topic Re: Family History in Community Chat

Family History

Plaid Pants2 — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:24:36 GMT

Sometimes I like to delve in to the records that are available on line when I do geneology research, and I like stumbling across little nuggets of information that I didn't know before.

For example, my paternal grandfather only went as far as the 7th grade.

Which makes sense, because his father was a farmer, and I figure that granddad dropped out of school to help out on the family farm.

I mean, they probably thought that he knew all that he would need to know to do that.

He knew how to read, write and basic math.

Yet, he ran away from home, because his father was so horrible to him, to join WW1, and he served from 1912 - 1919.

My granddad then went on to become a fireman.

He was not affectionate towards my dad, but the way that I figure it is, he probably thought that by being a good provider, he was being a good father.

It never occured to my granddad to do better by my father, than his own dad did to him.

Any interesting stories that you have come across in your family tree?

Geneology can be so facinating!

Re: Family History

Vivian — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:34:12 GMT

There's 10% of my ancestry that remains a mystery. I sent samples to two different places. One said 10% of my ancestry was British. The other said that same 10% was Spanish/Portuguese. I do know that some in my maternal grandfather's family settled in England but who are those Spanish/Portuguese?

Re: Family History

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:34:54 GMT

My paternal grandfather entered the United States illegally as a stowaway on a cargo ship from Great Britain. He died never having become a citizen of the United States.

Re: Family History

SilleeMee — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:40:36 GMT

I don't know much about my family history except for that my dad's side were Europeans. My mom is from a Samurai family dating back hundreds of years. There is a family crest from that family which was used to designate class, status and clan. I wish I knew more but it is difficult to find info from a foreign country.

Examples of Samurai family crests:

Re: Family History

jubilant — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:47:30 GMT

My great grandmother passed away at 94. We lived close to her so I knew her well and she was a great inspiration to me. This was a woman who lived through the death of a husband who left her with 6 children. She took in washings ( which she did by hand) to help support her family and her kids went to work doing odds and end jobs. She ended up outliving 3 husbands, one the of which she married only to take care of him till he died That was husband #2. In those days a woman didn't go into a widowers home alone so they married and she took care of him for years until he died. It was a marriage of convenience with no intimacy but it worked out for both their situations. She married once more and that marriage lasted for many years till he also died. In her older years (80's and 90's) she lived with her daughter and husband (my grandparents) I can't imagine outliving 3 husbands! In all truth.... I can't imagine living through 3 husbands!!

Re: Family History

Deb665 — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:50:09 GMT

I've found lots of interesting information, but my favorite story is that my 5th Great Grandfather took a "4 horse wagon load of beef" to Valley Forge, PA. For this and other support he is designated a Patriot by the DAR.

One "great" was a Huguenot who came to American by way of Great Britain. He had lost everything, but came here and made a new life.

For me, it's the stories of the people who make history come alive!

Re: Family History

ROMARY — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 17:04:36 GMT

In those days, many people were 'sturdy'. Hard work and resilience. Thanks for your various stories/background(s), etc..

Re: Family History

Desertdi — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 17:39:25 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
I don't know much about my family history except for that my dad's side were Europeans. My mom is from a Samurai family dating back hundreds of years. There is a family crest from that family which was used to designate class, status and clan. I wish I knew more but it is difficult to find info from a foreign country.

Examples of Samurai family crests:

@SilleeMee Those are lovely. Perhaps you could have a pendant made..........

Re: Family History

qualitygal — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 17:54:54 GMT

@Plaid Pants2, speaking of grandfathers, I don't know that my gf went to far through school, because back then, they had to stop school, to help out with the family farm. I bet you saw that sort of show on Michael's Landon's show about Laura Ingalls. Same thing. He too went on to be a fireman, and when he started, the horses drew the setup for the fire engine part, hoses, etc.,

Re: Family History

Moonchilde — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 18:06:55 GMT

My earliest traceable ancestors arrived on the Mayflower and in the very early 1600s to settle in Connecticut - but I don't know what they "did" - who were farmers, who were shopkeepers, etc. I did have ancestors in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. A few were involved in State politics.

My maternal grandfather was a handsome silent film cameraman in Hollywood. Unbeknownst to me, the last area I lived in was where he lived during WWI - we actually shared the same 'hood - and parts of it were not much changed since the nineteen-teens and early 1920s. He had some sort of dispensation from the draft but I don't remember what - feet, eyes, ?

My paternal grandfather was involved to some extent in things that big labor unions and organized crime were also involved in. Not sure how far that went.

