# What's your ethnic heritage?



## XoXo (Nov 22, 2011)

Recently my parents were doing our family tree and found out we had some ancestors from Ireland which I found interesting. Is their anything interesting in your family tree? Possibly a famous ancestor? What is your ethnicity from both your mother and fathers side?

My father is Irish and English
My mother is German


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## CWS4322 (Nov 22, 2011)

My mother is Swedish (75%) and German (25%)
My father is Norwegian, English, Irish, Welsh

Lots of interesting ancestors in my family tree.


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## Vanilla Bean (Nov 22, 2011)

As far as I know, I'm a bottle of ketchup.  I didn't meet my real father until I was 18.  Mom said he has some German in him, but who knows.  On my Mom's side, it's mostly english with alittle Swede.


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## Steve Kroll (Nov 22, 2011)

Danish, English, and German.

And no, I don't tan very well, lol.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 22, 2011)

My mother was 100% English and my father was 50% German and 50% French.


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## Selkie (Nov 22, 2011)

My father is 100% Scottish.
My mother is 100% Cajun (85% French and 15% Old World Spanish)


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## TATTRAT (Nov 22, 2011)

Mom's a 100% Swed

Dad's a 100% Brit

My great grandmother on my moms side was the seamstress for the Swedish Royal family. I haven't studied up on my moms side too much 

My dads side, all(men) fought in the wars and are the typical, strong/stoic, Steel workers from Sheffield. My Nan has the most amazing stories of the Blitz, talk about a whole other generation.


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## Katie H (Nov 22, 2011)

I'm kind of a mixture.  A lot of Irish, a medium bit of Austrian-Croation, and a pinch of Italian.

I've been mistaken for full Italian, with my skin tone and dark hair and I burn in the sun like a true Irishman, but my freckles do hold hands and I don't spend the summer pasty white.  My husband said I inherited my voluptuousness from my Austrian-Croation side.  I have two younger sisters and I think they got the short end of the stick in that department or I got all those genes instead.


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## buckytom (Nov 22, 2011)

i'm 50/50 irish and norwegian.
,,
my maternal grandparents emigrated to the usa from norway with a large family, but when they got here they added 1 more, my mom. later, some moved back to norway so i still have cousins there.

my paternal grandparents emigrated to the us, had my dad after wwi, then moved back to ireland and had more kids. so my dad was born american but raised in ireland. they all moved back to the u.s. just before wwii.


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## Timothy (Nov 22, 2011)

My Dad's side of the family comes from Germany and my Mom's side is from Ireland.

I'm 100% Southern USA.


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## Max Sutton (Nov 22, 2011)

*German-Irish*

I'm Irish on my maternal side and German on my paternal side of the family.


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## Andy M. (Nov 22, 2011)

Armenian - both sides.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Nov 22, 2011)

My maternal grandparents came to the U.S. from Sicily in the early 1900s. My paternal great grandfather came here from Bavaria in the mid 1800s, and my paternal grandmother's family came to the shores of Lake Erie on a land grant from the King of England, then emigrated to Canada after the revolution because the new Government kept letting all those "damn foreigners" in!


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## babetoo (Nov 22, 2011)

irish and italian. the only thing i got from the italian side was being short. my sister has the Italian hair and skin color but is 5'11". i am 5'2" very fair skin for me, guess that is the irish. i burn like crazy but no freckles. but mostly i am american.


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## Hoot (Nov 22, 2011)

Family members that have done some research tell me that our family has Scottish ancestors. I reckon one of these days I need to sit down and review their research.


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## Kayelle (Nov 22, 2011)

Timothy said:


> My Dad's side of the family comes from Germany and my Mom's side is from Ireland.
> 
> I'm 100% Southern USA.



I'm exactly your European  heritage Timothy but  I'm a California girl through and through.

My mother had a branch of our family tree done when I was a child, and it turns out thart  *Benjamin Franklin* was our my many times great uncle.
The whole family has always referred to him as "Uncle Benjy"


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## Uncle Bob (Nov 22, 2011)

English ~ Irish ~ Dutch ancestors came over on boats....While others met them at the dock.

Me? I am an American by birth, and a Southerner by the Grace of God!!


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## pacanis (Nov 22, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> I'm exactly your European heritage Timothy but I'm a California girl through and through.
> 
> My mother had a branch of our family tree done when I was a child, and it turns out thart *Benjamin Franklin* was our my many times great uncle.
> The whole family has always referred to him as "Uncle Benjy"


 
No kidding? My many times great _great_ uncle showed him how to build kites when he was a kid.


