should we care about our ancestors and do genealogy or is it a waste of time?

Geneology.......... Hello Opinionatedlady, it's funny that you should mention that adoption was a part of your family heritage. I found it to be a part of mine also. What I found out is that the name I grew up believing was the one thing that was mine. I realized that it really wasn't what my last name was supposed to be. As my grandfather was given away as a baby. So it sort of put a dagger in my heart to know that my maiden name wasn't what it should have been. I think that somebody should have shared that information while we were growing up. I still feel kind of pissed even though I feel like I know who I am. It's really rather complicated. Thanks for sharing! Happy mylot.

We found a few adoption surprises. One leaves us wondering from what country my great grandmothers father was from as she was an accident. Her mother had a teenage romance with a sailor who was at the time working of the Scottish coast, the baby (my great grandmother) was adopted by her mother's childless aunt but no one knows who the father was a name, or even nationality although he was clearly indo asian of some sort. We hit a wall there. The other was a happy happy though amazing surprise. My own mother enjoys searching for ancestors and when a friend who she was very close to (who was adopted) asked her for help she was happy to oblige. Well while going through papers and photos they found that the friends grandfather was actually a cousin to my Mother's Mom, which was actually a half brother from the above stories birth mother. So here these two friends who had met in college both whom where living hundreds of miles from their families where actually related! It was so cool.

Well round and round the family goes.... We have some interesting family lines from my hubby;s side with people raising kids that are some one Else's and what not, it get's very confusing sometimes. At least your half siblings are in good homes and everyone is still connected even if not in the usual way.

hi sritrinity yes its so great to kknow more about'our' ancestors.I know that my 3 greats grandfather lived in 'Ireland and was named Andwelier Clark,in English that would have been 'Andrew clark and he and his'wife'stayed in Derry Ireland while his son Thomas C Clark migrated to Kentucky where they raised my great grandfather James Clark.James "Clark' and wife Elizabeth Ladd had my grandfather another Thomas"C.Clark.

no I have always wanted to visit the emerald isle'and have never had the money and opportunity to do'so. I have seen articles about Ireland and a ton of'photos but that would be nothing like goiing there in person.

Hello again Hatley, Thank you for the BR, you are too kind! How does it feel to have your roots originating from that beautiful Emerald Isle?. My husband, thoroughly explored the history and the culture of old Ireland, and he was so blown away by the beauty of it all. Ireland is truly a very divine and unique place. I have some relatives who still live in Ireland, well Belfast actually, and I spent alot of time as kid there in my summer holidays. I used to love it there and I used to be sad that I was born in London and not there. Although Ireland was just next door to the UK, the vibrartion and atmosphere would be so vastly different, that it would seem that the two countries are a 1000 miles away from eachother. Have you been to Ireland Hatley? Take care.....Angelie

hi mstickle hi I w as just thinking that I had been' surprised to learn that a lot of my forbears' sp;ecially on my mom's side came from Indiana ' and Missouri. oN my dad's side a lot came from Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky and Illinois to Iowa and Neb. and here 'I am in california.

Wow...you really have some colorful ppl in your background...my Mom was telling me not long ago that we had family that were active in running part of the underground railroad during slavery times. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]

hi twoey I think that most of us will find some colorful people in our pasts when we keep up'digging a bit.sometimes you hit a deadend and stay for a long time then someone asks if you are looking for info' on a certain relative and lo and behold he is also looking and you find out you are cousins.,wow.

hi dawbald that is just fantastic. I am so wondering'if' there is anyway I could reserch derry in Ireland to find'out more about my gr gr gr grandfather Andweler Clark,the first name is gaelic for Andrew and down through all the generations before my dad was an Andrew Clark interesting.

hi ladybugmagic yes it helps people to know if they have anyhealth problems that could be inherited from one generation to the next on down the line. HAd I known before I was fifty that my mom had diabetes, which she secret, her grandmother had diabetes, and one of my grandads brothers had diabetes, i might have been tested for prediabetes and been able to totally prevent full blown diabetes.but I found out much too late.

Awww. Do you have a book where you keep all your genetic history, to pass down to generations, so that they can take preventative measures? Is your diabetes manageable? Are you insulin dependant?

hi ladybug magic no I am on oral medications thank 'God' dont think I could stick myself all the time. I have all my'files on my computer. maybe should have a backup also. I do have a ton'of paper stuff too given to me and alas its all in storage . I do so enjoy'the researching of my forbears.

hi gardengerty oh yes I think its just great to know where and who we came from. for example my dad's side,the Clarks I had always assumed came from England as it sounded like an English name.Wrong Andweiler,Andrew in English,Clark never left Ireland but his son my great great grandfather thomas c clark came to the United states with his wife,I just forgot her first name,senior moment, fitzpatrick and 'they settled in Kentucky where they raised my great grandfather James "Clark and his six siblings. James married Elizabeth' Ladd.the ladds go back to 1400,and they had my grandfather' another "Thomas C clark, who had my dad and six other siblings all from Andwelier clark way back in 'Derry Ireland.

hi elmiko by saliva swob do you mean a DNA test?that will help but you will need to go further to get facts from various sources to know all About your ancestors. the internet and Rootweb is a great 'help there and it is such great fun as you find' out amazing facts about your forbears.

hi spalladino yes its really fascinating.Ididnt' know that Clark my dads last name came from Ireland' not England. Derry Ireland with 'andweiler clark,andrew 'in english had thomas C Clark who married Nancy Fitzpatrick and moved to Kentucky where they had My great grandfather James Clark who married Elizabeth Ladd. they' had my Grandfather another Thomas C Clark who mArried Mary Laura Martin,and they had my father Oscar H clark who married' Margaret mary richey and they had me Patsie M.Clark who married Garland hatley and we had one son Robbie Hatley and so it' goes.

hi nhaloor hatley yes its good and its so interesting' you find out little facts that you had never knownl My mom had diabetes and i had diabetes but i found out that my gr gr grandmother also had diabetes.But I found out long after the fact. had I known before I 'was in my fifties I might have prevented it from showing up. also I found that on my moms side we were related to President McKinley.