns the support of the Greek Diaspora in political or international difficulties or crises that Greece is at times facing. This is done either with the activation of Greeks of influence who due to their position or their power can lobby, or through the massive mobilization and pressures collectively exercised by the Greeks. Note that, as it is known, the Greeks of Diaspora are often more patriots than us who leave permanently in the country.

Finally, the fifth chain that completes the Olympian circles is related to the nostos, the returning home either for periodic short or long visits or for permanent stay of still young economically active persons. They rebuild their old houses or build new ones, and one way or another, help the economy of the island and reinforce their ties and the ties of their children and grant children with the island, which is perhaps the most important channel for retaining the Kytherian identity.

In the final analysis, each one of these five chains may work autonomously, but they are also connected and operate in combination with each other, because in the process there are in force reactions and counteractions among them. As the Greek athletes won several metals in the recent Olympic Gaims for Greece, so the Kytherians of Australia, acting through these polymorphic related channels of migration, are in their own way Olympic winners, bringing to Kythera many gold, silver and bronze metals.

This house, which can be seen from the main road as you drive out of Aroniathika towards the capital. It has a strong fortress character as well as a venitian feel to it.