Something that made me wonder

[jeepnik]

My maternal grandfather spent his entire adult life, well from 15 anyway, in the US Navy. Among the places he visited were Hawaii, Philippines, Japan, China and many points in between while on Pacific duty. While in the Central and South Americas places like Panama, Nicaragua, Argentina, Brazil, and other I'm sure. Now being a China Sailor, with all that infers, I just have to wonder how many aunts and uncles I have spread around those places. That got me to thinking about paternal grandfather. Though he died at twenty in France, we all know that American soldiers tend to leave babies behind, do I have aunts and uncles in England and France?

Taking that line of thought a bit further, my dad was a soldier in WWII and served in North Africa, Sicily, England, France, Belgium and Germany. How many brothers and sisters do I have there. Then again, my dad was also in Panama in his late teens, hmmm.

About now you are wondering where this is all going. Well, my eldest sister is the family historian. She has used both Ancestry. com and 23 and Me in her search for family members. It seems that for living "relatives" they only provide info for the US. Can you imagine the interesting family discussions if they had results from the rest of the world? That could make for some mighty lively dinner table conversation.

Then again, maybe that isn't a good idea. My boys might end up having siblings in Thailand.

[Griff]

I tend not to think about those things... my known family is dysfunctional as it is!

[Paladin]

I discovered that my brother was actually my half-brother, and I had another half-brother after I turned 30. I can not even guess how many relatives you have around the world.

[earlmck]

A species that often appears too dumb to survive needs to spread its genes far and wide...

[Griff]

A species that often appears too dumb to survive needs to spread its genes far and wide...

I've often hypothesized that certain portions of the human race need eliminating before they can breed. So far, it has remained a theory. Some day, when I quit expecting people to do the stupidest thing possible... the idiot that decides "brake-checking" my 80 ton rig is fun, will find out differently. 2 million + miles without an preventable accident is NO accident. By the way... I just delivered 15 tons of Kraft Mac N' Cheese to Sam's Club in Jacksonville, FL... next on the agenda is Kubota farm equipment to MS & TX...

[.45colt]

My Dad was drafted in WW2 and was sent to California for advanced training. fast forward forty+ years.. Dad Passed in '81. One Saturday night the phone rings at My Moms House A Guy was calling from California looking for Dad. Mom was half asleep and afraid and told Him she knew nothing . He was very insistent , Mom finally got off the phone with Him. We have always believed Dad left a Kid in Cali. He wasn't there long and then went overseas. .

[samsi]

There are a number of replies here that illustrate why we need a Like button.

[nwcatman]

i was given up at birth, 1951, adopted year or so later. found b mom in 85. she died looking for me as i was looking for her. her daughter, my half sister, became at that point the family geneologist. found b father in 95, also deceased. he never knew about me. using geneology sites and DNA testing, she has located a few cousins and siblings on b fathers side. DNA proves it. no one has yet to respond our requests and howdys etc. except a few distant uncles to say no ones interested. shame. they are all in east tx and i'm in south/central tx. 3 half brothers on moms side. only one will talk to me and we have met several times. look lots alike. she still is into the geneology stuff and keeps looking for a positive response. i gave up. screw em.

[AJMD429]

.
I can see why people don’t wanna open that Pandora’s box, although usually after a couple of generations have passed people don’t care so much. Unfortunately, if you wait that long, you don’t get to meet the people you’re related to.

[piller]

I have some relatives, my Dad was the second youngest of 9 kids. 3 served in WWII. Lot we don't know.

[Ray]

Is current dna testing.....I mean the readily accessible, much advertised on the telly $100 or less tests....as trustworthily accurate as promised ? I remember almost thirty years ago several of us had to be screened for possible marrow contributors to an ill loved one. I was excluded due to having random, oversized and misshapen hemoglobin indicating long past sickle-cell carrying ancestor(s).

One great-grandmother was said to be of the all too common deep-south tri-racial blend.

Fast forward twenty five years, I contributed, as parent #2 to the kid's tests, 97.7 % western european and nordic with no sub-saharan and only a smidgen of ashkenazi jew from the german folk.

Great-great-great grandpa Abram Rowenstein begat Solomon Rowenstein but his (Sol's) daughter Martha (another great-grandmother) used "Rowe" as her maiden surname. Most likely the biblical chosen assimilating as gentiles.

Nothing "brown".

What gives ?