Most writers do a lot of other things that bring fulfillment and satisfaction. Some love to cook, sew, or travel. The favorite things in my post last year were my rock collection. I just love collecting rocks. But on this one I want to talk about another love of mine that’s dear to my heart–Genealogy and researching my family history.
I’m very drawn to everything on the subject. PBS public broadcasting has a program on Tuesday nights here called Finding Your Roots and I watch it every week if I’m home. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. researches and delves deep into each his guests’ history. Sometimes the results will blow your mind and often the stories his team unearths are sad. It certainly beats fiction.
In my family, I’ve uncovered a lot of surprising things that often leave me with more questions than answers. Ancestry.com has billions of records of births, deaths, census records, and newspaper articles. Through them, I discovered that the man I was led to believe was my grandfather isn’t. When he was twenty-three years old, he ran off with my grandmother who was almost forty and she was seven months pregnant with my mother. She already had five children, the oldest of which was married herself. She looked old, tired and used up, not some gorgeous woman. I’ve asked myself why? What would tempt a young man with his life ahead of him to do something like that? She never divorced her husband John Ellis and there are no records where she ever married this young man who lived on a neighboring farm in Arkansas. My mother said Ben used to get drunk and yell to her that she wasn’t his kid.
So fast forward thirty-seven years and Ben is dying of Black Lung Disease. He’s fathered another daughter and buried my grandmother. Who does he ask to take care of him? My mom. And she does. Not sure why, but I’d like to think he begged her forgiveness. So many questions I wish I had asked Mom.
Another story was about Ben’s brother, my uncle. Or at least I was told he was. William Henry died when he was twenty-six and I had a difficult time trying to find what happened to him. Then I ran across a newspaper article published in 1917 that told how was killed in a construction accident. He fell off a roof into a large vat of fresh cement and was buried in it. He died before they could get him out.
There are so many stories that grab your heart. I love knowing about these people and finding out that I have some of the same strength as my ancestors did. I come from a long line of immigrants. A few years ago, I did my DNA and 80% was English and Scottish. I had small percentages of Norwegians, Swedes, and Irish. That surprised me because I’d always thought I was mostly Irish. But no. I love knowing that I might’ve descended from Vikings. They regularly invaded England and Scotland and must’ve married one.
Have you ever done your DNA? Or have you researched your ancestors? Or tell me about one of your favorite things. Leave a comment to get in a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.
Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules/
My husband loves rocks & has a degree in geology!
I also love family history & love getting to know some of the stories about my ancestors. Two of them came to America on the Mayflower, and many more came later due to religious persecution. They helped settle in Utah, Idaho, & Mexico. There are some inspiring stories as well as some sad stories.
I’m also a musician, gardener, and avid reader.
Hi Ami, wow I would have a lot to talk to your husband about! Sounds like you’ve done some extensive family research. Yes, the stories buried in the past are happy, sad, and filled with a lot of strength and determination. You have so many favorite things that round out your life. That’s good. Keeps you from being bored. I wish I was musically inclined but I am not. Thanks for coming.
No problem! It’s a privilege to be here. I’m no author, so it all balances out!
Have never done anything about my ancestry but I find it interesting. I knew my grandmother grew up in foster care if you can call it that. When she was young people would take you in to be a companion or work for you. My other grandmother came over from eastern Europe on a boat by herself when she was in her early teens. Both brave a caring woman.
Sharon, you have some strong women in your past. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to get on a boat all alone and come to a strange country. That took guts. And to work in other people’s homes as a companion would also be daunting. Especially, if the person was hard to get along with or gripey. But people did whatever they had to do back then and that was probably the only choice your grandmother had with no family. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I’ve never done a DNA search. I did a family tree and learned about our genealogy when I was in 6th grade for a class. I’ve added to it at times.
My MIL did research on Ancestry and told us stuff, but she’s refused to share it. No idea why. So my husband doesn’t know a lot. I had some emails my FIL had sent with some of his family history, and I shared them with my husband’s cousin a couple of years ago.
I’ve often thought of joining Ancestry to see if I could uncover more.
