The Halloweenie will be eligible to joint the D.A.R. as Johan Schmeh fought in the Revolutionary War, reputedly being at Valley Forge that winter.

Well, shit. Here I was taking perverse pride in my family being one of the most non-Anglo white families ever, and now I've blown it.

This is the kind of thing you really should tell a girl before you knock her up.

I'm such a vain femme. I love this picture

Just me, or between the red smear and the look in her eyes in that shot, wouldn't juliana fit in neatly with Boxer Rebellion era Spike and Dru?

Not really here, back to lurking, errr, working.

This is the kind of thing you really should tell a girl before you knock her up.

Okay! My Dad's line has been in the USA since 1763. Now you know. My Mom's side might also be that old, but I'm not sure. They definitely fought in the Civil War though, 'cuz I've seen the pictures.

I need to hear this story.

My memory is rusty on this, and I'm not sure if I'm conflating Joe's ancestoral story with that of Sidney Biddle Barrows' (The Mayflower Madam), but I seem to remember Joe's mother saying that Joe's billion-greats uncle fell off the boat, drunk, and had to be rescued.

The Buffistas are all related.

Not me. While all y'all were conquering America and throwing off the shackles of British oppression, my people were horse thieves in County Cork.

(Actually, there was a McCarthy clan that was horse thieves, and a McCarthy clan that was royalty, but given our modern disposition, we're pretty sure we're NOT descended from royalty.)

I know someone who claims both generals Grant and Lee as part of her family tree.

My paternal grandfather's family has been in the US since the late 18th century, but most of my ancestors came from Scandahoovia long after.

I'm not sure if I'm conflating Joe's ancestoral story with that of Sidney Biddle Barrows' (The Mayflower Madam)

I went to college with Wing Biddle from that Main Line Philly family, btw. Real nice guy and a good swimmer.

my people were horse thieves in County Cork.

I've got some horse thieves and bank robbers in my family in the Wild West days. Also my cousin Gary was in the Hell's Angels. (Now he owns a used car lot and is doing very well, thank you.)

The Buffistas are all related.

We have more Czech peasants? That's the only bit of my ancestry I can trace.

IOfreakyrelationsN, the Boy Who Might Be My Boy (If We Ever Manage To Be Sober At The Same Time) (BWMBMB (IWEMTBSATST) for short), is probably distantly related to my ex. Another one of those far-removed Scottish cousin things.

My Irish great-great grandparents came in illegally via Canada. On the other side of the family, my great-great grandmother was shipwrecked - twice - on the way over from Germany (this is the one who has the line in her diary that reads "All of my best children are dead.")

We have more Czech peasants? That's the only bit of my ancestry I can trace.

Slovanian, actually. Is that close enough?