NationStates Jolt Archive

Everyone wishes they were descendants of famous people like Julius Caesar, Alexander The Great, Napoleon, Hitler or Stalin (Did they even have offspring?) but what I would like to know is if you do know who your ancestors were, and if they were indeed famous or have done deeds worthy of mention.

My Grandfather fought in WW2 (whose hasn't?) against the Italians when they attempted to invade Greece through Albania, and when he was captured he managed to escape the PoW camp. I find that so very cool.

Also, when my grandparents were kicked out of Asia Minor during the "mass exodus" of the early 1900's, they were only allowed to take with them the bare essentials. This meant that my Great Grandfather, who was quite well off at the time, was forced to bury the majority of his fortune at his old home. To this day, no-one has gone to reclaim it. Perhaps I will...

Finally, my great-great grandfather was also a very successful businessman, frequently travelling from Asia Minor to France on business trips. Apparently, he got tangled up with the wrong sort, and he was murdered with his head cut off to show as proof that the deed was done. The only way they could recognise him was by the suit he wore. Not many people in that era wore such a suit.

So that's my family's story, share yours! Who are you related to?!

Stalin had offspring. One sone died in a motorcycle accident, the other in the concentration camp outside of Berlin, and the daughter moved to America after his death.

On my father's side, there's General Anthony Wayne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wayne), while on my mother's -- while not an ancestor per se, as there's only a genealogical connection -- there's Jean Grenier (http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/JGrenier.htm).

On my father's side, there's General Anthony Wayne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wayne), while on my mother's -- while not an ancestor per se, as there's only a genealogical connection -- there's Jean Grenier (http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/JGrenier.htm).

Mad Anthony Wayne and a family of French werewolves? Cluich wins the thread. I actually read somewhere many, many years ago that lycanthropy runs in the Grenier family.

Supville, which early 20th-century unpleasantness got your ancestors tossed out of Asia Minor? My dad's side, it was the Armenian genocide of 1915.

My ancestry's boring. Almost entirely composed of free craftsmen from Southern German and small landowners from Northern Germany, some came over to the US as the result of the Revolutions of 1848, others came over to the US because they wanted to dodge the Prussian Draft. They had a habit of playing bit-parts in history (one was a Marine with Dewey's squadron when he took Manila, another was a shopkeeper on the San Jacinto, the carrier that George Bush flew off of in WWII, another fought for the Union at Gettysburg, and got shot in the back of the neck, but because he had such an awesome mullet, the hair stopped the bullet), but nothing overly interesting.

Mad Anthony Wayne and a family of French werewolves? Cluich wins the thread. I actually read somewhere many, many years ago that lycanthropy runs in the Grenier family.

Supville, which early 20th-century unpleasantness got your ancestors tossed out of Asia Minor? My dad's side, it was the Armenian genocide of 1915.

Heh, I suppose you can call it the Greek genocide of 1923. It was originally agreed upon as a population exchange between Turkey and Greece, and it turned into a massacre. 360,000 Pontian-Greeks were killed, in addition to the 350,000 killed between 1916-1923.

Twas a sad time, thankfully my ancestors made it though, but it was unfortunate that so many died.

I'm related, albeit very distantly, to Abraham Lincoln's wife.

Way, way back, my ancestors would have been fighting the Romans in Germania, and not so far back (but still far), fighting the Russians and Poles on horseback.

My father's family, the Palacios y Blanco, are related in a direct way with the family of Simón Bolívar. I have the complete genealogical tree hanging in my living room.

There's viking ancestors. Nuff said.

And there was the guy during the 1798 Rising that set people's heads on fire(pitchcapping).

I'm related to PT Barnum, of the circus fame.
And the guy who invented the music stand.


A recent study demonstrated that 100% of Earths population can, at some point, link their ancestry back to royalty.

I'm related to PT Barnum, of the circus fame.
And the guy who invented the music stand.


A recent study demonstrated that 100% of Earths population can, at some point, link their ancestry back to royalty.

So If I kill everyone I'll be King of Earth?

Well one one side of the family ifs the Scottish shipwright from the Orkney Isles who got a job on the 'Stirling Castle', a ship headed for Australia (this was sometime in the mid-19th century). After they eventually reached Sydney, he for some unknown reason jumped ship. Curiously, a few weeks later the ship ran aground on a sand bar in Queensland and the whole crew, bar 3, was cannabalised by natives including 'Admiral Flinders' (or was it frasier?) who was on board, thus giving the island it's name.

