No one ever told me about my ancestors.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
There is that PBS show about finding your family tree. One thing is heard over and over, "No one ever told me about my ancestors." Well, I'm the same. My parents have passed. My dad was in an orphanage, I never asked how, or why. But he told me that his grandmother was Indian. (?) And, (which is way more likely), we had a relative, who was hung for stealing horses. We all could trace our lineage back to the first two people; and I, personally, believe a relative born 400 years ago is too distant. But the last few generations might be fun to know. Do you wish you knew more about your ancestors?
 

fuzzybuddy said:
There is that PBS show about finding your family tree. One thing is heard over and over, "No one ever told me about my ancestors." Well, I'm the same. My parents have passed. My dad was in an orphanage, I never asked how, or why. But he told me that his grandmother was Indian. (?) And, (which is way more likely), we had a relative, who was hung for stealing horses. We all could trace our lineage back to the first two people. But the last few generations might be fun to know. Do you wish you knew more about your ancestors?
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I did my side when I was 65, no one left to clue me in!! I managed to go back to about 1770!!
 
fuzzybuddy said:
... Do you wish you knew more about your ancestors?
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Absolutely. I dabble with it whenever I have some free time. The state where most of my relatives were born has extensive online records, so I've been lucky to found out a lot for free, but have to get more organized about it. Just hit or miss and repeats. This week I found a picture of a great uncle from the Find a Grave website, who was born in 1829.

Once I asked my father to make a recording about his past, and he was enthused about it, but never followed it up. I realize now that kind of thing is very difficult. I wish I had given him a list of questions, or an outline to follow.
 

I had a family who didn't speak too much about their past whether from ignorance or design I don't know ..but after my parents passed I did some searching...I had known my grandparents.. so that was a start, but I've only been able to go back as far as my great great grandparents .. early 1800's.. and I've come to a halt... I've not been able to find what happened to any of the many siblings of my grandparents..much less my great grandparents..and I'd love to know..
 
I know a lot about our family ancestors thanks to our late cousin Bill,on my mother's side.My parent's familes both came from New England,dad's from New Hampshire,mom from Salem,Mass.Bill traced my mom's ancestors back to Benedict Arnold,closer to home,Col Nathaniel Rochester,city of Rochester,NY is named for.
On my dad's side,it was mind boggling to find out we are related to the 6th U.S. President's brother,Sam Sue
 
My mother was a little more forthcoming, but my dad thought it was fun to give us smart-ass answers to any questions about our family history that told us nothing and had no element of truth in them.

A cousin did the ancestry of that side of the family. There wasn't anything to hide anywhere in our recent history but some of our ancestors were considered Irish seditionists by the English and were shipped over to the U.S. I sure don't see anything shameful about that, and I'm sure Dad wouldn't either.

There was an overabundance of alcoholism on both sides of the family, and I could see them not wanting to explain that mess to a bunch of curious but dumb kids.
 
I got "into" genealogy a few years ago and have really enjoyed meeting distant relatives who have pointed me in every more interesting directions. In the last year, though, I found out some family secrets that I would have been just as happy not knowing about.

If you choose to search your family's origins, better be prepared for what you might find.
 
I have a cousin on my Dad's side of the family that is addicted to ancestry. He did the family history on our grandparents and their familes. He went as far back as you can go and sends me all the info. My Husbands brother did the same thing on their families history. I wish some one would search for my Mothers family but so far no was has,but I would love it if the would. I won't do it because I don't have the patience to look up all that information. I wish a younger family member would.
 
My dad was married and divorced before he met my mom. So his history was not a great dinner table topic. I'd like to find out about 3 or 4 generations back of my direct ancestors. My dad was insistent that his grandmother was Indian, and a relative was hung as a horse thief. To be honest, I believe that's true. Now, everybody is proud to have Indian ancestry. That wasn't true in the 1940s & 50s.
 
jujube said:
I got "into" genealogy a few years ago and have really enjoyed meeting distant relatives who have pointed me in every more interesting directions. In the last year, though, I found out some family secrets that I would have been just as happy not knowing about.

If you choose to search your family's origins, better be prepared for what you might find.
Click to expand...

A friend who was deeply ashamed of her family background, went digging. I think she was hoping to prove she was related to royalty but instead she found a lot of low-life thieves. The worst discovery she made was a cousin on death row for killing a bunch of women.
 
Ahh! Cousins don't count. If you want, you can find a way to be "related" to almost anybody on the planet. I only want people, whose DNA is swimming around in me. When you start getting back 8 or 9 generations ago, their DNA gets rather watered down.
 
My sister did our family heritage. She must have spent at least 5 or more years working on it. I read it and I don't believe half of it.
 
My dad, for whatever reason,.. was kind of aloof about the whole thing. When I [as a kid] , even later as an adult would ask. His standard answer was ...what'a ya want to know about that for....hell I don't remember anyway. His mother died of TB when he was an early teen. His dad was hit by a train a few years later....His mom once owned & operated a restaurant , and his dad worked for the railroad & was a prize-fighter......Dat's about it. Our family.. My sir name comes from Alsace-Lorraine .

My mother's side was even more secretive , English/Irish....had to leave Kentucky because my G/pa operated a still. Dat's it....

Since I do have untold hours on my hands....I should do a little digging.
 

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