Have you ever researched your family history?

[apirateslifeforme]

Nobody famous - we might be related to Benedict Arnold, but that's not definite. However, on my mother's side, my grandfather's grandparents were first cousins. I think that was pretty normal for the time, though (they were born in the 1860s in Germany).

On my father's side, I was always told that my grandfather's parents were 100% Hungarian. I found their immigration cards - my great-grandmother was actually Romanian.

 

[EMom]

I was able to trace one branch back to the 500s because of gateway ancestors. I got very lucky. If you have someone famous/important every few hundred years, the work is essentially done for you, because records are kept on THOSE people. The branches of the family that were less illustrious we know much less about. But with that one branch, at least every few hundred years, someone major popped up. They kept marrying off children to other important people, I imagine. Then they came to America on The Mayflower and eventually to Texas to fight in the Revolution. We apparently never missed a revolution. Ever.

I have two family mysteries I'd like to know more about. My great-grandfather was taken in as a youth by a family and eventually married one of their daughters, who died after giving birth. He then married her sister, my great-grandmother, which was common. We know nothing of where he came from or why they took him in. Was he abandoned, did he run away, was he orphaned or what? His family is a bit of a mystery. I did solve on mystery from that side of the family, based on a strange first name that is Dutch in nature when our family was completely British Isles. I traced it because it was so odd for him to be named that and found that in the 1500s, a couple moved from Holland to England and through the centuries, that first name was passed down. Mystery solved. I am a teeeeeeeny bit Dutch.

The other involves my great-grandfather who went missing in the late 1800s while traveling through an area known then as The Badlands. We know he was on his way home, but he was never seen again. He was declared dead and his widow remarried. Probably not a great idea to ride through that area, but it was the only way from the relatives' home to his house, so he had no choice.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I'm not really interested in my family history.

But one story is that my great-grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Britain on a dare. He was a young adult in the early 1880s. A neighborhood blowhard boasted that he was going to America. As a joke, my GGF said sure, when you go, I'll go with you. Several months later, the guy came back, said he was ready to go and dared GGF to join him. Supposedly GGF just up and left, never even saying goodbye to his family. He never saw his family again, but would write letters.

 

[rszdtrvl]

I would so love to learn some family history. Unfortunately, there have been so many adoptions and weird happenings throughout generations, it gets too muddled to find anything useful. We tried Ancestry.com and they didn't really have much.

I would love to look up DH's ancestry. According to FIL, DH's family is the family that founded Seattle. I don't know if that is true or not. I would worry that it would get way too confusing and costly to try to figure out all of the ancestry. My mind would get all spazzy, LOL.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

We're talking Mary Rose Tudor, Queen consort of France, right?

Fifth cousin 16 times removed. Through Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel. Good 'ole great (times 20) grandpa Dick!

Yes that's her. We're all related.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I found out that my husband's last name has changed at least twice in the past 100 years.

Mostly because of misspelling.

 

[Bilberry]

You are so lucky that you actually have biographies about your ancestors. My sister has done some research and traced ancestors back to Scotland, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland, but it's just names and birth and death dates. While that's nice to have, it's not really that interesting to me.

When I became actively involved in genealogy for a few years, back around 1999, finding personal information on family members is what I decided to aim for. Dates of events were interesting to know, but it was the biographies, newspaper articles, letters, etc that interested me most. Other researchers at that time I saw posting their genealogy trees online often didn't have much personal information written on their ancestors. I wondered if that was due to a lack of information available or lack of interest. I suspect it is a lack of interest in digging for the information but don't know if that is true.

I'm not active any longer on the family genealogy tree, but will sometimes take a quick look around the internet to see if something new is available. Last year I stumbled upon a posted dozen page biography written on a 3rd or 4th great grandmother. It was written by BYU so figure it is likely accurate. It went into detail on her and families boat voyage from England to America, and then the long overland trip to Utah.

With the Civil War's 150th anniversary coming to an end last year, I found a book written a few years after the rebellion conflict on an Iowa calvary unit. A couple ancestors of mine had served in this calvary unit. It was interesting reading, with a greatly many details given on day to day events. As can be imagined the Iowa Calvary unit my ancestors fought in was given the highest praise for their bravery, and fighting skills in the book. It seemed they nearly licked every Rebel came into contact with. The author knew who was going to be buying the book! I like to think the best of my ancestors, but all the praise gave me a chuckle. The force this Iowa unit fought against often was controversial Nathan Bedford Forrest's calvary. If not familiar Forrest, while highly controversial, militarily is often mentioned as being one of the best, if not the best military leader during the Civil War.

 

[RangerPooh]

One of my ancestors (on my mother's side) is John Howland. He fell off the Mayflower.

Seriously, there's a painting about it, called "Howland Overboard"

On my mother's side, I may also be a decedent of John and Priscilla Alden (there's a little bit something fuzzy going on there, so I'm not entirely sure).

Also, my family name is Jewish. I'm not Jewish, nor are members of that family name going back three generations, but I assume the family converted either when they came to America or while they were in Eastern Europe.

My Mayflower relative is Mary Chilton, first female to step foot on Plymouth Rock. Her stepmother died on the boat and around the time of arrival. It's interesting learning about others Mayflower relatives

 

[RangerPooh]

When I became actively involved in genealogy for a few years, back around 1999, finding personal information on family members is what I decided to aim for. Dates of events were interesting to know, but it was the biographies, newspaper articles, letters, etc that interested me most. Other researchers at that time I saw posting their genealogy trees online often didn't have much personal information written on their ancestors. I wondered if that was due to a lack of information available or lack of interest. I suspect it is a lack of interest in digging for the information but don't know if that is true.

