On Sept. 16, 1620, Mary’s parents got on a boat to leave Holland to visit the US…. they could On Sept 16, 2021, Astrid’s parents got on a plane to leave Holland to visit the US, but they couldn’t Is this really  the time of the “Great Dying”?

1620- The First Sickness took its toll.  It seemed every day more people were affected. Forty-five of the 102 Mayflower passengers would die in 1620 just before or after arrival in America. Mental Health was at stake for many, like Dorothy Bradford, who took her own life. Children were losing their parents. Young girls seemed most likely to survive. After the isolation in such close quarters for 3 months, Mary was eager to go onshore. Her father had a fever and her mother was coughing as well. Mary desperately needed to see light and find something to smile about. She […]

Mary’s father taught her how to play chess when she was just eight. She was grateful for the distraction it provided in the crowded quarters below deck.  She secretly taught 13-year-old John Cooke how to play the old war-game using ripped, folded fabric pieces. It was a game for grown men, but Mary loved the anticipation of each move and the Queen’s ability to save the King. She would call check-mate and see John cringe. Her father said that playing chess and knowing how to think ahead would help her prepare for life. Of course Mary did not know yet […]

Mary covered her ears. When she heard Captain Jones on the deck yell: “lie ahull”, she knew what would happen. The boat would drift and Master Heale would not be able to tend to all the people who would get seasick again. The girls would have to stop playing house behind the dirty sheet and work to clean up and care for the sick. The foul smelling buckets would be stacked until the weather cleared. By now, they were used to it. Even Mary’s little friend, 6-year-old Remember, knew how to pour beer into a cup for those who needed […]