I am happy having some quilts my grandma made. I have her original wedding ring–she had to get a larger one and that one is in my parents’ curio cabinet. She lost it before her stroke, and my dad found it before she died, but she wasn’t buried with it.
denise
Denise, Ancestry is so easy and with all the records they have, it doesn’t take a lot of time to start finding information. Sorry about your mother-in-law. That’s selfish. I share everything I learn and am happy to do so. How wonderful to have your grandma’s wedding ring! That’s truly a favorite thing of yours. Thanks for coming.
My mother’s cousin brought us genealogy for my grandfather. It was amazing and goes back over 7 generations. He was born in Finland but is actually Swedish. He came to America in the 1920s and worked as a faller in the logging camps in Northern California. I tried to do DNA with Ancestry. com but it failed twice. Don’t know why. Someday I may try again.
My favorite hobby is pastel and oil painting. Mostly landscapes & seascapes.
Julie Grace, I love your name. I’m so happy you came. It’s wonderful that your mother’s cousin researched your family history. Wow, to go back 7 generations is impressive. I don’t know why Ancestry DNA didn’t work for you. Maybe give it some time and try again. I love your favorite things. You’re a very creative person. I envy those who can paint lovely pictures. Have a blessed day.
@Julie My family story is similar but opposite. All our lives we’ve ‘been Swedish’, eating that food, speaking the language etc. but we recently found out we’re actually Finnish haha… I guess you and I can both assume that since historically (at times) it was one kingdom so many people have the same story you and I do. But to be honest, it was a shock just because we never related to anything in Finland. Now we gotta change our feelings about the Olympics. 🙂
Too funny, Rachel. Those shocks really do a number on us.
Not really. I don’t know much about anyone past my parents parents and I don’t know much about them.
Alma, it’s sad when family history gets lost. All those stories about your people buried. Maybe one day you’ll get the urge to try to find them. Have a blessed day.
I did a DNA test. My mother thought we had Cherokee blood because in some old photographs of relatives, they looked like it, and she had been told that, but the test found none. I’m 48% English, 35% Irish-Scottish-Welsh, 14% Scandinavian, and a tiny smattering of others.
Janice, that’s great about your DNA test. I, too, had been told we had Native American blood but there is none. It’s just a nice feeling to know where you came from and the people who shaped you. Have a blessed day.
Research on my maternal side. My grandfather told me his was an only child not true he had siblings. He also said he was born in oklahoma not true born in kentucky. Then I found him in his early 20’s living with whom i guess were cousin and a aunt and uncle. My maternal grandmother is even more interesting. I still can not find why her step father was raising her and her brother. I still have found no record of what happen to her father. Interesting what we find when we go looking. My paternal side is even more interesting but i would have to fly across the pond to find out those answers.
Anxious1959, we find out much of what we were told are fabrications and the truth is more interesting. And the questions our research raise bug us too much so we keep looking. If you have your maternal grandmother’s father’s name and area where they lived, something is bound to turn up eventually as more and more records are added. Census records are so valuable. And if you have your grandmother’s birth and/or death certificates, they should say where her father was born and you could look from that angle. Just a suggestion. Good luck.
Good morning Linda! A few of my favorite things is things made for me by my grandmother, mother, aunts, and my children. My maternal aunt did our genealogy years ago. Not much on my father’s side, other than my grandmother said her grandmother was full blooded Cherokee. So, when my daughter was in college, she did a report on my father’s side of the family. She gave that information to my mother’s sister. She combined her’s with my father’s side and lo and behold on my father’s mother’s side, Lanier, my father’s 5 great grandfather was also my mother’s 4 great grandfather. Oh my! My aunt laughed. I don’t think my mother was happy with the digging, but you just never know! The reason it was funny to my aunt was the sisters always said they had to get out of Georgia so, they would be sure they didn’t marry kin! LOL
I enjoyed your post Linda!
How funny, Tracy! Funny but true. It was so common back then to marry relatives. My mother’s half-sisters married their step-father’s brothers. A very tangled mess!! My oldest sister was very upset when I told her Ben was probably not our grandfather. She had just bought a headstone for his grave! 🙂 The things you find beat the best fiction. Blessings and love.
Yes my oldest daughter has done ours, we have Presidents on both Dad (Grant) and Mom (Cleveland)!!
It is fascinating!
Teresa, that’s very interesting!! Wow. The things we find out. But we never know unless we go looking. Blessings to you.
Hi Linda,
I had a subscription to ancestry.com for a couple of years. I found it fascinating, and tried to envision my great-greats coming through Ellis Island.