On the same side, but a different branch I have a Grandfather who was a convict in the first fleet, on the ship 'the Friendship'. He knocked up another convict during the trip, and they got married on ship. He then recieved a chest of worthless gifts from the other well-meaning convicts, which was promptly stolen by the captain. He was one of the two men who first carriend the admiral to the mainland through the shallows. His child was the first born in Australia, and shortly after arriving in Australia he pressed the first charge in Australia on the captain which stole his chest of goodies. It was somehow successful.

On my Italian side, I have all ousted noble blood within a few links. In total I have 1/8th noble blood. My grandfather was shot by Nazis as a little boy in Roma. He had stolen a loaf of bread, and the Nazis were effectively occupying, when the saw him the shot him in the legs. He said the bullets only made him run faster. He got away.

So If I kill everyone I'll be King of Earth?

*nods*
*backs away slowly*

Heh, I suppose you can call it the Greek genocide of 1923. It was originally agreed upon as a population exchange between Turkey and Greece, and it turned into a massacre. 360,000 Pontian-Greeks were killed, in addition to the 350,000 killed between 1916-1923.

Twas a sad time, thankfully my ancestors made it though, but it was unfortunate that so many died.

Ah, I see. Yes, it was sad, all around. The Greeks at least had an army on the ground at one point and were doing well until the Turkish General Staff put Kemal Ataturk in charge.

Not quite the same sort thing but......

A few years ago my Dad was trying to get a New Zealand passport, as family history tells that my great nan married an NZ solider whilst he was in blighty during the first world war.

So years later there is my Dad trying for duel citerzinship. He was getting nowhere when until whilst consulting his Father, he was told go see that Phil the Greek and tell him who your Dad is.

Well after that not a problem at all. Of course though my Grandad is silent on why this should have happened.

what I would like to know is if you do know who your ancestors were, and if they were indeed famous or have done deeds worthy of mention.
My uncle, Peter Morley, conducted the only filmed interview with Paula Hitler (sister of the Hitler), and has two BAFTAs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Academy_Television_Awards). My grandfather, Thomas Morley, introduced the pizza to England (or at least, set up the first company selling pizzas in England; we also have a magazine article from the time talking about the 'Morley method' of making pizzas). Wildlife photographer Hugh Miles is married to some blood relation of mine.

My first ancestor in North America was one of the Hessians that the British brought over to fight during the Revolution. When I was stationed in Hessen in 2000-2002 I was probably the first of my family to go back since 1776.

I actively do not wish to know my ancestry. Only trouble false pride and the roots of racism lie down that path for me.

Mad Anthony Wayne and a family of French werewolves? Cluich wins the thread. I actually read somewhere many, many years ago that lycanthropy runs in the Grenier family.

If craziness wins a thread, I guess, perhaps. ;)

And luckily, I've escaped the whole "howling at the moon" thing. :p

I'm related to PT Barnum, of the circus fame.
And the guy who invented the music stand.


A recent study demonstrated that 100% of Earths population can, at some point, link their ancestry back to royalty.
Yeah, like me ;) My gloriuos family of knightly tradition used to own a castle in eastern Germany (actually Poland, nowadays). But even at the time of my great grandma the family had already forgotten how they turned piss-poor and lost the castle and everything else. At least they didn't have to leave behind much, when they fled from the russians in WWII.

My father's family, on the other hand, are mostly farmers, which they propably have been for centuries. Maybe since before the romans came along. Maybe only since some ancestor in the 1800eds won the farm over a game of cards, noone knows.

Starting with the closest ancestors and moving backwards:

My grandmother learned how to fly an airplane after her brother told her she couldn't do it because she was a girl. She went on to fly in the Civil Air Patrol during WWII, owned her own business, moved to another state alone, and owned her own vehicle in a time when women did none of these things. She also started a credit union for employees of Montgomery Wards (a department store in TX).

My grandpa was a flight mechanic on the PBY Catalina (part of the Black Cats contingent) based out of North Australia and doing lots of missions in SouthEast Asia during WWII. He was shot down 3 times and managed to survive each time.

My family was highly involved in the war for Texas Independence (look in any book about Texas history and you will find references to the "Kuykendall boys").

I can trace lineage to General Israel Putnam who (was one of two guys who arguably) said "Don't fire until you see the white's of their eyes" during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Bunker Hill (that actually occurred on Breed's Hill).

