family
Story by Drea Frondorf • Higher Grounds Photography
feature
t
my big, happy Greek family
THIRTY YEARS AGO, MATRIARCH AGATHOULA GIOLDASIS LEFT GREECE when she
was only 18 years old. Once she married her husband George, who is also from Greece, the
couple settled into their new life together, establishing roots in Florence.
Agathoula spoke only Greek when she arrived in the US and didn’t know a soul, as
she left behind her big family in Greece. After three months of arriving in Florence, she
was pregnant with their first child. Luckily, she was quickly blessed with a friendship of
56
family in the community of Florence with their Greek influences surrounding them.
Agathoula and George have now gained a daughter-in-law, Megan, who joined their
oldest and only son, Pete, in marriage at the end of October. The immediate family
members number six now, but when everybody gathers, it could range from 21 up to 50+!
Family is everything to the Gioldasis family as their Greek heritage encompasses their
every day life. The children - Pete, Kristy and Margarita - grew up in the Greek church
and attended Greek youth group trips and conventions with other Greek Orthodox
a 90-year old nanny as a neighbor who helped mentor her during her pregnancy and
communities throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Their cul-
initial child-rearing. Slowly but surely, she began to gain some English vocabulary. She
ture is something all three children have always been very proud of and the conventions
and George had similar child-rearing beliefs and raised three children in their close-knit
made it easier for them to stay in touch with that. continued...
NOVEMBER 2015
SHEMAGAZINE.COM