Shoot the Breeze With the Cooler Crew - Peoplesforum Edition

My daughter did a search for her birth mom a couple years ago. We had been told at the time we adopted her that the birth mom would welcome meeting her when she would be an adult.

Brenda contacted the agency, we went with her for a meeting of others doing searches, paid the fees, wrote a very nice non-identifying letter explaining to the birth mom why she wanted to meet her and waited.

Finally she heard but the response was not what she had so long hoped and prayed for. The birth mom did not want contact, said things had changed over the years and that meeting her would not make any difference in either of their lives. She refused to read the letter that Brenda wrote and needless to say, Brenda was surprised, hurt and confused. A couple weeks later she received, through the adoption agency, a type written note - about 2 sentences - from the birth mom that knowing her would not help Brenda know who she was, that she had to know that within herself.

If she had read the flipping letter she would know that is not what Brenda wanted at all!!!

I was so angry! I hated seeing my daughter hurt like that.

The birth father did not even know of the pregnancy so has no idea of the birth. We're not sure he's even listed on the birth certificate - and we may never know.

WOW!!! Great reading all this stuff - Eags. I'm such a low life compared to you!!! LOL!!! You best get on updating that stuff - that's FASCINATING!

And who gives a ratz ass what side o'the blanket? Huh? DNA's DNA!!! :D

Terry, that's just HORRIBLE. Just terrible!!! SNotV? She got lucky. Her daughter she put for adoption wanted to meet her. SNotV got help from some DJ at KS95 that had been adopted.

Poor Daught! What a rotten child producer! Makes you look even better, Ter. As the saying goes, "Anyone can be a father/mother, but it takes someone special to be a daddy/mommy."

OH!!!!

P.S.

Got and answered e-mail from "that woman" I'm related to!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just can't believe this!!! I've a WHOLE FAMILY OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!

Hey all! Been trying to keep up on the AW hunt, but kind of got overwhelmed a couple days ago, and have had trouble getting back into it since. Maybe tonight's clue will be the one that does it for me!

Green! That's SO COOL! I checked out the one surname site you listed. MY family name is not even listed!! I too am an only child of an only child last one to carry on the name....well, I *think* there may be some 2 cousins or something out there. I've been told that my great grandfather that came from Denmark was a man of some stature there, but got into some trouble and that's what facilitated his move here. I am pretty sure all of my ancestors came over about the same time period.....late 1800's. My great grandparents on both my father's and mother's side.

I've often wanted to go "digging" for that info, but there's so much I don't know and it seems at times impossible.

Thanks to GREEN..i'm almost postive now that i'm going to start bugging my mom for some info...might as well get started on it...I know I'd regret it if I don't...

Thanks for the little push that I think I needed.....I know I'll be bugging you for help and Ideas...

Way cooler Green, I am part Chippewa it's hard to find anything on native tribes as they kept no written records. My aunt did a search and found that my Great Great Grand father was a scout in the union army during the Civil war but the records on scouts are sketchy also.

Marnin, 'Heads!

So neat, you guys! Mom, Digger - if either o'you want some help, I'll be glad to help you guys, too. Not like a pro at this or anything. More like two heads better'un one kind'a thing!

What made it so easy for me is that there was so much info already out there on my father's last name. I really didn't have to do anything at all. And, actually, I *could* have known (noodled) my great-grandparents had I but thought because the 1930's census info has been out there - and I'd seen - for years. I recognized my dad and his dad's names, and the names of my two great aunts, but the other people I'd never heard of so I didn't know. And there was nobuddy to ask "Who are those people with the same last name????"

After finding my dad on a RootsWeb tree, I then found the 1930 Census info, compared the names of the two eldest people living in the house in 1930 with the names listed as my great-grandparents and...

TA-DA!

I'd been skeptical the info on the gr grands was wrong because some o'the info on my grandfather (his name, for crying in a bucket!) was wrong - on the tree. But it was right - the names of my gr grands - and the Census confirmed it. (The woman that posted the stuff on my dad and grandfather isn't directly related; my line's an off-shoot and she'd gotten her info from someone else. I've since given her the correct info.)

Again, it's been easy for me - sumbuddy else has done all the work. So, I went back to the roots tree and clicked my way through to 1601 and Hastings, England. Then did some more searching and found that guy's dad (b: 1578), and did more searching and finally found the three brothers that started the name about 1560 or so.

Now comes the hard part. Proving everything. I mean... I'm not one to just accept that everything's correct. Though this woman that's a DAR I'm related to would certainly have to have her ducks in a row. I'll be able to use/accept lots of her stuff.

But like the Hasting England guy and his father and the three brothers... I'm just assuming the info's correct because 'ittiz out there.'

