GB
Chief Eating Officer
Both sets of my grandparents were born in the USA, but their parents came here from Russia and Poland.
What are your roots?
- Thread starter corazon
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
SierraCook
Master Chef
My Dad's side of the family is Irish, Scottish, and Swedish. Since my mom was adopted I am not sure of what her family lineage is.
texasgirl
Master Chef
I have Irish, Sioux and Cherokee blood. Not sure what else. I'm a mongrel too. LOL
bethzaring
Master Chef
I have researched my ancestry on the Internet for several years now. It is truely amazing the amount of genealogical information out there. The two main web sites I used were Ancestry.com which costs $$ and their sister, free, website, RootsWeb.com. I have been able to identify almost 600 of my direct line ancestors and was astonished to find that most of them arrived on these shores in the 1600's. About 95% of those 600 folks came from England, with a handful from Germany, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Before I started this research I thought I was German cause Zaring is german, but that is not the case.
I would strongly encourage you younger folks to ask your older relatives about their lives and ancestors. By the time I was born, 3 of my grandparents were deceased. It seems most people get interested in genealogy in their later years, after their ancestors are long gone. I had a great head start in the baby book my Mom prepared for me, it had a family tree that listed all 8 of my great grandparents.
Genealogy is a facinating science and a great history lesson too!
I would strongly encourage you younger folks to ask your older relatives about their lives and ancestors. By the time I was born, 3 of my grandparents were deceased. It seems most people get interested in genealogy in their later years, after their ancestors are long gone. I had a great head start in the baby book my Mom prepared for me, it had a family tree that listed all 8 of my great grandparents.
Genealogy is a facinating science and a great history lesson too!
240brickman
Senior Cook
My roots used to be brown, now they're mostly grey. (ha ha, no).
Actually, I'm 1/2 Italian (both of my Dad's parents are 100% Italian), 1/4 Irish (Mom's mother), and...get ready for this...1/4 Polish Jew (Mom's father).
Mom's father, my late Grandpa Mo, was the eldest of 3 kids when they escaped from Poland and came to New York (this, of course, was somewhere around 1910 or 1915). HIS mother was a widow, although I think she eventually remarried in the U.S. My grandfather was essentially put in charge of caring for his siblings.
In (approximately) 1925, Grandpa Mo met Mary Ellen Reilly, and they fell in love. One big problem: she was Irish Catholic, he was Jewish. At the time, this match was considered unthinkable.
Soooo, Grandpa Mo converted to Catholicism. Took him a couple of years to make it official, but he did it. He and my Grandmother got married; they eventually had a total of four children, three sons and a daughter (in that order). The daughter, Kathryn Rita, went on to become the mother of a nearly-famous Brickman.
Interesting note: my Mom, as well as her 3 brothers, attended Catholic School while they were growing up in New York. And they were the ONLY kids in their class with the last name "Levine".
Interesting note Number Two: Mom's eldest brother, my late uncle Howard, spent several years in the U.S. Army. Because of his last name, it was assumed that he was Jewish, so he was excused from certain drills/exercises during Jewish holidays. But when he didn't show up on Christmas or Easter etc. his superiors would question his absence. Howard would simply show them his dogtag, which was clearly marked with a "C"--for Catholic.
(my family is a creative bunch)
--J
Actually, I'm 1/2 Italian (both of my Dad's parents are 100% Italian), 1/4 Irish (Mom's mother), and...get ready for this...1/4 Polish Jew (Mom's father).
Mom's father, my late Grandpa Mo, was the eldest of 3 kids when they escaped from Poland and came to New York (this, of course, was somewhere around 1910 or 1915). HIS mother was a widow, although I think she eventually remarried in the U.S. My grandfather was essentially put in charge of caring for his siblings.
In (approximately) 1925, Grandpa Mo met Mary Ellen Reilly, and they fell in love. One big problem: she was Irish Catholic, he was Jewish. At the time, this match was considered unthinkable.
Soooo, Grandpa Mo converted to Catholicism. Took him a couple of years to make it official, but he did it. He and my Grandmother got married; they eventually had a total of four children, three sons and a daughter (in that order). The daughter, Kathryn Rita, went on to become the mother of a nearly-famous Brickman.
Interesting note: my Mom, as well as her 3 brothers, attended Catholic School while they were growing up in New York. And they were the ONLY kids in their class with the last name "Levine".
