ANCESTORS & ROOTS

[cdiver2]

After talking with a board member about ancestors and being brought up in diffrent cultures I thought it may be a good idea for others input.
My ancestors. The Kerrs lived in Scotland on the border of England and were border raiders. They would raid the English and blame other Scots, raid Scots and blame the English, at least they were fair about it.

I was raised in the north of England (1949-81) on Ilkley moor ba tat when children were to be seen and not heard, life was tough compaired to to-days standards.
I remember one time I had found a sixpence (10c) and proudly showed it to my grandma, she took it of me and gave me a 1/2 penny in return AND I had to share it with my little sister. Boy was life hard.
Tell us about your ancestors and funny storys from child hood,
I wont laugh promise

 

[gfisher4792]

Pretty simple...I was born and raised in the US, from Filipino parents. They had both come over from the Philippines (met in NYC), Mom for nursing, Dad from the US Navy (this will sound familiar to any other first generation American-Filipinos). Parents both survived the Japanese occupation (barely). Grandfater (Mom's side) was, um, someone who people went to for "loans" (i.e., late on payment, special loan collector sent out). Before that, largely unknown, as recordkeeping wasn't the best in that part of the world. But genetic-wise, I'm Filipino (aboriginal), spot of Chinese and largely Spanish.

 

[cobaltbabe]

I am a first generation Candian who is proud to say that my Da is from Leeds, England. He came to Canada in search of a better life when he was 18 and joined the air force. Dad has told me stories about the invasion on England by Germany. Being put into a cradle type device with a seperate air supply while his father and uncle sat at the window with guns protecting the family.

My mothers side is Irish, from Belfast, 3 generations back. They left very quickly.

I also was raised to be seen and not heard and although I was raised in Canada, I was raised English. My Grandmother always said that things I was doing did not becoming a proper English lass.

 

[cdiver2]

Pretty simple...I was born and raised in the US, from Filipino parents. They had both come over from the Philippines (met in NYC), Mom for nursing, Dad from the US Navy (this will sound familiar to any other first generation American-Filipinos). Parents both survived the Japanese occupation (barely). Grandfater (Mom's side) was, um, someone who people went to for "loans" (i.e., late on payment, special loan collector sent out). Before that, largely unknown, as recordkeeping wasn't the best in that part of the world. But genetic-wise, I'm Filipino (aboriginal), spot of Chinese and largely Spanish.

I did not know the Filipinos had a mafia LOL. I tried that in the army as I dont drink and always had money the other guys would always be borrowing from me so I put a little extra on the end. All was well for a while then some of the guys I had to pressure for my money kicked the s**t out of me, no more loans.

 

[gfisher4792]

I did not know the Filipinos had a mafia LOL. I tried that in the army as I dont drink and always had money the other guys would always be borrowing from me so I put a little extra on the end. All was well for a while then some of the guys I had to pressure for my money kicked the s**t out of me, no more loans.

Let's just say he was an "important person" and when my parents started dating, my grandfather had my Dad checked out to make sure he was a good guy. Lucky for me he passed!

 

[cobaltbabe]

Grandfater (Mom's side) was, um, someone who people went to for "loans" (i.e., late on payment, special loan collector sent out). Before that, largely unknown, as recordkeeping wasn't the best in that part of the world. But genetic-wise, I'm Filipino (aboriginal), spot of Chinese and largely Spanish.

My Irish side was kinda sort in the same business. It carried to Canada when they came over. I am not going to get into politics on the board though.

 

[simbrooks]

So we wont mess with any of your family i take it.

My family all still in the UK, most came from Essex in their youth, family name on my mother's side was Gordon - Scottish, rest are English for a few generations - not particularly exciting - however my kids can say they have an English dad and are 1st generation (sort of, but not if i marry a yank), but my GF has a whole bunch thrown in her gene pool, little Irish, Scottish, Swedish (MN), French (at least the surname is) and a whole bunch of generations over here - her grandma is a member of D.O.R. Daughters of the Revolution War and is really into geneology (sp?) - not to be confused with DIR of course.

As for hard times, i lived in a tiny village in Cornwall for half my youth, only 20 other people lived there - that was hard socially as the demographic was far worse than FL. The rest of the time i spent in a town of about 8000, i thought that was a big town (being a country lad), then moved to a few cities and still hate the built up areas then came over here barely a week after 9/11 - fun times!

 

[The Kraken]

I was born in the south, central Georgia to be exact, in 1949 and of Scottish ancestry (Clan MacGillivray). My first American ancestor arrived in the U.S. shortly after Culloden.

Times were hard compared to todays standards. Didn't have an indoor bathroom until I was 13 years old. Took baths in the ubiquitous galvanized wash tub, but only after my sister had bathed first.

Not having and indoor bathroom, needless to say, led to us having to use the 1: outhouse, 2: johnny, 3: privy, 4: loo depending on the area in which one is reared.

Well, the old place where I grew up was pretty old and most of the outbuilding, to include the outhouse, were in pretty sad condition when Dad bought the property. We had a garden, strawberry beds, chickens and the like, and also all of the other beasts of the fields and fowls of the air, being a rural dwelling.

When I was a little fellow, about 3-4 years old, I was happily perched upon the throne doing my little business, minding my own business when a chicken snake, properly termed a black racer, about the size of a giant anaconda (relative sizes as perceived by a 3 year old) came crawling up through a crack in the floor boards of the outhouse.

Not caring about proprieties at the moment, I went like Mercury running as fast as I could back to the house with my little whitey-tighties and shorts gathered about my ankles, hobbling me as effectively as a good rope, yelling at the top of my lungs, "Naaake ! ! !, naaaake ! ! !, naaaake ! ! ! . . . .

My mother, God rest her soul, remembered that scene until her dying day.

 

[cobaltbabe]

My Canadian Grandmother use to tell me that if I stayed on the outhouse too long the fairies and pixies would bite my bottom. We had a two seater. I also took baths in a little tub and didn't have indoor plumbing until I moved out at 18.

 

[mempilot]

My greatgrandparents on my father's side were run off their land in Germany in mid 30's. They refused to heed the call to join a particular party. The two German Catholics transplanted to Wisconsin, along with my grandfather. My father was born in the states.