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## Timothy (Nov 22, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> I'm exactly your European heritage Timothy but I'm a California girl through and through.
> 
> My mother had a branch of our family tree done when I was a child, and it turns out thart *Benjamin Franklin* was our my many times great uncle.
> The whole family has always referred to him as "Uncle Benjy"


 
Well, are you a "Southern California" girl or a NorCal girl? You might be a Southerner too!

Oh, and I forgot to include that I"m a direct decentant of Light Horse Harry Lee, Robert E. Lee's Daddy.


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## Claire (Jan 10, 2012)

French-Canadian on both sides, a small dollop of Indian which I think is the norm for that, on both sides.  My paternal family came down from Quebec when my dad's older siblings were young children (he was born in New Hampshire).  Mom's family migrated south to NH during her parents' generation.  Have no idea who came over from France, when, or how.


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## roadfix (Jan 10, 2012)

Mother:  Japanese, from Japan
Father:  Greek, from USA
Roadfix:  mutt, who gets mistaken for a Latino, who speaks fluent Japanese, with a Greek last name.


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## Addie (Jan 10, 2012)

I am Native American and English. My people were here to greet my people. My father was 50% Indian from Maine. My mother was an Adams as in John, Samuel. Her family owned a farm here in East Boston. Her mother died when she was nine and her father when she was ten. The farm was sold and the money was used for her medical care. She had polio. Now the farm (after two other owners) is a housing development. And it is ironic that two of my children have lived there. Son #1 is still there. 

The tribe is rather wealthy now. They sued the Federal Govt. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to get back their land.  Every one who is registered with the tribe and over 21, gets a monthly check. I am entitled to register. But the only thing Indian I have ever done is open a can of corn. I don't feel I am entitled to anything. My youngest son is  a quarter Cherokee on his father side. So he too is entitled to registered. But he feels as I do. Had he gone through the trouble to register, he could have gotten all his college for free no matter how many years he attended.

A friend of the family did a tree and traced our family back to the early 1700's on my father's side. She is now working on my mother's side. My grandfather was full Native American from the Passamaqqody Tribe in Maine. He migrated to Nova Scotia to find work, then down to Massachusetts. I always state the Native American first and check it off when asked about my background. The English side? Well they were rabble rousing trouble makers and disloyal to their King. If you saw a picture of my mother, she looks exactly like John Adams.


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## vitauta (Jan 10, 2012)

latvian - 100% on both my mother's and father's side.  of course, latvia itself was conquered and occupied repeatedly by germany and russia, crisscrossing the small baltic nation at will, back and forth, over the course of a millenium or more....


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## buckytom (Jan 10, 2012)

Addie said:


> I am Native American and English. My people were here to greet my people. My father was 50% Indian from Maine. My mother was an Adams as in John, Samuel. Her family owned a farm here in East Boston. Her mother died when she was nine and her father when she was ten. The farm was sold and the money was used for her medical care. She had polio. Now the farm (after two other owners) is a housing development. And it is ironic that two of my children have lived there. Son #1 is still there.
> 
> The tribe is rather wealthy now. They sued the Federal Govt. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to get back their land.  Every one who is registered with the tribe and over 21, gets a monthly check. I am entitled to register. But the only thing Indian I have ever done is open a can of corn. I don't feel I am entitled to anything. My youngest son is  a quarter Cherokee on his father side. So he too is entitled to registered. But he feels as I do. Had he gone through the trouble to register, he could have gotten all his college for free no matter how many years he attended.
> 
> A friend of the family did a tree and traced our family back to the early 1700's on my father's side. She is now working on my mother's side. My grandfather was full Native American from the Passamaqqody Tribe in Maine. He migrated to Nova Scotia to find work, then down to Massachusetts. I always state the Native American first and check it off when asked about my background. The English side? Well they were rabble rousing trouble makers and disloyal to their King. If you saw a picture of my mother, she looks exactly like John Adams.



lol, addie. you're too much. 

i'll bet your mom was quite the looker after a few sam adams'  lagers...


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## DaveSoMD (Jan 10, 2012)

Mom's side - Lithuanian and French
Dad's side - Polish and German


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## forty_caliber (Jan 10, 2012)

"Never ask a man where he is from.  If he is from Texas he'll let you know, if not, don't embarrass him." - _*Top Gun*_ 

Family history shows both Scottish and English relations.  Our family name has a crest associated with it dating to around 1066 if you believe in that sort of thing.  According to the heraldic legend, the ancestors were bow makers.