Interesting note Number Two: Mom's eldest brother, my late uncle Howard, spent several years in the U.S. Army. Because of his last name, it was assumed that he was Jewish, so he was excused from certain drills/exercises during Jewish holidays. But when he didn't show up on Christmas or Easter etc. his superiors would question his absence. Howard would simply show them his dogtag, which was clearly marked with a "C"--for Catholic.
(my family is a creative bunch)
--J
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
buckytom said:
BT:
Yes, they did. The stories were gut wrenching. As a kid, I didn't get nursery rhymes, I got stories of my parents' childhoods. My great grandfather saw his son (my grandfather) murdered at a mass grave site. My mother and aunt worked for a friendly sheik carrying water when they were young girls.
Groups of Armenians marched from town to town looking for locations where the local govt. was friendly. They were able to get to the US as young adults, thanks to an uncle, and start over.
It's amazing to me that so many of us have diverse backgrounds. Just looking at the diverse locations around the world for DC members is amazing. Factor in the diverse ethnic backgrounds and the mix we have here is amazing!
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
bethzaring said:
Only if you lived in the normal country.
I am from Ukraine and you couldn't even find info on my great grand parents. Even though my grand father told me a lot. Nobody even knows where they died, most likely killed by nazis or buried.
Oh, yeah, I am Not Ukrainian.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
I'm 100% Czech on both sides of the family. In fact, my parents are second cousins, which my husband says explains an AWFUL lot. 
As for hubby, he's 100% Ukrainian.
We've broken the mold.
As for hubby, he's 100% Ukrainian.We've broken the mold.
buckytom said:
You just described Ken's ancestry. Mine is slightly more diverse. I'm half Ukrainian from Dad (my grandparents emigrated when they were very young), and 1/4 Irish, 1/4 English from my Mom.
Since there is more Irish than anything else in my kids we eat a lot of potatoes...
We are just like most of you, a nice intermingling of many cultures.
phinz
Head Chef
Scots-Irish, with some English sprinkled in. Mom's great-whatever grandfather was one of the first 5 of their surname to emigrate from Ireland sometime between 1690 and 1700. We can trace mom's roots back to the 1400s, with her family surname appearing sometime in ~1500 BC. Dad's side is harder to track because the verbal tradition isn't there like mom's is, but they're from the south of Scotland and North of England. I need to get with my eldest aunt, as she's traced more of it than I have.
I wear the Douglas tartan when I have my good kilt on. I have kin that fought against the Crown in the American Revolution, as well as kin that fought on both sides in The War of Northern Aggression.
I wear the Douglas tartan when I have my good kilt on. I have kin that fought against the Crown in the American Revolution, as well as kin that fought on both sides in The War of Northern Aggression.
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Sandyj
Sous Chef
Grandmothers: both born in South Africa, both Dutch speaking. One Grandmother was a true Afrikaner going back a couple of generations in Africa. The other was from a more recently imigrated Hollander family, and, oddly, never considered herself an Afrikaner.
One grandfather (b. 1879!) was borth in South Africa, but his father immigrated in about 1825 from Alsace-Lorraine. The other was probably also born in South Africa, but his parents immigrated from Australia.
Both sets of grandparents raised their children speaking English as their first language, sending them to English speaking schools.
One grandfather (b. 1879!) was borth in South Africa, but his father immigrated in about 1825 from Alsace-Lorraine. The other was probably also born in South Africa, but his parents immigrated from Australia.
Both sets of grandparents raised their children speaking English as their first language, sending them to English speaking schools.
The Z
Head Chef
I never felt connected to any of my 'ethnic' heritage. The culture I relate to is the Iowa farmer. The paternal side of my family was very influential in my upbringing. I was raised on a farm. I worked on my grandfather's, uncle's and father's farms. We had family reunions on farms and lots of extended family (paternal) would come (all farmers). For the record, I think my grandfather and his siblings (10) were born in Iowa and his father and mother came from Germany. But nobody ever talked about German culture (I assume there is some).
On my mother's side... now THAT is an interesting story. She was stolen from an orphanage at the age of 4 and never knew her real family. She was only ever told 'stories' about what happened to them. Just a couple of years ago I found them (YAY ME!) and she has recently met siblings she never remembered she had and learned what really happened to her parents and her siblings. It's a long story, but an interesting one. I also found out that, coincidentally, my blood cousin moved to Vegas about a month before I did. We've met and get together occasionally. Incidentally, he looks a lot like my brother... who looked nothing like anyone in our immediate or extended (paternal) family growing up. We always joked with him about looking like the mailman... but it turns out he looks like the other (now known) side of the family.