Re: Family History

grandma2pkmh — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 19:01:52 GMT

@Plaid Pants2 By using the Find A Grave web site, I found out my 5 times great grandfather on my Dad's side was a Cherokee Indian. There was an obit posted by another relative.

Re: Family History

RedTop — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 19:36:13 GMT

An ancestor on my fathers side was a caretaker for General Robert E. Lee's horse during the war.

Re: Family History

goldensrbest — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 19:39:33 GMT

It was very common for children of farmers to only go to 8th grade back then . I have some histoy of both sides ,but on my dads side ,there was american Indian, but even went out to salt lake to find out more ,just not many records on the indians.

Re: Family History

maestra — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 19:54:49 GMT

@Plaid Pants2 wrote:
Sometimes I like to delve in to the records that are available on line when I do geneology research, and I like stumbling across little nuggets of information that I didn't know before.

For example, my paternal grandfather only went as far as the 7th grade.

Which makes sense, because his father was a farmer, and I figure that granddad dropped out of school to help out on the family farm.

I mean, they probably thought that he knew all that he would need to know to do that.

He knew how to read, write and basic math.

Yet, he ran away from home, because his father was so horrible to him, to join WW1, and he served from 1912 - 1919.

My granddad then went on to become a fireman.

He was not affectionate towards my dad, but the way that I figure it is, he probably thought that by being a good provider, he was being a good father.

It never occured to my granddad to do better by my father, than his own dad did to him.

Any interesting stories that you have come across in your family tree?

Geneology can be so facinating!

My great grandfather Alexander was a very tall young boy/man for his age and the time, so even as a farm boy in Vermont he looked older than he was. Well, recruiters were going through his area for the Union Army and he volunteered at 14.

His parents were horrified to learn that not only did he have to serve, the only way out was for a family member to take his place, which was his 16 yr. old brother, Michael.

Michael survived his service with the Union Army!

One of my favorite photos is of Michael and his wife Bessie marching in the 1930 Veteran's Day Parade in NYC. He was representing those who had served in the War Between the States. He was about 85 years or so at the time of the photo.

Re: Family History

Drythe — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 18:58:07 GMT

About 20% of my family came from Scotland either right before, or as soon as they could after the Rising.

They settled in the mountains of NC because the geography reminded them of home. Everyone I've been able to trace fought against England in the Revolutionary war- for obvious reasions.

Because it was home, most made their way to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse where the war in essence was ended. Many of their signatures are on the battle rolls there, including that of one of my great, greats who was only 15 years old!

Re: Family History

Gardengal55 — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 14:03:41 GMT

My late mother traced her family's geneology many years ago. She was Scotch/Irish and was proud of her membership in the DAR. She traced her line back to an ancestor that came to America around 1700 and settled in Pennsylvania. A descendant of his fought in the American revolution. We visit his gravesite every now and then. The head stone is completely smooth by now. Luckily we took photos over the years and took a tracing of the engraving. My mother also researched her family coat of arms and hung the plaque on the livingroom wall.

Re: Family History

Gooday — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:50:37 GMT

My maternal grandparents were Sicilian immigrants. My grandfather was born in 1897 and came here as a young teen. He came in through the port of New Orleans. His half-sister lived in N.O. My grandmother was born in 1901 and came as a child through Ellis Island to Trinidad, Co. where my GG grandfather worked with other immigrants to work the mines in Colorado. He later opened up a produce market but those were tumultous times with laborers trying to organize and form unions. Both grandparents ended up in Chicago where my grandparents married and produced my mom and 3 siblings. They were poor but managed to eeck out a decent living, both having jobs and owning property...all on their own.

My paternal grandfather was born in 1903 in Chelmsford, England and stowed away on a ship to Canada at age 17. His parents eventually came to Toronto with their other 5 children where my GGrandfather passed away from pneumonia in his late 30's. My GGrandmother (who died when I was 10) remarried a man who worked for the Pullman railroad and he brought them to Chicago. My grandmother was born in 1908 in Herron, Il of a German father and a woman who died in childbirth with my great aunt. Her ancestry is questionable. I knew my GGrandfather well and he died when I was 16. People married young in those days. I do know my GGrandfather's parents placed him and his 2 sisters in an orphanage in Wisconsin where many German people lived. It was in Racine, Wisconsin. He somehow ended up in Chicago after my GGrandmother died in Herron, Il. He then buried 2 more wives, both of who treated my grandmother horribly.

There you have it folks. No royalty, no money, no DAR. My Sicilian grandparents experienced prejudice first hand as did the Irish before them.Just typical, classic immigrants stories who had the fortitude and where-with-all to leave all that they knew for a better life. No handouts, 2 who had to learn the language and work hard.