Your ancestry?

[shooter1201]

I'm German/Irish, with a bit of Crow and Cherokee thrown in for good measure.

My Irish anscestor came over ca. 1680, settling near what is now Philadelphia.

My German ancestor was a Hessian, hired by the British, ca. 1792. He switched sides soon after arriving.

My ancestors fought for the Confedracy during the 2nd Civil War. I am here by a week's time and the grace of God.

It seems that my great, great(fill in the rest), was home on leave from the 1st Alabama Cavalry. The reunion with his wife was successful. He was KIA a week later near Battleground, Alabama. 9 months later, his widow gave birth to a boy.

Somewhere in the 1870s, the Cherokee and Crow lineage entered the picture. That bit's still sketchy. All I know for sure is that my great, great grandmother(dad's side) was Cherokee/Crow mixed.

During WWII, my grand dad was in the US Army's Chemical Corp. One week saw him pulling guard detail in France. One of the German POWs was a distant cousin. I still have some drawings that German POW gave my grand dad.

IMO, EVERYone here owes it to themselves to trace their heritage, especially in a time when we see so many attacks on our cultures and ways of life.

[Mitzi]

Well, let's see. On my fathers side I am German/English. My grandmothers family came over from England and settled in the mountains of West Virginia. My great-great-grandmother was Cherokee it is told. I have seen a picture of her tho and she has very fair features. My paternal grandmother was a very much loved woman and talked about to this day. She has been gone 41 years and still is spoken about with so much love and admiration.
My paternal grandfather was of German origin but not too much is know about his family. My sister is the geneaologist in the family and is researching it.
On my mother's side of the family, I am also German. Her family settled in New York moving to Florida when she was a baby.
I know much more about my fathers side of the family then I do my mothers. Her family was very dysfunctional so finding info hasn't been easy. My sister did find a picture of our great-grandfather termed by his family, "The meanest man ever put on the face of the earth." Not much else is known except that his daughters "danced on the grave of the dirty old man" after he died. I take that to mean he molested his daughters. You can tell there was a real problem there because there were so many problems with his kids and grandkids.

[FLLawdog]

Where at in WV, Mitzi? That's where I'm from.

My mom's side is about 75% Scottish. My dad's side is about 50% undecided. We figured it was British, and as it turned out, we were right. However, the name came from the Normans during the Norman conquest of 1066, so I guess I have a little bit of Viking in me. Hmmmm....never seen a 5'10" Viking with brown hair and brown eyes before.

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FLLawdog
"Never try to teach a pig to sing...it wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

[kateykakes]

I've never traced my family tree, although one day I plan on it.

I don't know much about either one of my grandfathers because I was very little when my dad's dad died, and I never even knew my mom's dad. He died many years before I was even born.

I do know that on my father's side, my grandfather came to the US from Poland. My grandmother came to the US from Italy. Everything about them was so different. Given their backgrounds (my *granma* was a strict Italian Catholic (I was raised Catholic...my granma made sure of that), my pop-pop a Polish Jew), they were such complete opposites. I've been told over the years that they had the best marriage and were so devoted to each other.

My mother's mom (also my grandfather) was of German/Irish decent, and I absolutely adored her. My mom is one of 13 children. My grandparents were very family oriented. My mom grew up on a HUGE farm way down in Virginia and the old house is still there. We have a big family reunion every summer and I always make sure I get to go to the house. There's all kinds of incredible things that my family has left there. Kind of a family museum.

Time to do some searching on this subject...

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"There's no place like home."

[WCall]

50% Mexican, about an eighth Blackfoot Indian, and the other half of me is made up of Irish, Scottish, PA Dutch and who knows what else. My grandfather came over from Mexico in 1912 when he was 6. You would never guess I was half Mexican if you saw me--white with brown hair. My brother, however, has dark skin and black hair. Go figure. While my mom is 100% Mexican, my dad is 100% white. On my dad's side, I'm not sure about my ancestry past my grandparents. Couldn't tell you when they got to America. Guess I'll have to look into it. You got me curious.