Just because it's on the Internet does not make it so... Know what I mean?

Mom, all this stuff is just so I know from whence I can. It's not gonna matter a whole lot to enkneebuddy but me. But you? You've got THREE kids, so your line's not dying out. Granted, the name's changed and will change again with three girls, but the BLOODLINE continues. My whole bloodline - down this way to me - ends. Fine. Kaput.

So... You should, I think, find out what you can. And, again, if you want cruising help and suggestions - I'm here for both iffin' you want! :D

What I like about doing this is: 1) it involves history, which I love; 2) ittiz *personal* history; 3) ittiz like hunting The Med, but in reverse - you have the prize but gotta find the correct clues that all fit together! :D

Found out yesterday - Pops' sister-in-law *could* be a DAR but chooses not to... - that the DAR - at one time - was VERY racially prejudiced... I don't like that. If you fought, you fought. End o'story. So, I've got to really take a look at them in depth. See if they've changed their mindset.

I mean, that's just not right. Not at all. My gods, ittiz like the KKK - but not as bad.

So this should be interesting... Bet I can stir up a bunch o'crap and get their undies in a knot iffin' they've not re-thought who they will allow to join! :D

From what I've read... All of my last name are related, with some other spelling variations tossed in as well. (Again, I take with a grain o'salt, but... It is kind'a neat to 1/2 way believe...)

So. There was this guy that ended up lost in Yellowstone for like a month, month and a half, and lived to tell about it and was like made a hero or sumpin'. Guess I'm related to the bonehead! LOL!!! Sounds like something my genes would pull enkneeweigh!

And I wouldn't be surprised if I find out (as I'm really going to look into this!) that he's pretty closely related as he's got the name of a President - and in my line there's one guy with the name of an Admiral and one guy with the name of a President/FBI chief!

And I found out there's a township in MN that shares my name! COOLER!!! Maybe I've roots here after all! :D Want to do some digging into that as well.

All these tantalizing mysteries and questions... So little time!

One thing I do know is that my maternal Grandfather was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1910. So I just googled Minnesota House of Representatives and his name and up came a biography! Stuff I never knew about how his family came to America and eventually Minnesota. Also background into my Grandmother, his wife. Now I have more stuff to research. I think you've started something here Green. Maybe we need a new thread for genealogy research and results or something.

Good Morning!

ESD - Are you registered with an Ojibway Tribe? I did child care for a family that was Native. The mom was Ojibway and the dad was Dakota from the tribe at Prairie Island. The girl that I cared for is, of course, registered with that tribe and lets just say that her financial situation is enviable.

Another family I cared for had Lakota roots in South Dakota and as they traced that history back, they registered with the Tribe and also found some financial benefit.

With the Li'l Digger on the way, it just might pay to get that lineage figured out. Registered tribe members receive cuts from the casinos and the profits flowing from that business. Additionally, there are often college scholarships available.

Besides, the history and the cultural traditions are fascinating.

Here's the biography I found. Fascinating stuff!

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~froghursh2/Minnesota/bios/benton/wisniews.txt

G'Oldie - I think you're right! About the new thread! That would bee COOLER! THX... Is that something we could do?

And see! There you go! Amazing what you can Google! Try also "The Political Graveyard" - if that's not where you were already, and ittiz a good chance that's where you got the info.

Ter! GREAT input! I'm so glad I brought this up if it can help Digger and Puppy Digger and Dawg!!!

Ter, regarding you guys... I came a cross a small article in one of Pops' mom's cooking magazines... Don't have it right by me right now, but I'm going do some searching. Anyway, last name Valentine and this woman collected all kinds of Valentine thighys, especially for the kitchen. Anyway, gives her name and her husbands name. Thought o'you guys. You want me to dig it up (maybe able to find on the 'Net...)?

Wow! Is that EVER fascinating, G'Oldie! That's the kind'a stuff I'm looking for because I know the names o'my folks. You know, want to 'flesh' out the dead bodies - so to speak! LOL!!!

So far, I've not been able to find neat stuff like that...

EAGS!!!

You bonehead! Now you've got ME LMAO!!!

I NEVER thought o'that! "Lost in a park"! Too funny!

See? I come by my stupidity naturally! Ittiz in my genes! I'm now CONVINCED I'm related to that dummy!

SHEESH! There you go AGAIN, G'Oldie, with the NEAT picture(s)!

I'm jealous. I'm gonna go see if *I* can find something like that...

BIAB

Green - I thought that too about an ancestor or yours being lost in a park - but thought I'd let it slip by and use it later. I shoulda known Eags, you would swoosh down on that! LOL!!!

You could find that if you'd like Green...but the Valentine name was changed from Volentine when that family moved north out of Iowa. It's one of the few things we know and that they were Pennsylvania Dutch. Most Valentine's are not related, but there are some.