I'm at home in the Lone Star State and always will be.

.40


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## bakechef (Jan 10, 2012)

Mom's side, English and German

Dad's side, Irish and French Canadian

I'm a mutt, LOL!


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## JoAnn L. (Jan 10, 2012)

Mom's side~ French and Luxembourg

Dad's side~ English and Luxembourg


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## Barbara L (Jan 10, 2012)

My mom was 100% Swedish (both of her parents were born in Sweden and they met in Illinois).

My mom said my biological father was German. She didn't know if he had anything else in him, but she didn't think so.

I am half Swedish and half German.


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## chopper (Jan 10, 2012)

All of my ancestors on both sides came from Germany. My father's side has been here for a very long time(Penn. Dutch), and my mothers side came to Michigan when my Great-Grandfather was a teenager.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 10, 2012)

Mostly Swedish, other part Norwegian. My dad's great-grandfather fought in the Civil War and then returned to Norway to be the first Consul General when Norway was granted its freedom from Sweden. My mom's family came to the US when there was a need for pharmacists from Sweden in MN. One of her ancestors was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Sweden. A first cousin was responsible for mapping Lapland and establishing Kiruna. February 23rd is named after him in Kiruna. And another first cousin was a well-known Swedish artist in the late 40s and 50s. 

If my dad's great-grandfather hadn't died in Norway before the Titanic sailed, my great-great grandmother and great-great grandfather would've been on the Titanic because they already had passage booked. However, it wouldn't have made a difference, because my grandma was already born before the Titanic sailed. My great-grandfather was President McKinley's press secretary and served in the MN state legislature. He also was one of the first people to drive the Yellowstone Trail. My grandfather was one of the civil engineers who worked on the Hoover Dam and also the dams on the Mississippi in Mpls. The rest of us are just mutts. We haven't accomplished what they did.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 10, 2012)

Quarter Czechoslovakian, the rest a mutt mix of Irish, English, French, Dutch and German.


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## LifeIsOnTheWire (Jan 10, 2012)

Hey everyone, just registered today (been browsing the forums here for a long time).  This looks like a fun way to introduce myself 

My dad's side is 100% Irish (Ulster Scots Irish).  My father immigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland as a teenager.  I can trace my paternal lineage with names and birth/death dates into the 1600's.  And I know they came from Scotland in the 1300's.  I have a few relatives that worked on the construction of the Titanic, and I am related to one of the wives of US President Woodrow Wilson.  

My mother's side of the family are Canadian Mennonite (a group that fled to Canada from Russia, escaping religious persecution).  My grandmother's family has been in Canada for generations.  My Grandfather's family was part of a small group of Mennonites that left Canada (over a disagreement with the Government's requirement to teach English in their schools), and settled in Mexico, and formed a colony.  My great-grandfather was exiled from the colony, so my grandfather grew up in a town called Cuauhtemoc.  He and his father eventually retreated back to Canada, with no money at all, and earned enough money picking fruit in Southern B.C. to pay for his mother and sisters to immigrate.  

All history aside, I grew up learning alot of Mennonite cooking, Mexican cooking, and a little bit of Mexican-Mennonite cooking (yes, it exists).  I'm gonna post a few of my favorites here next time I cook up some of them.


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## Addie (Jan 11, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Mostly Swedish, other part Norwegian. My dad's great-grandfather fought in the Civil War and then returned to Norway to be the first Consul General when Norway was granted its freedom from Sweden. My mom's family came to the US when there was a need for pharmacists from Sweden in MN. One of her ancestors was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of Sweden. A first cousin was responsible for mapping Lapland and establishing Kiruna. February 23rd is named after him in Kiruna. And another first cousin was a well-known Swedish artist in the late 40s and 50s.
> 
> If my dad's great-grandfather hadn't died in Norway before the Titanic sailed, my great-great grandmother and great-great grandfather would've been on the Titanic because they already had passage booked. However, it wouldn't have made a difference, because my grandma was already born before the Titanic sailed. My great-grandfather was President McKinley's press secretary and served in the MN state legislature. He also was one of the first people to drive the Yellowstone Trail. My grandfather was one of the civil engineers who worked on the Hoover Dam and also the dams on the Mississippi in Mpls. The rest of us are just mutts. We haven't accomplished what they did.