My ancestors were involved in building the wall that wall street is named after. My ancestors Jacob Luursen and Luur Jacobsen immigrated to North America and settled in New Amsterdam.

Jumping over the pond now, I can trace lineage to William the Conqueror (as soooooooooo many other people can this many generations removed from him). As well as Henry I of Germany, Henry I and II of England, and a line of Dukes from Anjou in France. It's too bad that my relatives couldn't manage to remain royalty :o(. I must be related to the fourth son who never got a chance at being considered in line for the throne or something.

Going further back to my ancestors with my last name, I am descended from the hereditary marshals of the O'Brian clan of Ireland, who were also the rulers of Thomond and rabid castle builders in County Clare. (My knowledge of my actual lineage on this side of the family is pretty close to nil due to a lack of knowledge about when my Irish ancestors came to the US).

I know there's more, but my books about my mom's side of the family are at home :o).

If we go back far enough (roughly 700-1200 years ago) there's a host of English (Including the Conqueror, Henry II, and Edward I), Scottish (Including Duncan, Malcolm and Donalbain from Macbeth), French, Viking, German Kings. A whole load of Earls and other assorted Lords, a few MPs from the 1500s...which is pretty cool.

On my Mother's side there is apparently a direct line to Rob Roy (although i am sure loads of people in scotland can trace such a line) but appart from that there is nothign particularly exciting bar a few Merchant navy Captains and engineers posted to tea plantations in India.

On my father's side thigns are very mixed since his ancestors got transplanted to ireland in one of the "repopulate the island with prodesants" schemes, soem of them made it back to Argyle and largerly acted as labourers and gardeners in some of the local big houses when they weren't away fighting in wars: My Great Granddad was a pipe major in the Gurkas and my Granddad's WW2 adventures are a bit insane (just made the last boat off crete, ended up with the SAS, capured a bunch of itialians before getting captured in turn by the germans who handed him over to the Italians from whom he escaped making contact with an Indian divsion just before El Alamein and remained with them for a spell before going off to join various units with "special" in their names and spending the rest of the war fighting up through italy.

Go back about 140 years and I have an uncle who was in General Custer's Army during Little Big Horn. He survived because he was in the infirmary with malaria at the time of the battle.

Go back about 140 years and I have an uncle who was in General Custer's Army during Little Big Horn. He survived because he was in the infirmary with malaria at the time of the battle.

Uh, that'd be 130 years. Little Big Horn was fought on 25 June 1876.

Uh, that'd be 130 years. Little Big Horn was fought on 25 June 1876.
Ah--wasn't sure of the date, so that's why I used the qualifier "about." That's a good excuse, right? ;)

Considering the limited population over a thousand years ago and the huge number of people we descend from (even when correcting for doubles :p) ... It is quite likely that many of us have great and famous ancestors

:D

Well, my family are typically quite boring on my father’s side as they were all farm owners in Ireland who kept their land but moved to the UK then sold for a far higher price than it could possibly be worth in the mid 20th century due to development.

However, my mother’s side is far more interesting as we’re part of the Lindsay family line. Specifically, the Baron Wigan of Haigh Hall but unfortunately due to the line falling dormant and nobody putting a claim forward the property/land/etc it was handed over under a de jure principle in the 19th century.

I would have so loved to be called Baroness too… even if the 63’ reform act did stop it from being part of the lords.:p

Ah--wasn't sure of the date, so that's why I used the qualifier "about." That's a good excuse, right? ;)

Sure, it works. ;)

I remember the date because it's my little brother's birthday.

my family is a bunch of fishermen and coal miners. there have been millitary men and engineers also thorughout my family tree.

I got some Welsh smugglers (that might explain the tendency toward ratbaggery), and a Rarotongan Princess (that might explain the tendency toward diva-itus [that's kinda like a diva, only without the talent that excuses the high handed antics...teehee]).
Mmm, dont really know much about my ancestors really...my li'l sister dates a famous rugby or league or rugy league player (I forget which)...:confused:

I'm somehow related to C.G.E. Mannerheim (Finnish army's high commander in WWII, and later the president), and Olof Palme (a former prime minister of Sweden). Other than that, my lineage consists mostly of farmers.

On my dads side, the only part that has done any research on it, I am apparently related to someone named Ethelred the Unready. No joke. Whatever he was unready for, his son must have been to. The records give them dying at the same time. Then there is a Count Conan, or was it Baron? I forget. And sometime about 800 AD, and I am surprised that my grampa was able to trace that far, we have someone named Woden in the old tree.