Of course, one of my favorite things is and always has been reading!
My new adventure is learning how to make pasta with my Kitchenaid stand mixer attachment.
Alisa, it is nice to think about ancestors boarding a boat (most with just a few cents in their pockets) and come to a strange country. They were immensely brave. I got goosebumps when I toured Ellis Island a few years ago. I’m not surprised that your favorite thing is reading. 🙂 Good luck learning to make pasta. Blessing and love.
I have never done DNA on either side of my family. My father told me that we have Dutch-Irish heritage. He also told us that President Woodrow Wilson was his 23rd cousin, making him my 24th cousin but no solid proof.
Bonnie, you can’t always believe what you’re told. I’ve found that out. As each generation gets the story, it changes. If you ever get curious, you can always find out. If you don’t want to go the research yourself, you can hire someone to do it. There are lots of those. Thank you so much for coming.
Linda! Good morning! I have done a ton of genealogy research! It’s kind of a “thing” in our church but also, I love doing it! I’ve gone back so many generations on all sides of my families that some are into the 15th century! Not many but a couple! Most are in the 1700’s. I find it so fascinating to see where I came from. One of my ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Me and my history-teaching daughter love this! My hubby and I went to Plymouth, Mass. and saw his house that is still standing (a replica). So cool!
Valri, you have definitely found a lot! If you want to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, you have plenty of proof. How positively exciting to find your ancestor’s house!!! Very, very cool and I’m so envious. I come from bootleggers and horse thieves and you from regular blue bloods. We’ll have to talk about this. Soon! Love you, dear friend.
Nice! I also have ancestors that came over on the Mayflower! We might be related! John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley are mine.
Ami, they are mine too!!!! How fun! We are related in some way! The Jabez Howland house is the one that we visited in Plymouth!
Wow, you and Ami could be cousins! What are the odds that you have the same ancestors!!
I started doing genealogy about 24 years ago, before the days of digitized census records and many other records available online now. FamilySearch had limited holdings. One visited libraries that had some degree of genealogical holdings, and one wrote NARA for copies of records. There were message boards and people posted and shared information. I found very distant cousins across the US. It was fun and a great way to share/collaborate with new contacts. I determined my basic background and did, during a sale a couple of years ago, order an Ancestry DNA test. It basically confirmed what I had dug through records to find. Most of my family came to the US in the 1600’s to mid 1700’s. A G’s-Grandfather was in a VA regiment that was with Washington at Valley Forge.
Really enjoyed your posting!
Catherine, wow how interesting! You could join the Daughters of the American Revolution! I haven’t run across proof that my people were over here that early. But you have the proof. Yes, it’s fun to find distant cousins you never knew about. I also belong to FamilySearch and have tapped into their enormous records. Thanks for sharing your story.
I’ve not done one, but my mother-in-law did.
She was given a kit that tests only the female line of ancestors. When it didn’t show she was Choctaw she disregarded the whole thing and has never spoken of it again. Her mom’s dad was Choctaw. The dad.
Mother-in-law’s cousins are Latter-day Saints and have done an extensive search. At mother-in-law’s mom’s funeral they handed each family and printed file of family history from the 1700s up to 1980s. (Although the grandma died in 2001.)
MaryEllen, that’s too bad about your mother-in-law. She’d rather believe the lie over the truth even with nothing to back it up. Family stories passed from generation to generation are often riddled with untruths. Sounds like her cousins though wanted to find the actual records. Good for them. How wonderful to get a printed file of their work. Thanks for sharing your story. Have a blessed day.
I love to learn about my heritage but have nto had much help from previous uncles and aunts. They gave this info to some of the family, but one of my relatives spouse did not happen to share it with me, so I am left in the dark on much on my father’s side. when we get older, the past generations has lots more importance to me than when I was growing up and just interested in what was happening around me. Not much thought was given to where I originated from. So sad.
Judy, the beauty of Ancestry is that you can look up your own records. You don’t have to rely on anyone. Besides, often what they share isn’t true anyway. I agree with you about not being interested when I was young. I only started about ten years ago. It’s very addictive. The more you discover, the more it pushes you to keep going farther back and learning more. Have a blessed day.
I have never done anything like that. I do think my sister gave her DNA because there was a girl that was trying to find who her father was to see if it was my dad. As far as I know it didn’t come out to be our dad but possible one of his brothers. My father had 11 brothers and sisters so it was a big family. I don’t think anything else was checked.