 
In the fourth grade many many moons ago, the very first subject we studied in geography was Lapland. I was so fascinated by the subject matter, that I learned to love geography from that day on. And I would have to say that you have accomplished just as much. After all, you are the Mother Chicken of them all!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 11, 2012)

Addie said:


> In the fourth grade many many moons ago, the very first subject we studied in geography was Lapland. I was so fascinated by the subject matter, that I learned to love geography from that day on. And I would have to say that you have accomplished just as much. After all, you are the Mother Chicken of them all!


It was Kipling who nicknamed my ancestor the uncrowned King of Lapland. I have a pair of those slippers/shoes!


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

Hey, LifeIsOnTheWire, welcome to DC and I certainly look forward to reading your recipes. Have fun.


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## Somebunny (Jan 11, 2012)

My heritage isn't as interesting as some folks here...
English and French on mothers side
Irish, English and possibly Swedish on fathers side.  I have been researching my ancestry for many years, but have concentrated on my father's side for the last few years.  The reason that I say "possibly" Swedish is because of my family surname ending in "son", some of us assume that it is Swedish.   I just cannot find anything proving that "my people" originated there. I can trace my father's side back to the 1700's but can't figure out how they got here, they just seem to have appeared out of nowhere!   An interesting side note is that during my research I discovered that in this country my family is from Maine.  I also discovered many  2nd and 3rd cousins still living there and was able to become acquainted with one and his wife via Ancestry and Facebook.  We realized that we were both going to be visiting Yellowstone Nat. Park at the same time in September of 2010.  So we were able to meet up with them for dinner at the Yellowstone Lodge.  That was cool!  Just goes to show how small the world really is!

BTW, supposedly on my mothers side we are related to Jesse James (notorious "old west" bank robber) but, then who isn't? Lol!


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## Addie (Jan 11, 2012)

I hope all of you know that the Church of Lattter Day Saints (Mormons) in Salt Lake City has family records and archives going back a number of centuries. Researching is free if you wish to trace your family. And there is also your States records of births, deaths, marrieges and divorce. These records are public and also free.


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## vitauta (Jan 11, 2012)

hello life, and welcome to dc!  we look forward to hearing more from you about this mexican-mennonite connection you mentioned--sounds fascinating for sure!


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## Claire (Jan 11, 2012)

Many years ago, soon after the "iron curtain" fell, we were able to go to Slovenia (part of the old Yugoslavia) to visit places my husband had heard stories about for most of his life.  We were sitting on a terrace in his paternal grandparents' birthplace (a small village called Metlika) and my husband joked that I had a crush on our waiter.  It was really funny.  The village square was actually circular, and the waiter would fill his tray with wine, beer, and shots, then go to various stores and offices around the town center, bringing happy hour libations to shops and offices.  

Then he stopped when he had a few minutes, and asked us if we were Rus.  Yes (last name has been anglicized at Ellis Island, like many).  "I am Rus, too.  My mother."  It isn't a common name in Slovenia, and husband doesn't really look like the Slovenes.  There was an old lady, sitting on a straight-backed chair soaking in the late, unseasonably sunny and warm, weather.  Didn't think too much of it.  The young man (we learned, 19) worked nights at the (only) hotel, and was the one who was asked to take care of our passports, do the checking in that was necessary.  It was almost impossible that he wasn't at least a distant cousin, it wasn't a common name, and the clan is still small and disappearing.  The next morning, our last there, he got off shift, and made sure we had a good breakfast, then escorted us to the bus stop and gave us a bottle of the locally made wine.  Then asked if we remembered the old lady sitting in the sun.  "She is Russian Martha, the last of  your family to have the family home."  

To this day we regret not turning around and staying for another day or two.  Our next destination was Venice, and we didn't want to miss it.  SO we got on the bus.  Of course everything going to Venice was totally booked for days, so didn't get to go there, and really regretted not spending time with these tenuous relatives of my husband.  

Oh, the waiter was truly adorable.  Maybe a little crush!


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## Somebunny (Jan 11, 2012)

What a great story Claire!  See what I mean about a small world? What is it they say about 6 degrees of separation?  Some of us DCers could even be related!


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## buckytom (Jan 11, 2012)

that's true.  k.t.h. and i are distant relatves.

her dad's surname is my own.


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## Somebunny (Jan 11, 2012)

Sorry Bucky, I'm "brain dead tonight. KTH?


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## buckytom (Jan 11, 2012)

our distinguished moderator, katie h.

once, k.t.o...