Always a good thing to have a major deity in the family. :D

Supposedly, I am also distantly related to Pocahantas(sp?) as well. I suppose that means my family met the boat the rest of them were on. :cool:

More recently, I've been told that my grandfathers familys' claim that Jesse James murdered one of my great-great, or great-great-great grandmothers was actually to cover up the fact that her husband bashed her head in and stuck her behind the door. Apparently everyone in the family knew that was what happened.

Makes me wonder about my family sometimes.:rolleyes:

I don't know anything about my ancestry, just my living relatives. And that only on one side of my family. The coolest thing any of my relatives has done is to be an astronaut and go to space. I got to watch the launch, too, which was an amazing experience.

On my dads side, the only part that has done any research on it, I am apparently related to someone named Ethelred the Unready. No joke. Whatever he was unready for, his son must have been to. The records give them dying at the same time. Then there is a Count Conan, or was it Baron? I forget. And sometime about 800 AD, and I am surprised that my grampa was able to trace that far, we have someone named Woden in the old tree.

Always a good thing to have a major deity in the family. :D

Supposedly, I am also distantly related to Pocahantas(sp?) as well. I suppose that means my family met the boat the rest of them were on. :cool:

More recently, I've been told that my grandfathers familys' claim that Jesse James murdered one of my great-great, or great-great-great grandmothers was actually to cover up the fact that her husband bashed her head in and stuck her behind the door. Apparently everyone in the family knew that was what happened.

Makes me wonder about my family sometimes.:rolleyes:

As the saying goes, you can pick your friends but not your relatives.

As for Ethelred the Unready ...

Ethelred succeeded to the throne aged about ten following the death of his father King Edgar and subsequent murder of his half-brother Edward the Martyr. His nickname "The Unready" does not mean that he was ill-prepared, but derives from the Anglo-Saxon unræd meaning "poorly counselled" or "indecisive". This could also be interpreted as a pun on his name, Æþelræd, which may be understood to mean "noble counsel" in Old English.

on my fathers side there we are the descendants of the Porcus Tribe, a group of Gauls that was recruited as mercs for the Romans. Eventually, some of them were made into prestigious roman senators. On my mom's side, nothing too importan, but my grandpa was a part inventor of a certain type of airbag, however, he thought it was going to be a flub, and he sold his rights of it for like $20 or something...boy does that suck :p

****edit****Here is the official Story of my last name :


Home


The Pigg family descended from a Gaul Tribe that were employed by the Romans during their conquest of the world. Most probably one of the tribes that transversed the Alps settling in the Po River Valley. Their tribal national emblem was the European wild boar, which is said to be the most dangerous animal in the world to hunt. The Romans fought shoulder to shoulder behind their shields, thrusting their swords in front of them. The Gauls, known for their broad swords, fought with a slashing motion, hacking the enemy to death. The result was the Romans calling the Gaul mercenaries Porcus, from which we get the English names, Pigg, Hogg, Ham, and Bacon.

The family grew to some prominence, being mentioned often in Senate records.

"William Pigg, originally from Rome, established the name in Messina in 1050 A.D. His son, Cataldo Pigg, organized a company of green uniformed guards and had charge of escorting the Holy Sacrament, administered to the sick, defending it from violent sacrileges of the Saracens, etc. This Cataldo had a son also named Cataldo who had a son Genovese who was a retainer and first royal counselor to the King William II of England. William Pigg, son of Genovese, was appointed by Charles I of Anjou as military commander of Messina and established the family that became the Barons of Portonotaro in 1593. Other Baronies were added later." (from a letter written by Albert M. Pigg to Virginia Allen around 1939, from information he obtained from "The Great Rolls" and "The Norman People and their Descendants in the British Dominion and the U.S. of America" published by Henry S. King in London, 1774.)

At least one Pigg was with William Duke of Normandy in his invasion of England in 1066. Recorded in the Domesday Book is (Alferic Pigg?) The family concentrated in Northumberland County, and members of the family continue to reside there today.

both of my grandfathers were in WWII. one being a black man, the other being increadibly racist...
one of my ancestors on my father's side was a cherokee scout during the civil war, as the stories go. i think that same man spent some time chasing poncho villa around the southern U.S. with the army.
my great great grandfather on my mother's side was kidnapped from france {possibly the basque land} and jumped ship in canada.

aside from that, i think the rest were farmers, horse theives and drunkards. which could explain a few things.