Quiltladyblog, I had something similar happen to me. A man born illegitimate contacted me looking for his dad. It did turn out that it was one of my uncles that fathered him. A lot of people just want to know where they came from, even if it’s painful. Maybe one you’ll want to know more about your family. Have a blessed day.
My last name was rather unusual. Not many in America have it so when I go to another country I look in their phone books and see if there are any listed. Found a lot in Holland and Scotland
Joye, that’s interesting. My husband descended from people in Germany, specifically from Bremen. Their names were Broka. But when his grandfather immigrated, he changed his name to Broday. It’s a totally made up name. But this makes research especially hard. Thanks for stopping by to share your story.
I had an aunt who started looking into our ancestry before she passed away. My cousin took over but never told us anything she found out. I went onto Ancestry.com to find out more and she had blocked everyone. I received a message saying if I wanted to find out anything I had to contact her.
My hubby’s sister found out that some of his ancestors helped on the Underground Railroad. We were really excited about it.
Barbara, I don’t know why people do that. Makes you think they’re hiding something. But how exciting to know your husband’s side with ancestors helping the Underground Railroad. That was extremely dangerous. I’m sure there are a lot of gripping stories there. Thanks for sharing this.
I have never had our genealogy done, but my aunt did. We truly were a mixture – top 4 were European, Great Britain, Scandinavian, Italian/Greek.My exMIL did our genealogy and found my ancestors had cousins marrying cousins. One of my ancestors married twice (1st wife died) and had children by both wives. His great grandchildren married each other- one from his 1st wife and one from his second wife. My great-grandmother’s name was Cinderella. This family was also Quakers. Interesting to say the least and that is only in my mother’s family!
Karijean, wow! I’m sure that blew your mind when you found that out. We have some of that in our family where my grandmother’s daughters married my grandpa’s brothers. Very weird and twisted. Aww, I love your great-grandmother’s name of Cinderella!! 🙂 How interesting! Thanks for sharing.
I am fascinated with history and ancestors. Several years ago my son gave me ancestry.com for my birthday. I did know my background and knew just about everything. Locale, etc. This just confirmed everything. I constantly check in to see when there are updates and close family who are mentioned. I wish that I had taken much more of an interest when I was younger and spoke to my parents then and learned more. Now it is too late.
Anne, yes if we’d had only asked more questions when we were younger. A lot of information has gone to the grave. I asked my mother some things but I didn’t ask the right questions because I didn’t have this information before she died. Sounds like you’re just as fascinated as I am with family research. Thanks for sharing. Have a blessed day.
I’ve never done a DNA TEST. but would love to. My favorite things are Sunflowers. They just give me happiness. And of course ,Books and my 5 grandkids
Tonya Cherry, it’s great to see you. Sunflowers do bring smiles. I love them too. Maybe you’ll get a chance to do your DNA one day. It’s interesting. Love you, lady.
I found out a distant cousin on my mom’s side died when a plane fell on him. Most people assume he was working on one and it fell. Nope, he was walking on a beach in CA and one fell out of the sky and landed on him. I found one tiny newspaper article that mentioned it. Very strange.
Wow, Naomi! That would be so strange. What an unlucky day for sure. You can sure find some interesting stories buried in the past. Thanks for coming.
My older sister did one a few years ago and showed very European British Isles background. Only know to some about great grand, but everyone coming from Ohio/Pennsylvania before 1850s…
Kate, that’s interesting. Thanks for sharing your family history. I’m sure you have some great stories buried in there. Have a blessed day.
One thing I like to do is decorate my classroom for the various holidays. I went to Dollar Tree and I found gnome picks with valentine hats, I put them into a glass gnome jar that I got last year from one of my co-workers. My mother passed on her family tree that one of her relatives had done to provide membership in the daughters of the American Revolution, so it is pretty complete.
Becky, you can find some great bargains at Dollar Tree. I love to go browsing in those stores. I’m sure your students love the Valentine beauties. How special to be able to claim a Daughters of the American Revolution status. You have to provide a lot of proof before they let you in. Congratulations! Have a lovely day.
