Obscure Family History…

[qtlaw]

For past 50+ yrs thought my grandfather was first over here in 1906, so thought my family’s been here over 120 yrs.

Talked to mom recently and she told me for first time that her grandfather actually came first so my family has actually been in US over 150 yrs. (Told my Italian buddy and he said I got him beat by over 50 yrs)

How about your family?

 

[MisterCreosote]

My distant cousin is often credited with coining the phrase “All men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filippo_Mazzei

 

[Spartan Squad]

My grandfather once had to be shuffled out of town when he shouted to the Mexican President that if he kept imposing on the people, he was going to meet the same fate as the other assassinated presidents. It didn't help the president was eventually assassinated.

 

[micropolitan guy]

There are cites named after my ancestors in Massachusetts, New Mexico and Utah.

 

[Big Circus]

A cousin of mine was married to Dorothy Parker and was nominated for an Oscar for writing the original "A Star Is Born."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Campbell_(screenwriter)

 

[dixiehack]

One of mine was a US Senator and railroad robber baron, or at least in tight with them.

 

[justgladtobehere]

There are cites named after my ancestors in Massachusetts, New Mexico and Utah.

Peabody, Marblehead, and Athol?

 

[Driftwood]

One of my fourth great grandfathers helped draft our original state constitution. One of my third great grandmothers was scalped in some kind of Indian raid or something and had to wear a head covering the rest of her life. My third great grandfather was a Confederate officer who somehow survived Vicksburg, was captured and paroled in July '63, and sent home. In October of that same year, the largest battle in our immediate area was fought on his farm. I like to think of him sitting on his front porch with a drink say, "Sittin' this one out, boys."

 

[Baron Scicluna]

My great, great grandfather and my great grandfather owned one of the largest newspapers in Europe. They were friends with Theodor Herzl, who’s considered the father of modern political Zionism. Great Grandpa owned the paper until it was shut down by the Nazis. He was apparently beaten and put in a concentration camp, but the family paid off some Nazis, got him out, and they escaped to various European countries.

One of my grandmother’s sisters became an author and was a mistress of Elias Canetti, who won a Nobel Prize for literature.

Another one of my grandmother’s sisters worked for Radio Free Europe. The few times we spoke by phone, she was pleased that I was in newspapers, but didn’t like that I was in sports. She wanted me in news instead.

 

[OscarMadison]

A second cousin was one of Grantland Rice's more cantankerous proteges. It would be nice if it was Fred Russell, whose writing I love. Nope. I got the cranky one who used to yell at his writers to put on a tie.

 

[micropolitan guy]

A second cousin was one of Grantland Rice's more cantankerous proteges. It would be nice if it was Fred Russell, whose writing I love. Nope. I got the cranky one who used to yell at his writers to put on a tie.

Stanley Woodward?

 

[ChrisLong]

This is all I got: If my grandfather had been successful, you folks in Florida might be drinking Ouzoonian Family cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Grandpa (who I never knew) took the family to Milton, Fla., near Pensacola to try to grow wine grapes. He didn't know about Florida bugs, which ate his crops. They came back to L.A. broke and destitute.

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

This thread inspired me to Google my great-great grandfather, with whom I share a name. I knew he was an architect and had designed the largest hospital in the region I grew up.

That led me to a Wikipedia page for his partner and a list of all their notable projects together. Hospitals, churches, banks, hotels, college halls ... and the high school and library in the city in which I grew up.

I had no idea.

 

[maumann]

Not mine, but Gwen's mother's family lived across the street from the three Gumm sisters in Grand Rapids, Minn., and the three Taylor sisters were close childhood friends with them until the Gumms moved to California and Francis went somewhere over the rainbow.

 

[goalmouth]

Is it really obscure if your ancestor was a Senator? (My cousin was, and quite recently.)

An aunt of -- well, let's be honest, there was no question about her morals -- had a kitchen table abortion.

My grand-uncle was one of the first pedestrian fatalities by auto in New York City.

When my other grand-uncle (and five surviving brothers) sold the family radio tube business to RCA in October 1929, he was offered the presidency of the new NBC radio network. Uncle Natie told them thanks, but he was too busy. So David Sarnoff got the position instead.

In WW2 my uncle was on his way up to the Italian front when a Jewish sargent pulled him out of the line, telling him he wasn't going to let a fellow Jew be sent up to die. He was reassigned to Graves Registration for the rest of the war, an experience he never spoke about, to anyone, ever.

 

[User 150927]

My great grandmother (paternal) was the aunt, I believe, of Louis Nippert who was the majority owner of the Reds from 1973 to 1981. He was very involved in Cincinnati and you'll see the Nippert name on a variety of things. If I have followed the tree correctly, he was my grandmother's first cousin. There are Nipperts buried on the family plot of my father's family in my hometown, although Louis is not there.

 

[goalmouth]

A more distant relative whose family had been harmed by the Hollywood Blacklist went to Altoona, Pa., and shat on the grave of failed actress and gossip monger Hedda Hopper.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

While researching via newspapers.com last year, I learned my maternal grandfather once held the Eastern Pennsylvania record for most points in a high school basketball game. Of course, the sport was only about a decade old at the time. He also played minor league baseball (which we knew), but discovered his team and stats. Let’s just say, it’s not surprising he lasted only one season.

He also broke up a live sex show in the 1950s that was part of a carnival that came through his county.

 

[MTM]

My ex-wife had ancestors who were part of the Donner party. She vehemently denied that they ate any people and didn't find it funny if I'd joke with our son not to get his fingers too close to mom's plate when she's eating.

 

[OscarMadison]

Stanley Woodward?

Nope.

There was also a relative by marriage who did some Davy Crockett-level stuff during a World War. He was played by a laconic western hero in a movie about his exploits and it was hinted that he was the model for Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds (that is hard to type!) He spent his final years living peacefully and flacking hard for educational improvements where he lived.