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## Somebunny (Jan 11, 2012)

Oh!!! Ok I didn't equate the initials with Katie!  Duh!  Seriously?? How distant?


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## buckytom (Jan 11, 2012)

well, she lives in the heartland, and i live just outside nyc, so...

j/k. i don't know. but her dad's surname is my own, so we're talking within 10 generations or so on average.


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## Katie H (Jan 11, 2012)

buckytom said:


> well, she lives in the heartland, and i live just outside nyc, so...
> 
> j/k. i don't know. but her dad's surname is my own, so we're talking within 10 generations or so on average.



Yes, I suspect that bucky and I are cousins somewhere along the line.

My fraternal grandfather came here from Ireland, don't recall when, but my daddy was born in this country in 1918.  My daddy's family was Irish through-and-through until he married my mother, who wasn't Irish.  So my Irish heritage is pretty strong.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 11, 2012)

Somebunny said:


> My heritage isn't as interesting as some folks here...
> English and French on mothers side
> Irish, English and possibly Swedish on fathers side.  I have been researching my ancestry for many years, but have concentrated on my father's side for the last few years.  The reason that I say "possibly" Swedish is because of my family surname ending in "son", some of us assume that it is Swedish.   I just cannot find anything proving that "my people" originated there. I can trace my father's side back to the 1700's but can't figure out how they got here, they just seem to have appeared out of nowhere!   An interesting side note is that during my research I discovered that in this


 Because Norway did not get it's independence from Sweden until 1905, your "Swedish" ancestors may have lived in Norway.


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## CharlieD (Jan 11, 2012)

How boring my ancestory will sound compare to all of you. Both of my parents and all 4 grandparents were born in Ukraine, even though I have a polish last name. Though very rear in present form. My grandfather never heard of anybody being from Poland, his parents and grandparents are all from Ukraine too. So we do not know where the name came from. Actually thanks to Internet I found people with the same last name, not related at all, all over the world.


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## tinlizzie (Jan 11, 2012)

Both mother and father English/Irish/Scot whose folks had settled in the eastern Tennessee mountains around the Cumberland Gap - don't know how far back. Do you suppose I could be related to Dolly Parton if you go far enough back?


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## PattY1 (Jan 11, 2012)

German and Dutch on my mothers side. Irish on my fathers.


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

I guess my real ethnic heritage, at this moment, would be "Earthling"

Along with 7 Billion of my fellow Earthlings.

It sure would be nice if we all started working together as a unified species instead of a thousand different societies claiming special rights over a patch of dirt.

Think of what we could do if duplication of effort was removed from our sciences and cultures.

This total corporation of humans, as a species will come eventually. It has to, to be successful as a species. No one wants to be the first to discard thier "National" rights to a patch of dirt. What a shame.

"The world population is the totality of all living humans on the planet Earth. As of today, it is estimated to number 6.987 billion by the United States Census Bureau. According to a separate estimate by the United Nations, it has already exceeded 7 billion."


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 11, 2012)

Timothy said:


> ...As of today, it is estimated to number 6.987 billion by the United States Census Bureau. According to a separate estimate by the United Nations, it has already exceeded 7 billion."


I just find it astounding how much the population has grown over the last few decades. I still remember reading in my grade school "Weekly Reader" that the earth's population was estimated to be 3.5 billion. This was back in the 1960s. It's mind boggling when you consider that for every person on the planet back then, there are now two people. It took millions of years prior to that just to reach the 1 billion mark.


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## Addie (Jan 11, 2012)

Most surnames, no matter the country of origin, usually will refer to the occupation on the head of household. And as most often the oldest son would follow in the steps of the father, and any other sons would be apprenticed out, the oldes son would carry on the family name.


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## buckytom (Jan 12, 2012)

Somebunny said:


> My heritage isn't as interesting as some folks here...
> English and French on mothers side
> Irish, English and possibly Swedish on fathers side. I have been researching my ancestry for many years, but have concentrated on my father's side for the last few years. The reason that I say "possibly" Swedish is because of my family surname ending in "son", some of us assume that it is Swedish.



i'd learned from my norwegian relatives that you could tell if a person was swedish or norwegian by the way "son" was spelled on the end of their surname. 

"sen" was norwegian, "son" was swedish.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jan 12, 2012)

My mother(alive) is Austro/Hungarian, my father(dead) was Polish.
Claire I drive around Slovenia on the way to Croatia,the people and country are great.The pig is king and there are still plenty of cafe's that roast them like this beside the road


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## Somebunny (Jan 12, 2012)

buckytom said:
			
		

> i'd learned from my norwegian relatives that you could tell if a person was swedish or norwegian by the way "son" was spelled on the end of their surname.
> 
> "sen" was norwegian, "son" was swedish.