My ancestry interests me greatly since it is meaningful and something which my entire family should know. I did my DNA and was pleased with the results since it was something I was told many years ago before this was available. Ever since I was very young this interested me very much. If I had thought of discussing this with my family who are gone it would have been wonderful.
Sharon, you started doing this when you were young so you were way ahead of me. It is something your entire family should know. I can’t explain the feeling it gives you to find out where you came from. Yes, if ony we’d asked more questions while we could. I kick myself every day that I didn’t think to ask things. Thanks for coming and sharing your story. Blessings and love.
I am curious about my ancestry, but never bothered with a DNA search. The little I know is that I am part Sicilian, Irish, German, English, Lenape Indian, and a whole lot more that my grandma used to call us Heinz 57 or mutts, LOL.
Colleen, that’s funny. I think we’re all mutts in some fashion. We live in a melting pot. Maybe one day you’ll become more curious and want to find answers to those burning questions. I’m glad you came.
I haven’t done my DNA, but I’m tempted! A couple of cousins have done genealogy, and I have what they’ve found that pertains to me. I know my maternal however many greats grandfather came to the US from Germany in the 1700s. I’m interested in genealogy, I just don’t have the time to work on it!
Trudy, you have a good start on family research that your cousins started. Yes, we need more time. Genealogy really eats up the clock. I plan to only be on there for a certain about of my day but often it takes over and when I look up, I’m shocked at the time. One thing leads to another then something else. You follow that rabbit down so many holes. Thank you so much for coming.
Good morning. Yes I have had my DNA done, and you are so very right, it is very, very interesting, found out lots of things we wanted to know that we didn’t know . I still dont know some answers to some questions and I guess I won’t know , especially with my parents gone. There are some relatives that just won’t share things that they know, but I guess it is for the best. On my moms dying bed, my siblings and I found out a very well kept secret , that we will never really know unless someone decides to let us know the answers. Kind of sad but then kind of a good thing because I guess they weren’t meant for us to know. We had a DNA test done on our half Schnauzer or so we thought he was half , came out that he is of 13 breeds, on the top of the list is that he is poodle and way down on the list is Schnauzer. Have a great day and a great week.
@Alicia Very interesting about your dog!
Alicia, funny about your Schnauzer! He’s a Heinz 57. Yes, families keep secrets and often lots of them. For my chidren’s sake, I’ve been keeping a rather dark one for years. To tell will hurt them. So it has to stay buried. Maybe that’s why so many are in families. Thanks for coming.
Wow Linda- This just blew me away. I’ve often thought about researching my family history, especially my Granny Lucas’s (her maiden name was Wright), now I’m so curious. Is it expensive?
I did find out that my Great grandfather Pa Lucas killed a man over a share crop.
Family history is wild. Maybe you should write a story and give Ben, your grandmother, and mom a HEA.
Thanks for sharing. Love you.
Hi Tonya! I’m glad you found time to come over. Genealogy can be very expensive if you hire someone. But it’s not that much if you do it yourself and with so many records available, why not use them? Wow, that’s interesting about your great grandfather. Was he convicted? Wow.
I could write a fictional story about Ben, Sarah Jane, and Mom. That’s an idea. In my thinking, Ben might’ve saved Sarah. Maybe her husband was beating her. From the picture I saw of him, he looks mean. If I write it, that’s how the story would go. Love you so much, sister friend.
One of my dad’s brothers took a DNA test and was surprised by the results. He was less Italian than he thought he was going to be because that is where my grandpa came from and I guess we were connected to relatives on an island on Maine that I don’t think even has people on it anymore but I forgot what they called it now. It was interesting to learn at the time.
Joannie, DNA doesn’t lie. Wow! Bet that was a surprise. That island off Maine sounds interesting. You could own land on it. Thanks for coming.
Just wanted to start out by saying that I too love collecting rocks. I started when my niece, who I took care of every day until she turned 16 and started driving her own car, was just 3 years old. We went looking for rocks about every day, even brought a really large one with me and put it in my garden at my new home.
But, I got into genealogy research with my cousin who lives in another city a few years ago. I even started writing a family tree book going back to my great grandparents. I had to stop, considering some of my family history because I started having nightmares. Oh well, I do still enjoy researching the family gravesites and sharing information I discover or remember from long ago with my cousin, who participates in genealogy classes online.
