a father daughter duo with roots in hollywood

 After living with my mother for the last decade of her life, I realized what a truly remarkable life she lived. After first simply gathering her memories into story-book form for sharing with the family, I soon came to realize the historical significance of her story. Not only that, the current immigration crisis in this country and countries around the world make this story about a Slavic immigrant’s struggle to climb out of poverty even more compelling.

Recently I found this note my mother left for me  in a pamphlet about significant events that took place the year I was born. 

“My Mom and Dad, William and Veda Shoda came to the United States in 1906, thru Ellis Island. They spoke a little English, not much.  My Mom’s maiden name was Veda Boich and my dad is Willian Shoda and they both were from Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Zagreb is near Split, Yugoslavia. “

America has always held promise for a better life for immigrants past and present -- an America where hard work, struggle, and perseverance resulted in the opportunity to achieve the American dream. This is the heartfelt story of one immigrant’s family. William had a dream for his family to live free. Veda gave William the strength to work hard, Ruby gave William the faith to persevere, and Mary became the glue that kept his dream alive.