Yes, Bucky this is what I had always been told as well.  But I bet their was some "bleeding over" at some point.


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## Somebunny (Jan 12, 2012)

I forgot the Scots on my mom's side....I guess I'm just Heinz 57


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## Timothy (Jan 12, 2012)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> My mother(alive) is Austro/Hungarian, my father(dead) was Polish.
> Claire I drive around Slovenia on the way to Croatia,the people and country are great.The pig is king and there are still plenty of cafe's that roast them like this beside the roadView attachment 12810


 
Now THAT'S the way to roast a pig! Yum City!


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## Rocklobster (Jan 12, 2012)

French. Both Sides.


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## taxlady (Jan 12, 2012)

buckytom said:


> i'd learned from my norwegian relatives that you could tell if a person was swedish or norwegian by the way "son" was spelled on the end of their surname.
> 
> "sen" was norwegian, "son" was swedish.



Danes use "sen" as well. Swedes usually have an "s" in front of the "son". E.g., Danish: Larsen; Swedish: Larsson.

Just plain "son" is often English, e.g., Johnson, Peterson.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> My mother(alive) is Austro/Hungarian, my father(dead) was Polish.
> Claire I drive around Slovenia on the way to Croatia,the people and country are great.The pig is king and there are still plenty of cafe's that roast them like this beside the roadView attachment 12810


Before I read the post, I thought "no, Bolas has not posted a pic of one of his relatives on a spit!"


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## Claire (Jan 14, 2012)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> My mother(alive) is Austro/Hungarian, my father(dead) was Polish.
> Claire I drive around Slovenia on the way to Croatia,the people and country are great.The pig is king and there are still plenty of cafe's that roast them like this beside the roadView attachment 12810



It has been almost two decades since we went to Slovenia, and boy are you right about the pig back then.  As a general rule, we're pretty much OK with places where you go (called different places in different countries, but pretty much unknown in the U.S.) and you simply eat what they serve.  Delicious meals every time.  But we hit a spa town, I think Dolnska Toplice (don't quote me, I don't feel like going back and forth between web sites to make sure I have it right), and soon realized our "spa" included meals were going to be more pork, after a week of pork, pork, and more.  It was delicious, but we were ready for lighter fare and were surprised this was considered "spa" fare!  So we went back to our hotel/inn/resort/spa, and opted out of the "meals included" for the rest of our stay.  It was wonderful, all around.  At that time no one besides college students spoke any English, and we were getting by on the few words of French, German, and Russian we had between us (it worked, with a lot of good-will on all sides!).  Instead of the meals we would have normally eaten, we went to grocery stores and bought bread, cheese, and cured meats (probably pork as well!) so we could eat a little lighter!  Picnicked  out in fields or in our room and went out for a pizza (yeah, I'm sure with more pork!).  It was great fun.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

Many years ago when the kids were still in grade school and studying geography, I purchased a Readers Digest Atlas of all the countries of the world. The real neat thing about it was every town, country, river, byway, etc, had three labels. The original in the native language with the native spelling. Underneath, the native phonetic pronouncement in English, and then the American name. The kids poured over that book. They were fascinated with languages that didn't use the Arabic alphabet. I sometime I wish I still had that book.


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## buckytom (Jan 14, 2012)

claire, your life sounds so much like my own sister's life, oddly enough also named claire (same spelling, too). she married a west point cadet back in 1980, and ended up travelling the world with him to his assignments.(there's a term for it but i can't remember)
he just retired a full bird colonel after 30+ years, the past 7 years in the horn of africa, iraq, and afghanistan. that was enough. if he stuck it out, he would have made general, but war is hell as the expression goes.

i've always been quite envious of her world travels.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

.(there's a term for it but i can't remember)


Deployed?


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## buckytom (Jan 14, 2012)

that's it.

thanks, addie.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

buckytom said:


> that's it.
> 
> thanks, addie.


 
My pleasure. We all have senior moments. I have lots of them.


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## babetoo (Jan 14, 2012)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> My mother(alive) is Austro/Hungarian, my father(dead) was Polish.
> Claire I drive around Slovenia on the way to Croatia,the people and country are great.The pig is king and there are still plenty of cafe's that roast them like this beside the roadView attachment 12810


 
for some reason that picture disturbs me. guess i don't want my pork to look like the animal.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

babetoo said:


> for some reason that picture disturbs me. guess i don't want my pork to look like the animal.


