Nearing the end of our 14-day cruise, the fellow that had been presenting talks on Mississippi River and American History talks, gave a genealogy talk (and he was good). Afterwards, he invited us in the audience to share our genealogy stories. I was stuck by the enormous variety!

I told my Mathew Potter and the Chicken story….. to howls of laughter. 

Mr/Mrs Bodmer told how they hoped to find the connection between them and the famous Western American painter, Carl Bodmer, but hadn’t yet.

One great-great-grandfather came from Germany, landed in New Orleans, and WALKED up to Wisconsin to live out his life.

One Vietnam veteran told how he flew P3s (submarine hunters) during his Navy career.

One lady told of her sailor, born in the Pyrenees,  who jumped ship in New Orleans, went to Texas with his native wife. When he died, she married another Texas rancher.

One man told how his great-grandfather hid his Comanche wife from the census taker. Can only guess what his reasons were.

“We’ve been in American for fourteen generations, since 1636,” one man boasted.

This was, to me, the saddest story:  A Jewish couple told how her Jewish ancestors were living kosher in San Francisco until the 1906 earthquake when they lost everything, business, home and synagogue, everything.  All the Army had to feed people with was pork and beans. “That must have been so very hard for them,” she said.

This quite proves that everybody with ancestors (!!!!) has a good story.