On my mother's side... now THAT is an interesting story. She was stolen from an orphanage at the age of 4 and never knew her real family. She was only ever told 'stories' about what happened to them. Just a couple of years ago I found them (YAY ME!) and she has recently met siblings she never remembered she had and learned what really happened to her parents and her siblings. It's a long story, but an interesting one. I also found out that, coincidentally, my blood cousin moved to Vegas about a month before I did. We've met and get together occasionally. Incidentally, he looks a lot like my brother... who looked nothing like anyone in our immediate or extended (paternal) family growing up. We always joked with him about looking like the mailman... but it turns out he looks like the other (now known) side of the family.
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
alix, i knew i liked ken the first time i met him. brothers in "d'oh".
andy, i had an armenian friend when i was a kid who told me the same stories that you'd mentioned. it was unspeakable evil.
and yes, YAY Z!!!!! way to go dude! you've given your family a priceless gift, of unity and connections thru time.
and speaking of unity, ahem, phinz, that was "the war between the states", for our country's unity. you lost (due to archaic tactics, a few bad decisions, and rapidly improving weaponry. not for lack of toughness or spirit). get over it already.
andy, i had an armenian friend when i was a kid who told me the same stories that you'd mentioned. it was unspeakable evil.
and yes, YAY Z!!!!! way to go dude! you've given your family a priceless gift, of unity and connections thru time.
and speaking of unity, ahem, phinz, that was "the war between the states", for our country's unity. you lost (due to archaic tactics, a few bad decisions, and rapidly improving weaponry. not for lack of toughness or spirit). get over it already.
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The Z
Head Chef
buckytom said:
I gotta tell ya buck.... I 'well up' every time I tell (or write about) that story... now too. Nothing has given me more pleasure in my life than to have created a bridge for my mother (at age 64) to her surviving relatives. She ended up meeting her oldest brother only about 6 months before he died and now visits her sisters regularly. I think it's the most significant thing I've ever done. She was always told she was adopted and that her 'real' family was dead. She was never really mistreated or anything. I think the woman who 'took' her (the loving, wonderful woman I always thought of as my grandmother) thought she was rescuing her while, in reality, she was ripping her from her 4 older siblings who, because of their more developed age, never 'got over it' the way she did. It turns out they had looked for her for years and for over 50 years had wondered what had happened to their baby sister.
middie
Chef Extraordinaire
awww that's bittersweet z. my eyes are welling up now too
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
that's absolutely incredible z! i wasn't kidding about the gift you gave your family. it will now carry on throughout the years, growing in it's importance and magnitude as the years pass for all of your family members. you should be very proud.
kudos, man.
kudos, man.
OP
OP
corazon
Executive Chef
That is an incredible accomplishment Z! I'm sure your mother (as well as the rest of the family) feels such gratitude for finding her siblings! Like bucky said, you should be very proud!
bethzaring
Master Chef
Z, that is an incredible story, I not only welled up, I cried. What a gift you have provided to your family!
I thought I would provide a link to the RootsWeb site page that lists the various mailing lists available. They are grouped first by surname, then geographical locations and finally, other. I utilized all three. If I could not find my ancestors, say the Mills family, under the Mills mailing list, I would then try the county/state they resided in. Like this food web site, genealogy mailing lists have people who are extremely helpful in finding information.
http://lists.rootsweb.com/
I thought I would provide a link to the RootsWeb site page that lists the various mailing lists available. They are grouped first by surname, then geographical locations and finally, other. I utilized all three. If I could not find my ancestors, say the Mills family, under the Mills mailing list, I would then try the county/state they resided in. Like this food web site, genealogy mailing lists have people who are extremely helpful in finding information.
http://lists.rootsweb.com/
((Z)))I just have to say I have read and re-read your family history and am in such awe of you to have taken that path on this journey and found your Mom's family -a beautiful ending to an incredible story and the part I love most is the pride and accomplishment you feel and should feel for completing such an adventure.Much congratulations to you and many, many long happy years with your "found" family!!!!Love and energy, Vicki
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