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Contrary to popular belief, knowledge is not power. Without wisdom, knowledge is useless.

[Mitzi]

I was born in a very small town...Kenova, West Virginia. It was named that because you can stand at a spot and see Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia. I still go back to vist reletives there and love the small town atmosphere of it!

[ubergeek]

On my mothers side Irish/English. They came over around 1690 or so. On my fathers side I am Norweigan/Slavic. My Grandmother came over from Slovakia in the 1920's and my great-great Grandfather came over from Norway in the late 1800's.
So what does that make me. A big blond haired guy that could probably dring most people under the table.




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"They may have been ugly. They may have been evil. But when it came to poetry-in-motion, the Things had all the grace and coordination of a desk-chair." Terry Pratchett

[kheya]

I am 100% Indian (from India - not Native American). My parents came over here in the 60's when I was 1. I am very lucky to have grown up here.

I can trace my family back close to 20 generations. My great grandfather(fathers side) was Rabindranath Tagore, the only Asian to ever win the Noble prize for Literature. My grandparents(father's side) were active in the Independence movement and worked with Gandhi. My great grandfather on my mothers side was a big game hunter (man eating tigers were a specialty). My gradfather (mother's side) was a supreme court judge and governor of a province.

Geeze, I could go on for hours, my family has kept our history very alive in both written and oral tradtions. I guess I am very lucky to have so much information.

kheya

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My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash and it is gone.

[Neltja]

My family is from Sweden.



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Nell

"People are like stained-glass windows, they sparkle and shine when the sun is out but when the darkness sets in
their true beauty is revealed only if their light is from within."
- Elizabeth Kubler Ross

[MacLeod]

I am pure bred Scottish Highlander.

My Father comes from the North West coast and can trace his family coming across from Lewis to Asynt as far back as the mid 1700's

My mothers side is Sutherland but her father hails from Caithness which is the far north of Scotland.

Judging by my genetic make up I am decended from the pictish people as opposed to the Scots or any of the other ancient peoples that now make up Scotland.

Both my Grandfathers served in the First War, My paternal grandfather with the Lovat Scouts and the other with the Seaforth Highalnders. They both survived the trenches and one was decorated for bravery.

As far as I know I am the first Police officer in the family.

Mac

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Hold Fast

[jellybean40]

father's side is English. mother's side Welsh. her parents immigrated over from Wales (Swansea) on a ship to Ellis Island. it's a famous ship, we have a poster of it but i forget the name right now. my grandfather worked in a coal mine and developed every illness that came from it. grandmom took in "borders" who helped pay for them all to eat pretty well and take care of the kids. they were very frugal and smart; my grandmom saved up $100 to give my mom if she waited til she was 21 to marry my father! they used it for a honeymoon in florida, which was pretty unheard of back then unless you were rich. (my mom is 83 and they were married 54 yrs before my father passed away) i am very glad mom has been able to tell me the many stories that she has.

[Sandy]

Russian on my mother's side. My biological father's side is Scottish/Irish, but I don't know anything about them. My stepfather (who raised me) is also of Russian descent.

For all you amateur genealogists out there, check out a great new research site: www.ellisisland.org

[DMS 525]

I'm mostly Scottish on both sides of the fence, with a bit of English, Irish, and PA Dutch thrown in for good measure. My Scot ancestors didn't come right to America; they went to Australia first, and then those who chose to come to America did so in the years before the Civil War. Many of them were plantation owners, but lost it all with the Civil War, so a good deal of them moved north.

When she retired, my mother-in-law took up geneology. It's unreal what information you can come up with.

[JKT]

I'm Scot/German/Dutch on my Mothers side and English/Irish on my Fathers

Guess that makes me a mutt

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Optimistic pessimist: Hope for the best, but expect the worst.

Jack

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[colinm]

Me, I'm half Scottish and half English however you can keep the Sweaty Socks I'll stick to English and be proud of it!!!!!!