I'm not active any longer on the family genealogy tree, but will sometimes take a quick look around the internet to see if something new is available. Last year I stumbled upon a posted dozen page biography written on a 3rd or 4th great grandmother. It was written by BYU so figure it is likely accurate. It went into detail on her and families boat voyage from England to America, and then the long overland trip to Utah.

With the Civil War's 150th anniversary coming to an end last year, I found a book written a few years after the rebellion conflict on an Iowa calvary unit. A couple ancestors of mine had served in this calvary unit. It was interesting reading, with a greatly many details given on day to day events. As can be imagined the Iowa Calvary unit my ancestors fought in was given the highest praise for their bravery, and fighting skills in the book. It seemed they nearly licked every Rebel came into contact with. The author knew who was going to be buying the book! I like to think the best of my ancestors, but all the praise gave me a chuckle. The force this Iowa unit fought against often was controversial Nathan Bedford Forrest's calvary. If not familiar Forrest, while highly controversial, militarily is often mentioned as being one of the best, if not the best military leader during the Civil War.

I know who he is. When DH was researching his family history he stumbled across that gem in his family tree. Needless to say we don't mention that branch.... Interesting tidbit, while strolling through a museum here in Memphis we found an area all about him. I was able to chide that he too has an exhibit about a family member in a museum.

 

[sk!mom]

My husband has been into genealogy for about 20 years. His research of his very unusual surname led us to travel to France where it is also an unusual name. We attended the annual family reunion/meeting in France in 2002 and 2005. His 9th cousin visited us from France last summer. As a result of the research, DH decided to learn French and is fluent.

He then turned to his mother's side and just last year was granted citizenship in the Cherokee nation. This was a long process with a lot of paper work. He was able to vote in the last Chief election.

Just this month he decided to research my family. So far, JFK is my distant cousin.

 

[sk!mom]

My dad did about 10 years ago. What a can of worms that opened up and resulted in relationships ruined.

He found out his father was not the father to his sister - result of that information is that he has not spoked to THAT sister since due to her not being his "full" sister. He blames her, NOT his mother for the affair, that led to her conception.

He is near 80 and his sister is in her 70's, so they have loved one another for decades, but one secret ruined all that in a flash. He removed her from the family tree and refuses to talk about her at all.

His mother, my grand mother, took this secret to the grave, but my father found it out whilst doing his family tree and it ruined his family. Some secrets should remain buried

Wow, your dad sounds like a gem. Don't piss him off.

 

[Cadiewampus]

Mary is my 7th cousin 15 times removed.

So that would make her your 21st cousin? this whole removed thing confuses me sometimes

 

[FlightlessDuck]

So that would make her your 21st cousin? this whole removed thing confuses me sometimes

http://lifehacker.com/second-cousins-once-removed-and-more-explained-in-1661572056

 

[cijay]

My mum's cousin does all that and she has a huge catalogue. I haven't bothered. I know back to my great grandparents in my head and that's about all. I know my great grandfather was in a concentration camp (survived). I laugh though, any time I say that I'm from Scotland - SOMEONE has to say they have traced their ancestors back to Mary Queen of Scots.

 

[minneylovesmicky]

Wow, your dad sounds like a gem. Don't piss him off.

Not wrong there!

 

[pocomom]

My dh had a very rough childhood. Was the first in his family to pull himself out of poverty and go on to get advanced degrees etc.
It was assumed his family way always poor, uneducated, alcoholics etc
. as his parents and grandparents were - but when we researched his family back a few generations they were doctors and lawyers and "famous" business men . Dh was actually disappointed because he though he was the first to get out, but it turns out his grandparents and parents were the only ones to never have success in life.

 

[princesspumpkin]

Just started on ancestry. Com. It's a little harder for me because I hit the slavery wall.

I researched mine several years ago for our family reunion. I was actually able to find the slave schedule for the owner of my ancestors. Really really cool!

 

[princesspumpkin]

Would like to see a high school level class taught on researching one's ancestry. The students might find it easier to connect to a subject if they discovered that some relative in the past had a connection to that subject:

"Hey, look what I found. We had a relative that fought in the battle Lexington! Wow, how cool!"

Now, just maybe, that student would find the study of history to be worthwhile of a bit more attention.

That would work for all the things we teach in school. Make it relevant to the student. We might be happily surprised by the results.

A friend of mine did this for an area high school. She is fascinated with genealogy and returned to her old alma mater to give a few classes.

She is now traveling and researching more of her family roots. I love reading her updates.

 

[DeaverTex]

I'm sort of jealous of folks with unusual family names. That makes it a lot easier to trace, and makes dead-end trails more obvious. (I know because I decided to do a little on-line research as though I were named Dupree one time, and that was easy!) Alas, I could only have a more common family name if it were Smith or Johnson. Googling my name, spelled out completely, middle name and all, brings up just under 4,800 hits. Apparently, I fought in the Civil War on both sides, serving in every rank from private to major general, in a wide variety of regiments. Maybe I should apply for a pension?

 

[RangerPooh]

I'm sort of jealous of folks with unusual family names. That makes it a lot easier to trace, and makes dead-end trails more obvious. (I know because I decided to do a little on-line research as though I were named Dupree one time, and that was easy!) Alas, I could only have a more common family name if it were Smith or Johnson. Googling my name, spelled out completely, middle name and all, brings up just under 4,800 hits. Apparently, I fought in the Civil War on both sides, serving in every rank from private to major general, in a wide variety of regiments. Maybe I should apply for a pension?

My maiden name is McCarthy, try sifting through Irish immigrants in the early/mid 1800s coming through Ellis Island. it was only recently that we started getting through that road block. Talk about reaching a dead end.