on my fathers side there we are the descendants of the Porcus Tribe, a group of Gauls that was recruited as mercs for the Romans. Eventually, some of them were made into prestigious roman senators. On my mom's side, nothing too importan, but my grandpa was a part inventor of a certain type of airbag, however, he thought it was going to be a flub, and he sold his rights of it for like $20 or something...boy does that suck :p

So you'd be a descendant of Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus, who was a son of M. Porcius Cato the Elder by the daughter of a freed slave of his. That's probably where the Gallic connection comes in. Fairly cool. :cool:

On my dads side, the only part that has done any research on it, I am apparently related to someone named Ethelred the Unready. No joke. Whatever he was unready for, his son must have been to. The records give them dying at the same time.

Ethelred Unred was a ruler in England! He was called Unready because he really wasn't a very good ruler (he lived in one of the many periods of strife in England).

That's cool!

btw, here's a link to more info about Ethelred: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethelred_the_Unready

I have 13 ancestors who were on the Mayflower, some Puritan, some not. I have ancestors who fought at the battle of Lexington and Concord in the American Revolution. Currier of the company Currier and Ives was/is related to me. I have ancestors who settled the island of Manhattan in the 1600s. Um... on my Japanese side, there is an in-family rumor that we are decended from some regional shogun, although I've never seen any proof.

One of my aunts married a guy who is a direct decsendant of Stephen F Austin, though probably only Texans know who that is. And I had a boss who was a descendant of Daniel Boone.
All my ancestors where ne'er do wells. Horse thieves, moonshiners and even murderers.

Apparently, I'm directly related to this guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Pinkerton

Same last name, too. I'm not too sure about the rest of my family's history, though, and I'm completely unsure as to how I could find out more about it.

Apparently, I'm directly related to this guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Pinkerton

Same last name, too. I'm not too sure about the rest of my family's history, though, and I'm completely unsure as to how I could find out more about it.
He was probably chasing my ancestors.

One of my aunts married a guy who is a direct decsendant of Stephen F Austin, though probably only Texans know who that is. And I had a boss who was a descendant of Daniel Boone.
All my ancestors where ne'er do wells. Horse thieves, moonshiners and even murderers.

Hooray for decendents of Stephen F. Austin!

Everyone wishes they were descendants of famous people like Julius Caesar, Alexander The Great, Napoleon, Hitler or Stalin (Did they even have offspring?) but what I would like to know is if you do know who your ancestors were, and if they were indeed famous or have done deeds worthy of mention.

Almost everyone will discover that they have a famous or influential ancestor if they look hard enough, simply because you have so many ancestors as the generations go back. 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, 16, 32, 64, 128 etc. We're all familiar with the pattern.

Go back a few generations and it's almost impossible that at least one of those people didn't get his name in the papers.

Hell, even John Kerry and George W. Bush are 11th cousins. And 13th cousins.

As the saying goes, you can pick your friends but not your relatives.

As for Ethelred the Unready ...


Yeah, and you'll never know just how much that explains my family too.

Gracias to you and Sericoyote. I had never bothered doing any research on it so other than having heard the same somewhere, I knew nothing about him.

Yeah, and you'll never know just how much that explains my family too.

Gracias to you and Sericoyote. I had never bothered doing any research on it so other than having heard the same somewhere, I knew nothing about him.

No problem! I am an ubergeek when it comes to Medieval history!

My Great Grandfather was in charge of some Italians in the Turko-Italian War.

One of my "cousins" [That's just what my family calls anybody loosely related to us] fought in WWII . Dunno what his political orientation ws, but I like to think I share it.

My family moved to America some time in the 1790s from Ireland to Virginia and became very wealthy merchants. They after making their fortune built a tobacco plantation in 1840 here in the town I live in now. Great great great great Grandfather was a colonel in the confederacy. Various ones fought in wars up until world war II when my grandfather and his two brothers fought in world war II. My grandfather being in the pacific and his two brothers in the Atlantic. One brother was captured by the german SS as a captain when his plane was shot down and had all his teeth pulled along with various other tortures.

Also had a relative fight in the Alamo though not entirely sure how he was related.

My family moved to America some time in the 1790s from Ireland to Virginia and became very wealthy merchants. They after making their fortune built a tobacco plantation in 1840 here in the town I live in now. Great great great great Grandfather was a colonel in the confederacy. Various ones fought in wars up until world war II when my grandfather and his two brothers fought in world war II. My grandfather being in the pacific and his two brothers in the Atlantic. One brother was captured by the german SS as a captain when his plane was shot down and had all his teeth pulled along with various other tortures.

