What is your ethnic background (country/countries of origin)?

[Mmathis]

Somehow this topic ended up in another, totally unrealted thread, but it sounded like something fun to pursue. Of course, you only need to post here if you want to, and no one is trying to be snoopy or judgemental [at least, I hope not].

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So guess, I'll start.....

On my Dad's side -- he was a Yankee, from Cincinnati, OH. His grandfather (my GGF) immigrated from the Black Forest region of Germany when he was 18, around the end of the 1800's. GGD [supposedly] married a girl he met on the boat coming over, and think she was from Germany or somewhere around that region. No idea what nationalities married into the family between him and my Dad.

On Mom's side -- she was from Arkansas. [per verbal history] Native American, French, English, and Irish. There are stories about the Native American family member, but no one in the family ever had any luck [or desire, I guess] following up on it and I fear it's a lost cause, but THAT is the lineage I would love to know more about. Supposedly [no idea of a location, a time frame or even what generation] a family named Johnson or Johnston was traveling in their covered wagon [duh!] when they came across an Indian squaw on the side of the path. She had several children with her, including an infant. All of them were ill. The Johnson/Johnston family took them in and ministered to them, but all died except the infant. The story goes that this infant grew up to be either my GGM or GGGM, Sally Johnston. However, and I don't always trust the info on Ancestry.com.....someone has filled in our family info stating that Sally Johnson, my GGM came directly from England. Which makes it even more confusing to track. I gave up my Ancestry membership a while back, so can't track anything now. But there have been women in the family, great aunts, who looked so much like Indians that one of my aunts was "scared to death" of one of the ladies when she was a little girl! So, at least that adds a little bit of credence to the legend. And I always say that's where I get my love of nature and animals!

 

[peter hillman]

'other'

 

[Mmathis]

'other'

LOL, OK! That's a good category! Whenever anyone asks me where I'm from I say that I'm an Air Force Brat!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Interesting Maggie

I am half German (mothers side) and half Italian (fathers side)

My mothers parents came here from Yugoslavia. They ended up in the Cleveland area. Not sure what part of Italy my dads parents were from. I remember my great grandmother only speaking Italian when we were little.
They lived in Erie PA and owned a tuxedo shop. I used to love to visit and shine my shoes with the shoe shiner.

 

[Marshall]

Fathers Side: Scottish
Mothers Side: Scottish

 

[fishin4cars]

My mom was from Tenn, My Dad from Mississippi, my grandmother on my Mom's side was from Tenn, and My grandfather was from Mississippi. My Grandmother on my Dad's side was from Miss. and was Cherokee Indian, My grandfather on my dad's side was Irish. Past that, I have no clue, But I can for certain say that I'm about as Southern US heritage as they come.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I have no idea, to be honest. Never really cared enough to know.

 

[sissy]

father German
mother Dutch

 

[Big Lou]

Mother's side Wales & Jewish (unknown where from outside of US
Father's side probably somewhere in the UK

 

[MitchM]

Canadian, German, Norwegian, English, American (northeast).

On my dad's side his family were homesteaders, which meant that they were given a section of land on the prairies and lived in a wooden shack with a small woodstove and had to make a go of it.
Dad showed me a picture of the shack. I can't comprehend what it would have been like trying to survive in those conditions with our winters, without electricity, medical care, decent nutrition, basic education, ect.
I have the utmost respect for our ancestors.
When I watch black and white films of war history, old cities, the dirty thirties, I consider all of us now living to be extremely fortunate.

 

[Marshall]

Canadian, German, Norwegian, English, American (northeast).

On my dad's side his family were homesteaders, which meant that they were given a section of land on the prairies and lived in a wooden shack with a small woodstove and had to make a go of it.
Dad showed me a picture of the shack. I can't comprehend what it would have been like trying to survive in those conditions with our winters, without electricity, medical care, decent nutrition, basic education, ect.
I have the utmost respect for our ancestors.
When I watch black and white films of war history, old cities, the dirty thirties, I consider all of us now living to be extremely fortunate.

We are extremely fortunate. My fathers horror stories about Korea and then Vietnam were truly horrific. He was a cargo pilot in Korean War and then flew UH-1 for the Marines during Vietnam. He was shot down during a medevac in his second month in Vietnam and was nearly paralyzed but survived so I agree WE all have it well compared to even 40 or 50 years ago in many respects.

 

[HARO]

I started to research my family history about a year ago after a casual aquaintance told me he volunteers at the Mormon church's Family History Center. I already had info going back to my GGGG grandparents, and only managed to go back one generation, and fill in a few gaps. Seems much of the info was lost during the last war. All I know is, I'm a Squarehead through and through!
The BIG surprises came when I did my wife's side. Her mother's side is English, but her dad's goes back to Ireland (which we knew), and also to the original Puritan colony of Massachusetts, and from there to a number of Earls, Vicounts, and knights in old England! A number of his ancestors were SARs, as well as UELs who moved up into Canada. Found a number of relatives' graves near Belleville, Ontario, just a leisurely two-hour drive from here.
BTW, I did subscribe to Ancestry.ca, and it has shortcomings! In the Family Trees section, I came across women who had children before they were born, or long after they died. One apparently continued to crank out kids for 250-some YEARS! One lad got married at the age of four, and had a child at age seven, and one person re-married 400 years after he/she died!!! So just be careful and check dates and official documents whenever possible, and don't rely on other people's "research"!
John

 

[MitchM]

I did discover one part of my family history that I consider to be significant -
One of my great uncles (now passed) was a member of the Nazi SS.
I saw a picture of him beside his motorcycle/sidecar.
We visited Germany a number of years ago and when we asked our other relatives about it, they got quite defensive, telling us that a large part of the population was not aware of the horrors that were being inflicted on the Jewish population until it was too late.
I could go on about other things that I saw, but I'm sure we all have pretty interesting stories about our family history.
Hopefully others will post their stories.

Another thing that I found incredible during our visit to Europe was visiting homes that were older than both Canada or the USA.
Amazing.

.

 

[mrsclem]

My mother came over from England with her family when she was 6. Dad was Slovak from Romania.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

We are extremely fortunate. My fathers horror stories about Korea and then Vietnam were truly horrific. He was a cargo pilot in Korean War and then flew UH-1 for the Marines during Vietnam. He was shot down during a medevac in his second month in Vietnam and was nearly paralyzed but survived so I agree WE all have it well compared to even 40 or 50 years ago in many respects.

Military veterans from the Irag and Afghanistan conflicts are likely to disagree. Quality of treatment of military veterans over the past 50 years has sharply declined.