Famous relatives?

[scoutldr]

Since becoming interested in family history a few years back, it has become a fascinating hobby for me. My only regret is that I didn't keep in touch with relatives in Pennsylvania (OGE's neighborhood) and record more stories and facts while they were still living. For instance, I have discovered that I am a distant cousin to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Elvis, John Steinbeck and James Dean. I also discovered yesterday that my wife and I share a common surname back in the 1700's in Carbon County, PA. The first soldier buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Union Soldier William Christman was also a cousin on my mother's side. It was fascinating to find and walk through the ruins of the old stone mill that one of my ancestors built in Lehigh County, PA in the 1700's after they arrived from Germany to escape religious persecution. To complicate things, my surname is very common in that area of PA, and my father's name is the same as my mother's maiden name!

 

I often wonder what I will do when my Scouting days are over...I think this is it. There is a wealth of information on the internet, and fellow genealogists are a very helpful bunch. Too little time, too many ancestors to find.

[Gold Winger]

Adam was a distant relative as was Eve. That's about it as far as I know.

[Herms]

Genealogy can be a fascinating hobby. I also go in to it several years back and you can learn all kinds of great things about you families past. One famous relative of mine was Henry Wallace, the 23rd Vice President of the United States. FDR changed his running mate to Truman for his second term and as we know died 59 days in to his second term. I found that my great uncles in a history book of outlaw gangs from the 1890's, and I have traced my wife's family to an old Scottish clan dating back to 990. We got a chance to tour the old castle. She was walking the same halls her 15th-great grandfather walked over a thousand years ago! Another of my families lines were part of the big German-Russian migration of the 1800's across PA, OH and finally in to KS, learned a bunch about the history of the times and reasons for the mass movement.

 

Genealogy is a great merit badge for boys of any age to work on, and maybe get them started on a health life long hobby!

[Gold Winger]

Time to pick nits, FDR died in his fourth term.

[acco40]

I heard on the radio (NPR - just slightly more "true" than reading something on the internet) that almost 100% of African-Americans in the United States are of mixed race. Very few have "pure" African lineage. However, because of our past prejidices, most Americans perceive anyone who is biracial as "black" or "Asian" or whatever.

 

I've always wondered if I someone listed themselves as African-American on a college application (for schools that use affirmative action) what criteria is used to judge someone's race.

 

I'm not aware of any famous relatives. However, I had a grandfather who had a write-up about himself in Reader's Digest portraying his great accounting skills for the city of Saginaw. That was in the 50's.

[Herms]

Gold,

 

Your dead right, been a long day.

[Horizon]

We are thinking about having Geneology MB over the winter, using www.geni.com as the primary site for the Scouts to use to put together their family tree.

 

I have also found it fun to play 6 degrees of separation with famous people, and not just using family ties. For Example - my grandfather was on Macarthur's staff - so I have sat on the lap of a man who worked daily for General Macarthur. I am two from Mac, and therefore 3 from a slew of famous WWII and Korean era leaders. It can be fun to get the boys to play this with their parents and teachers, it makes history a little more "real."

[scoutldr]

Horizon, have you ever visited the MacArthur memorial in Norfolk, VA? When the General died, I rememeber waiting in line with my mom to view the body lying in state in the rotunda of the memorial building. The casket was so high on the catafalque that all I could see was the General's legendary nose sticking up above the casket. I have been to the museum many times, and you would probably see your Grandfather there, too (in pictures).

[Gold Winger]

"However, because of our past prejidices, most Americans perceive anyone who is biracial as "black" or "Asian" or whatever."

 

I think that most "bi-reacial" blacks percieve themselves as black, if they don't they are accused by others of "passing."

 

I knew a girl in college who was blond (natural) with green eyes. One hot summer day she made a comment about "her people being able to handle the heat." This confused me so I said, "your people? What's your ethnic background?" She gave me a very surprised look and said, "I'm black." Huh? Turned out that a great grandfather was black so she claimed blackness. If she had said Swedish or Irish, I would have believed that and been very confused by the "heat" comment.

 

 

[GernBlansten]

Great grand daddy on my pa's side was a bootlegger and changed his name so many times that line is lost.

On my ma's side, just boring Norwegian farmers.

[Apache Bob]

Scoutldr - I too have been going back into my family history. No famous people yet but it is neat to find out where some of the old family names first came into your family.

I have been an adult in Scouts for over 30 years now and am backing off slowly now (I still wear 2 hats). Between my main hobby, the family history, and Scouts I don't have enough time to get everything done that I want to; however, since retiring I have found that this is the best job I have ever had. I should have retired forty or fifty years ago.

 

[Kahuna]

The late Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy and I have a common ancestor, dating back to Wales. Came across a geneology written as a project under the Roosevelt programs on my family and made the connection. Goes back to about 1200. Pretty interesting stuff.

 

I saw Elvis, once! No, no, back in the 1950's, when we know he was alive. He was in an Army PX in Germany.

[Horizon]

scoutldr:

 

THANKS! I might try to take Grandad out there on my next visit to VA (he is in his mid-90s, but still doing well). I appreciate the tip.

[Twocubdad]

We've got Marilyn Monroe (her real name was Norma Jean Baker) and George Patton in our tree. Horizon -- how many degrees does that make us? Genealogy was my main hobby before Scouting took over everything. Maybe one day I'll get back to it.

 

An interesting story regarding genealogy and race:

 

I had a fairly extensive web site on a number of related families. One night I got a call from a college student in Florida. Her family is from the same county as mine with the same surname. Because her family is black, she was contacting me to ask if it was possible that her ancestors could have been slaves belonging to my ancestors. I had a few slave records posted on the web, but nothing connecting to her family. After asking about what she knew of her family, I discovered that I already had her ggg-grandfather, John Wilburn, in my data base. He was a first cousin of my grandfather.

 

Shortly after the Civil War, John Wilburn married an ex-slave and had a very large family. Of course her family was completely ostricised from our family. It was interesting to me that in the span of two generations, (from my great-grandfather to my father) all knowledge of how our families were related was totally lost.

 

Another interesting tidbit was that in the 1860 census, John is listed as a white. In the 1870 census, he is listed as "mullato". By 1880 he is "negro." Obviously, he didn't change races. But I wonder if he changed his perceptions, if the census takers made an assumption or if John reported his race differently to avoid a hassle.

 

I went to one of their family reunions and had a blast. The only white guy in the crowd. People's reaction to the discovery was also interesting. Most folks took it in stride. Some of the older folks in my family were somewhat bothered at the idea of having black relatives and several told me I should have let sleeping dogs lie. Some of the younger people in her family were upset to learn that they were descended from slave owners.

 

Interesting stuff.

 

 

[scoutldr]

My mother in law discovered that her husband's g-grandmother was half black...the issue of the hired hand on the farm. My wife, descended from her, thinks it's really a hoot, since her grandmother was the most prim, proper Southern belle (from Richmond)complete with pictures of RE Lee and Stonewall Jackson on the living room wall. Alas, I've been sworn to secrecy though.