Princess Tekla

Some people have been curious how we came up with our daughter's name. Several ways.

Tekla in it's original Greek or Italian name means "Gift from God"

Greg's Great Great Grandmother (or aunt, not sure which) name was Tekla and was said to be a very strong woman.

There is also an old tale about Princess Helena Tekla Ossolinska who grew up on a mule farm in Poland. At age 11 her parents grew ill and died. She was adopted by the King and Queen of Poland, however she was very sad because she was adopted she was never able to rule Poland, only her 3 siblings were eligible.

Our daughter's middle name is Elizabeth. My Great Grandmother was Sarah Elizabeth Annie Chasteen. She was a very strong women born in the 1870's. In her 90's she sat down and wrote a brief story of her life (which I have) where she talks about growing up as surviving as a farming family, living through the depression, taking care of her sick husband and returning to become a nursing assistant in her 60's and working at children's hospital - after her husband passed away. She lived independently until she was in her late 80's and then went to assisted living where she lived until the ripe old of age of 96. She often said that life is about learning. If you stop learning, you stop living. - Again a very strong women.

With Tekla coming into this world the way she did, we felt she needed to the name of strong women.