Sandra, hello fellow rock hound! It’s hard to explain to people who aren’t one how much it excites us to find something unusual or pretty. It brings me so much satisfaction. I’m sorry your family research brought nightmares. Must’ve been bad. I’m glad you still share things with your cousin. Have you ever looked on the website http://www.findagrave.com? That’s a huge database of people who have died. I’ve found some interesting things on there about my family. Thanks for coming.
I find genealogy and ancestry fascinating, but I’ve never made the time to start searching my own. I’d really like to some day, though it seems a little difficult to start. To me anyway.
Megan, it’s not difficult at all. You insert a name and maybe add birthdate or when they died, and press a button. Then sort through what comes up. I warn you though. It’s additive. Thanks for coming.
I have never done a DNA but would love too someday My oldest daughter has done one ! Have a Blessed Week!
Hi Sarah, thanks for coming. I hope one day you’ll do a DNA test. They’re not expensive and you find out so much information. Have a blessed day.
I had my DNA done and was frankly surprised that I didn’t have half-siblings that I didn’t know about. My father joined the Army very young and was sent to Korea at age 17. I know that many American soldiers left children in Korea when they came home so I was fully prepared for Korean half-siblings. I was almost disappointed to find I didn’t have any. (My father never spoke of his time there and he died very young).
Rhonda, sorry you were a little disappointed. Yes, a lot of servicemen leave children behind in those countries so it wouldn’t have been surprising. Thanks for sharing your story.
Yes, I have done my DNA and searched my ancestors through Ancestry.com and found a few surprises. I was able to trace my mother’s family back to Revolutionary War times. One thing my husband and I love to do is road trips.we have been to all 48 of the lower 48 states. I would love to visit Alaska and Hawaii, but I don’t know if we will.
Elaine, you go back a long way, lady! Wow! I’m so envious.
Yes, I have done my DNA. My cousin wanted my DNA to compare to the ones that she already had the information. One of my favorite things is reading. I have been able to go to many places without leaving my home. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Debbie, that’s interesting. Maybe your cousin had a theory she wanted to prove. Yes, reading can take you all over the world and to different time periods. Thanks for coming.
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I’ve never done my DNA or researched my ancestors, but I do have a lot of questions about a few things that I know a little – a VERY little – bit about. My mama’s biological mom (Opal) died when my mama was five years old. My grandpa remarried when Mama was seven. No one ever spoke of her, my mama remembers only a tiny bit of her, I didn’t even know about her until I was nine & it was completely by accident, & even in later years I haven’t been able to learn very much about her. Also, my grandma (who married my grandpa after Opal died) had a younger brother who was mentally handicapped. No one spoke of him, either. He was put in a home as a child & that’s about all I know. I’ve recently found a few pictures of him as a young boy & I believe he had Down’s. It’s sad to me that things like that were never talked about & those who could’ve answered my questions (had I felt free to ask them) are all gone now. ALL family is important!! Being with my family is one of my favorite things! We love Game Nights & just being together. 🙂
Lori, yes that’s sad that families bury the things they don’t want to talk about. Happened a lot. I wonder what happened to Opal. And that poor boy who was put in a home. How sad. I agree. ALL family is important. Nothing should ever separate them. Thanks for sharing.
One of my brothers got very involved with genealogy and has done some good research. He even was teaching classes on researching, but he lives 15 hours away. Both sides of my mother’s family came to Canada from France. My dad’s mothers family came from France into Canada. His father’s family goes back to France and Ireland into Canada. The French roots go back to the initial settlers in France and the Fille du Roi, women French King Louis XIV sent over between 1663 and 1673 to firmly establish settlements to stop English expansion. Prior to that there were few if any European women there. We have at least 20 of these “King’s Daughters” in our lineage. The Irish on my father’s side, came to Canada about the time of the Potato Famine. Both sides of the family came over the border to New York about the time of my great-grandparents. My brother has unearthed many interesting stories. My maternal grandfather was a bit of a rogue. Evidently the family farm house straddled the Canadian-American border. During Prohibition, they would bring in legal alcoholic beverages through the kitchen door on the Canadian side and load it into cars through the front door on the American side. They then made the straight run down to New York City. The police gave chase one night and my grandfather ditched the car and cargo into the lake. He sort of had to disappear for a while after that. I really need to Ireland to do some more searching of the family history there. I feel a strong pull of my Irish roots but have not much interest in the French side, even though there is more history there.