Also had a relative fight in the Alamo though not entirely sure how he was related.

It must be cool for you to know exactly came over to the states when, and to actually still live in the same town they settled in!

I'm illegitimately related to Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte and so also the royal houses of Norway and Sweden.


Oh, and on the other side of my family, one of my ancestors came over to North America with "the pilgrims." Not sure if that's a positive thing, though.


And way back in history, my Scandinavian ancestors made a lot of trouble for my Saxon and Celtic ancestors, through viking raids.

It must be cool for you to know exactly came over to the states when, and to actually still live in the same town they settled in!

I live about 100 yards from the original plantation(which is now a funeral home owned by my father). One of my cousins used old letters and records to reseach everything. I haven't yet looked through it all but what I have seen and the pictures/paintings are very interesting.

My grandfather from my mom's side of the family was a soldier and fought during the Chinese Civil War (this was pretty much from 1927 to 1950). My father was a soldier who sided with the Kuomintang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuomintang), and fought against the invading Communist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_China) forces. And unfortunately, the Chinese Nationalists lost their land and fled to Taiwan which was where my grandfather and grandmother settled and raised a family.

My grandfather from my dad's side had the opportunity to be married to two wives at the same time in accordance with some old Chinese marriage law back in the day.

My grandmother on my mother's side was born in Argentina (to Italian parents), moved to Italy as a baby, and then moved to the U.S. in the 1920s.

My grandfather on my mother's side fought in WWII and was a POW of the Japanese until he and his unit escaped. He also fought in Europe during WWII.

I don't know much about my father's side of the family, except that my great-grandfather owned a real-estate company and my grandfather died in a motorcycle accident around the time my parents got married.

Well, I come from the Gordon Clan of Scotland, and I really don't know to much, but there are some hightlights. For instance:

One story of the origins of the Clan claim that Bertrand de Gourdon, whom killed Richard the Lionheart, is the earliest clan ancestor. Others claim that that it derives from a Macedonia town called Gordonia(Which in turn would mean we'd be greek in origin, if I'm not mistaken). There is a long line of Earldoms and other titles of Nobility throughout the Gordon clans' history, as well. Infact, it was at one time the most powerful and Numerous in the most of Scotland, from the information I have gathered.

Lord George Gordon was a leader of the No Popery Riots of 1780.

There is also Charles George Gordon(The Chinese Gordon): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_George_Gordon

We have a fun little past.

My Great-great grandfather fled the Russian army by stowing away on a ship to America (whenever anyone in my family starts spouting stuff about illegal immigrants, I remind them of this).

I was going through some old things that belonged to my great-grandfather, who ran away from his adopted parents when he was 16. (his real parents lived next door, but apparently had one too many children, so they left him on the neighbor's doorstep, hoping they wouldn't notice). He worked on a freighter, and travelled the world. One of the things returned was a postcard from either Hiroshima or Nagasaki (can't remember which at the moment), with a beautiful picture of the city. This was, I believe, in the year 1911.

My mother's side of the family had a hand in the production and distribution of illegal alcohol for Al Capone. Funny thing is that a few summers ago we had a family reunion, and some old wounds were opened up over a shipment that was seized by police.

A friend of mine comes from old money. I remember he asked me what my family thought about unions. "My father's family was pretty conservative, because of [some labor laws or some other major historical event], but my mother's family was very pro union because [some other reason]", to which I replied, "The only time my family ever had serious feelings about unions was once in the sixties. There was the union, rioting, and the factory owner's car. The only thing between the car and the riot was my grandpa. And the only thing between the riot and my grandfather was a .357 magnum."

My grandpa apparently had ties to the Chicago outfit. My grandpa told this story once at a family gathering, where he received a card from a man of Sicilian descent, hoping that it could improve working relations with the factory my grandpa worked for at the time. He took it back to the boss, opened it up and there was ten $100 bills. My grandpa didn't know what to do. The boss said, "Tell him that there was an accident with the incinerator and you got your shirt burned off, with the letter in the pocket, and you hope there's nothing important in it, and then go have a good time." After which my aunt says, "So thats why we had such a good time in Disney World that summer."

My Great Great Great (...) Great grandmother on my mother's side sold out to the man. (Was hidden from the trail of tears and lived with white people ever since.) Also one of my Great Great Great (...) Great grandfathers is listed as a deserter in the union muster roles from the civil war.