Local family celebrates 100 years; In Portsmouth Daily Times

By Frank Lewis, 4 years ago:

One half of the Ferrell/George family legacy has its roots in Syria. The other half: Greece. That family will come together on Aug. 2, to celebrate a family reunion at the Shawnee State Park Lodge.

"This will be the 100th anniversary of their coming to America," said David Ferrell of 2305 Waller St., Portsmouth, OH


In 1908, Charles Joseph Ferrell, at the age of 18 - along with several cousins - arrived at Ellis Island, New York from Saidnaya-Damascus, Syria.

Three years later, he arranged for his brother Frank Elias Ferrell, to join him in America.

Frank Ferrell is the father of two of Portsmouth's best-known citizens - Margaret Ferrell and Miriam Donini.

Ferrell said both came to America for the opportunity for a better life, never again to see the family they left behind.

From Ellis Island, they worked and lived in Lowell, Mass., where Charles Ferrell worked in a shoe factory and went to night school, then on to Marietta, Parkersburg, W. Va., finally settling in Portsmouth.

Around 1912, the Ferrells became "proud American citizens, and always displayed strong patriotic feelings in their daily lives," Ferrell said. "They belonged to the St. Sophia Catholic Church in Syria, and they became active members of St. Mary Catholic Church in Portsmouth."

Ferrell said the Ferrell brothers operated a business in Portsmouth.

"Years ago, there was Ferrell Brothers' Confectionery, at first, then it was a restaurant on Market Street," Ferrell said. "They started out on Second Street, then later in the Candy land building, and they were in business there until 1954."

Jacob George was born in Patras, Greece. Orphaned at age five because of a massacre, he was raised by an uncle in Aleppo, Syria, traveled to many countries and learned five languages.

George eventually settled in Damascus, Syria, married and started a family there. He first came to America alone and later sent for the family.

They, too, entered at Ellis Island and from there went to Savannah, Ga., Birmingham, Ala., and finally to Portsmouth.

Charles Joseph Ferrell married Elizabeth George (Jacob's oldest daughter), thus establishing the two families' connection.

Ferrell said he expects about 100 family members in town for reunion weekend.

"They will be coming from New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, California, and cities in Ohio, such as Cincinnati and Columbus," he said.

Ferrell said the event will be a celebration of his family's heritage.

"We think that it was just a great thing for our parents to make this trip to the United States. Their parents wanted to give them a better life, and they probably knew themselves when they sent their sons over here that they would never see them again, but they were thinking only of them, wanting them to have a better life, because America was the land of opportunity," he said.

"And so, we thought that it was really great that they were brave enough to do that, and 100 years is an important milestone," he also said.

Ferrell said he believes in the American dream.

"It has been proven many, many times that if they want it bad enough, and want to work for it, it will happen."

[This article about the Ferrell family reunion that took place in Portmouth, OH was written by Frank Lewis, a staff writer at the Portsmouth Daily Times, four years ago.

The Ferrell brothers, Charles and Frank, were born in Saidnaya. Like many Saidnayans at that time, they adopted a new name. Ferrell is an Irish name. Their original names in Saidnaya is not known to me]