Pat, I love the story of your maternal grandfather! He was quite a bit of a rogue! 🙂 I hope you get to return to Ireland for more research. And how fun to have all that French ancestry! Wow. Thanks for sharing.
I meant to mention that Finding Your Roots is also a favorite show of mine. Tonight’s episode was really interesting, as usual.
Pat, I saw that too last night! How interesting that Bob Odenkirk has many royal ancestors and on his dad’s side. Strange that his dad turned into such an alcoholic and left his wife and kids to just survive on their own. Very sad. I also loved that woman comedian’s story that unfolded. I didn’t know her but she got really emotional to find out she lost ancestors in the Holocaust. Very sad. I always enjoy every episode of Finding Your Roots. There’s nothing more interesting on TV.
Yes I have done my DNA. I am 69% England Wales NW Euro – 20% Ireland/Scotland – 6% Norway/Swedish – 5% East Euro /Russia and of course there is some American Cherokee Indian in there. My mom had the documentation. But they dont have their DNA in the base because too many people try to say they are Cherokee Indian. My husband really loves to search our histories. He has found some interesting things in both of our lines. I know I had men from my line that were in the Cival War, one of whom was a sharpshooter, one man had multiple wives and children from each, land grants were given to many signed by the president of the US at the time. We found a relative that looks exactly like my sisters niece. They could have been twins.
And so much more. Truly fascinating. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Lori, Civil War sharpshooter and scoundrel makes for fun stories. I suspect a lot of men back then had multiple wives because there was no way to check. Interesting that your sister’s niece has an ancestry twin!! Wow. These stories buried in our pasts are better (and often stranger) than fiction. I loved your story.
I have never done my DNA but would like to someday. Something I love to do is bake. I enjoy testing new recipes and my family loves to taste test.
Wow, Cherie, I wish I lived at your house! I can smell luscious fragrances wafting from it. That’s truly a favorite thing! Maybe you’ll get your DNA done one day. Hugs.
I recently wrote a blog post using the song “My Favorite Things” sung by Julie Andrew’s in the Sound of Music.
My favorite things include looking at and reading about horses, dreaming of traveling, and reading.
Hi Nona, horses are a great favorite of many people. They are such majestic animals. I hope you get to take an exciting trip sometime this year. Love you, lady.
I love all things Civil War, and a friend of mine was able to find my great-great-grandfather’s Pledge of Loyalty to the Union that he signed in July of 1864. He fought in the Georgia Infantry, 8th Battalion, Company D. From some information that I learned reading a historical Christian fiction book (Rescuing Rose by Susan Pope Sloan) and from the website dedicated to his battalion, I believe that he was probably taken prisoner during the siege of Atlanta and moved to the Union prison at Louisville, KY, which is where he signed the pledge. I’m sure he didn’t want to take his chances in prison; he had a wife and at least two children waiting for him at home in Georgia. After the war, he packed up and moved to Arkansas, and founded a cemetery where Confederate veterans would have a place to be buried.
Kim, what a treasure from your 2 times great grandfather. I’ve never seen one of those pledges. A lot of prisoners probably signed them because the prisons were atrocious and thousands died. Bless him for founding that cemetery. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, I had to to find out some medical information since I inherited Lynch Syndrome which is an inherited gene mutuation which leads to an increased risk of certain types of cancer. It’s very common but 90% of the people who have this common mutuation do not know they have it. It is passed from parent to child for at least 3 generations due to an absent biological parents or adoptions that medical information is often lost. Sorry to go on about it but I want to raise awareness so people can prevent cancer.
Thank you for coming, Timeofmylife! I’m so glad you were able to get the information you needed. It’s so sad that a lot of kids don’t know their medical history or have access to it. It’s wonderful to raise awareness.
I’ve never done my DNA or researched my ancestors. My brothers friend did a little bit of searching for my grandparents and came up with some information. I think it would be very interesting finding out my history.
Connie Lee, it’s very interesting to see what you uncover. I hope you get to do it one day and find out where you come from. Thanks for coming.
I got into genealogy after doing a school project. I’d thought I was 3/4 German, 1/8 French, and 1/8 Belgian. Turns out the French (Canadian) and Belgian lines are 1/16 and I’m 1/8 Dutch. Some of my French Canadian ancestors were tortured and killed by Indians. Most ancestors were farmers.