 
And when I see an animal on the hoof, I see lots of recipes.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 14, 2012)

Addie said:


> My pleasure. We all have senior moments. I have lots of them.



You just made me snort a chunk of cantaloupe out my nose!


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## Addie (Jan 15, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> You just made me snort a chunk of cantaloupe out my nose!


 
If it had been liquid, you could have washed your screen. My waste a good snortle.


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## Claire (Jan 15, 2012)

buckytom said:


> claire, your life sounds so much like my own sister's life, oddly enough also named claire (same spelling, too). she married a west point cadet back in 1980, and ended up travelling the world with him to his assignments.(there's a term for it but i can't remember)
> he just retired a full bird colonel after 30+ years, the past 7 years in the horn of africa, iraq, and afghanistan. that was enough. if he stuck it out, he would have made general, but war is hell as the expression goes.
> 
> i've always been quite envious of her world travels.



Military wife, and military brat (child of a military person, no reflection on the child's behavior.  If anything, my teacher friends tell me they vastly  prefer a classroom of military brats.).  And, yes, I'm both, plus a veteran  myself.  You either love it or hate it.  In my case, I always felt sorry for my cousins who never strayed further than a few miles from where they were born.  My sisters, though, were appalled when I chose to marry an Army officer.  "You didn't get enough of that **** when we were growing up?"  Well, I got Hawaii, Virginia, and DC and I love all of those places.  My husband's name was to be put forward for full bird, but he declined to be considered and retired.  He said his war was the cold war, and he won, time to retire.


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## Claire (Jan 15, 2012)

Addie said:


> I hope all of you know that the Church of Lattter Day Saints (Mormons) in Salt Lake City has family records and archives going back a number of centuries. Researching is free if you wish to trace your family. And there is also your States records of births, deaths, marrieges and divorce. These records are public and also free.



I'm just doing this to move it up.  When I was in junior high, I was told that they started these records because of the early polygamous marriages, to insure that no one inadvertently married someone who was too closely related.  Whatever the reason, anyone who's into geneology makes this a must-do.  I don't know about other places, but even in our small town, you can go to the basement of the library and find help in geneological research.

My family names are so common in old Quebec as to make it suspect when anyone comes up with a family history beyond what we know from memory.  You could go to Louisiana and make up  yet another whole family history using the same names.


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## Claire (Jan 15, 2012)

vitauta said:


> latvian - 100% on both my mother's and father's side.  of course, latvia itself was conquered and occupied repeatedly by germany and russia, crisscrossing the small baltic nation at will, back and forth, over the course of a millenium or more....



Once, when my husband was stationed in Hawaii, I came across a woman with an accent I couldn't identify.  Military wives run the gamut of countries.  I asked her.  This was in the 80s.  "My country no longer exists."  I racked my brains and for some reason came up with Lithuania and Latvia.  I guessed the latter and she was thrilled that I got it right!


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## vitauta (Jan 15, 2012)

Claire said:


> Once, when my husband was stationed in Hawaii, I came across a woman with an accent I couldn't identify.  Military wives run the gamut of countries.  I asked her.  This was in the 80s.  "My country no longer exists."  I racked my brains and for some reason came up with Lithuania and Latvia.  I guessed the latter and she was thrilled that I got it right!




yes, latvia was occupied by russia during the cold war, after ww2.  as of 1990, latvia, lithuania and estonia are independent and free nations once again!

very few people would have been able to come up with this lady's nation of origin, as you did, claire!  latvia is a tiny country, about the size of new jersey, with a population of only about two million people.  you made that lady's day for sure, claire, by your recognition.  and today you made mine....


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## buckytom (Jan 15, 2012)

vitauta said:


> latvia is a tiny country, about the size of new jersey, with a population of only about two million people.



do latvian women have big hair, get in fist fights at beach bars, and pay tolls every mile on highways?

ahhh, home sweet home.


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## vitauta (Jan 15, 2012)

buckytom said:


> do latvian women have big hair, get in fist fights at beach bars, and pay tolls every mile on highways?
> 
> ahhh, home sweet home.




i probably shoulda said west virginia....


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## buckytom (Jan 15, 2012)

lol, oh sorry.

they marry their sisters???


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## Addie (Jan 15, 2012)

buckytom said:


> lol, oh sorry.
> 
> they marry their sisters???


