We just returned from a trip to Germany where we went right through the village that my family moved from back in the 1640s. That was pretty cool. I think the woman who is my ancestor had a beautiful name - Anna Maria Marguirita. I won't share their last name because that's my maiden name.
That's the German side. A few years ago I traveled through the countryside surrounding Zurich, Switzerland, where my Jewish ancestors hail from. Their last name was Rebsamen.
My English ancestors are from Northumberland - haven't been there yet. I also have Scotch Irish ancestors but I'm not sure where they're from. Those are the Willises and the Bradleys and the Kirkpatricks and the Lewises.
Those are all on my dad's side. The English ancestors were sea faring, and one of my ancestors traveled with Captain Cooke on his ship the Endeavor. His name was John Willis and the only surviving notation from the captain's log regarding John says, "John Willis is wild and drinking." GO, JOHN!
My French Cajun (Acadian) ancestors come from both parents' families. That's how I ended up being born in New Orleans and having so many coon *** relatives scattered across the fabulous, quirky state of Louisiana. Two of my ancestors - a great great whatever grandfather and his brother - married two Native American sisters whose names were Tabitha and Talitha. I always thought that was the coolest thing.
I have a great great great aunt who just died a few years ago at age 104. She and her parents lived in Texas when it was not even a state. She was abducted by Pancho Villa and his gang when she was twelve years old and lived with them till she was about fourteen. She never had anything negative to say about the experience and said she was treated well. In fact, Pancho Villa gave her some sort of pet bird that lived for DECADES and she was heartbroken when the bird died.
One of my ancestors fought in the battle of Goliad in Texas. And one was a member of the first House of Burgesses in Virginia. And my direct ancestors have all fought in every war this country has experienced - the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, the first Gulf War, the second, and now in Afghanistan. Many women in my family have served in the military as well as the men.
Every branch of my family has been in the the US since at least the 1730s - some as early as the 1640s. So we're about as American as you can get.
Now that I think of it, I believe I've posted all this before. OOps! Oh well.
(That's nothing to do with the actual Mafia by the way, it was just the nickname given to my Grandfather's particular group for reasons I won't go into on the forum).