 
That's Utah!


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## chopper (Jan 15, 2012)

babetoo said:
			
		

> for some reason that picture disturbs me. guess i don't want my pork to look like the animal.



It is funny how we are ok with a chicken sitting on a beer can in the gas grill, but to a pig on a rotisserie bothers us.


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## vitauta (Jan 15, 2012)

buckytom said:


> lol, oh sorry.
> 
> they marry their sisters???




wayy better....


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## Claire (Jan 15, 2012)

vitauta said:


> yes, latvia was occupied by russia during the cold war, after ww2.  as of 1990, latvia, lithuania and estonia are independent and free nations once again!
> 
> very few people would have been able to come up with this lady's nation of origin, as you did, claire!  latvia is a tiny country, about the size of new jersey, with a population of only about two million people.  you made that lady's day for sure, claire, by your recognition.  and today you made mine....



I only came up with it because Mom joined a book club when I was around 10 years old.  Why, I don't know, because she really isn't much of a reader.  One book was _Leave Your Tears in Moscow_, a memoir of an American woman who went to visit her roots and wound up in a prison camp in Siberia.  That's how I learned about Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.  For some reason, I can never remember Estonia.  Coming up with Latvia was just lucky guess.  But the woman always thought fondly of me because I actually knew her country existed at one time (and does again!  Yay!)


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## Lil Ms Sueshine (Jan 17, 2012)

I'm a mix but I think it comes with being Filipino since the Philippines has been occupied quite a bit. 

Mom's side: Filipino, Chinese, Irish-American
Dad's side: Filipino, Spanish (not quite sure what else is mixed in there)

A lot of people aren't sure what I am when they first meet me. I've been confused for Mexican, Spanish, American Indian/Eskimo. The Irish-American kicks in cause I'm lighter and taller than most Filipinos


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## PattY1 (Jan 17, 2012)

This was on my Face Book page today.

View attachment 12858


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## buckytom (Jan 17, 2012)

i see scots were not represented. (pale blue. see billy connolly )


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 17, 2012)

buckytom said:


> i see scots were not represented. (pale blue. see billy connolly )



Woad is me, we didn't want to be pict on.


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## taxlady (Jan 17, 2012)

buckytom said:


> i see scots were not represented. (pale blue. see billy connolly )





PrincessFiona60 said:


> Woad is me, we didn't want to be pict on.





What a pair of silly buggers. That's what my Scottish MIL would have said.

I once saw Billy Connolly live, in Montreal. OMG, that man is funny. My ex had a whole bunch of his albums.


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## roadfix (Jan 17, 2012)

In my next life I'd like to be born a Tibetan.  Politics aside, I like their simple way of existence.


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 17, 2012)

roadfix said:


> In my next life I'd like to be born a Tibetan.  Politics aside, I like their simple way of existence.




I have always had an interest in the simple life but, I must confess I have been a failure at it.

I like this quote that was attributed to Diogenes: " poverty is the only thing money can't buy."


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## vitauta (Jan 17, 2012)

buckytom said:


> i see scots were not represented. (pale blue. see billy connolly )




billy connolly is as blue as they come--spastic, bombastic, comic genius.... (big lol)


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## vitauta (Jan 17, 2012)

roadfix said:


> In my next life I'd like to be born a Tibetan.  Politics aside, I like their simple way of existence.




i would love to live the simple, naturalistic lifestyle of thoreau's walden pond--with servants....


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## CWS4322 (Jan 17, 2012)

vitauta said:


> i would love to live the simple, naturalistic lifestyle of thoreau's walden pond--with servants....


That simple, naturalistic lifestyle can be a lot of work in the 21st century. It's amazing how long it takes to spin enough fiber to make an outfit...I'm still working on it.


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## Sprout (Jan 17, 2012)

Ready for this: 
About half of me is made up of Irish and Native American (1/16 Cherokee and 1/8 Chippewa). The rest of me is Scottish, English, French, German and possibly Dutch. 
If I'm not enough of a mutt, my husband also has Scandinavian ancestry, so my girls will just have to say "human," and maybe throw in "the sun hurts." (That bit of Native blood hasn't helped much.)

As for cool ancestry, my paternal grandmother's great or great-great-grandfather was a chief and a dog-sled mail carrier (interesting combo, eh?), we, too, are related to Jesse James (the outlaw, not the tv guy) and we have pioneer ancestors who pulled handcarts to Utah.


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