Now my maiden name is another story. Everyone with it is related though there are two branches. The story is there were two brothers who moved to America from Belgium, married, had children, but have their own distinct lineage and not much is known about the other line in our family. Most of our line settled in Green Bay where my Dad was born. From what we learned recently, the other group settled along the east coast somewhere and I'm thinking the New York state area. At one time another of those surnames showed up in the phone book here and we called them thinking they were a cousin from Green Bay. Turns out they were from the other line. That was our first connection to that other long ago, many greats Uncle's line.

Someone did a family tree tracing the males of the family some years back. They only did the 'Green Bay' line. There are currently two women who are going back to trace through the females of that same line. Perhaps the other line will do the same.

There was always the story of how my Dad's surname came to be. I don't have a clue whether it's true or not, but I heard it a million times growing up as if it were the truth.

There was a Belgian nobelman and a French barmaid who had an affair and of that affair a baby boy came to be. The French barmaid called him 'my son' which is the English translation of that surname.

Of course the joke then was that the members of that family always knew they came from a bastard. :-)

I like that story TV :)

It does seem like just the kind of thing noodlers would be interested in.

Ter, that's a beautiful story!

Found my clueless 'relative.' Hehehehe!

That man has HUGE ears! Funny he couldn't hear his way out of Yellowstone!

Joe!

One of the things we realized when my mother did our geneology was that October 4 was an important date on that side of the family...many marriages, births and deaths took place on that date. Strange...that's still happening...we have a great-niece who was born on that date in this latest generation.

Kind'a same 'hear', Eags...

LOTS of Pisces in my direct line. Late Feb was a big time. I share the same burfday with at least one of my direct line. I found it odd that so much happened in Feb/March with us.

In searching for a pic, I found that there are a lot of jackasses in my fam. Which, doesn't surprise ME.

But the pics were too large. But, oh! There was one pic of the most gorgeous jenny... Took first place; beautiful paint. Bred by some 'relative' in Iowa...

Always knew I was a horse of a different colour! :D

I'm about to go nutz!!!!

GUESS WHAT!!!!

My gr grandfather's two brothers were two of the group that got together for the township here in MN that has my name!!! The group had picked three names but the commission, or whatever, rejected all three and picked instead MY LAST NAME!!!!!!!!!! The one brother (I'm pretty sure, but only have initials to go on at this time so have to dig more...) is one of the origianl landholders in that township.

And yet a THIRD brother (again, only initials, but they match my family tree) on March 25, 1891, was one of a number of citizens that petitioned the county commissioners for incorporation of a town up there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm SO THRILLD to have MN roots!!!!! I'm SO HAPPY!!! This is so exciting!!!

ESD - Are you registered with an Ojibway Tribe?
No I am only 1/16th as far as I know you have to be a quarter to get any aid.

Bummer. Dates aren't coming out right. Don't think a four-year old ancestor o'mine was messing around setting up townships in MN. And it's not *his* father. Prolly a relative who's line and name's not listed in RootsWeb. So, got a lot o'searching to do on this one. But that's what makes it fun! :D

Thanks, Eags! That's a neat searcher thighy. Sadly, it looks like if I've any MN roots ittiz through distant relations. Which izz a BIG BUMMER because I just love it here and want to be a part o'MN.

But, I'll keep digging at it. Maybee someday I'll find something. My gr gr grandfather was in Dakota Territory for awhile... So maybe I'll be able to find something about him wandering over here! :D

Well... Back to digging amoung the dead...

Well, you live here now, so that's good enough for me! You are a part of Minnesota. :)

I tried looking up death certificates, but they weren't there. My father died in 1980 and should be there, but he isn't. :(

I'm the last o'my line. An only child with no male sibs to carry on the name.

Don't wory Green, you always have this guy.

Yo... I was watchin that Last Call show the other night, thats on after Conan Obrien... I think it was friday...

On friday nights, they have a "house band", cause the show is an hour long, as opposed to usually its only a half hour...

anywho.. the "house band" they picked for fridays show was Bighead Todd and The Monsters.... they kept zooming in on the drummer... and I dunno if it was me, or maybe the captain morgan I had with me, but the drummer dude looked like Trent, from all them pictures n stuff in the "Where the hell is Trent now?!?!?!?" thread..

If I took my roots seriously, I'd either be in Green Bay, in either the White Bear or Grantsburg area farming, and/or an alcoholic.

NO THANKs!

My Mom's Dad decided to build a house in St. Paul near Phalen. I figure that's root enough for me to be in the city.

but the drummer dude looked like Trent

My grandfather was a railroad man. I wouldn't mind that life, except for the time away from family.

I'm pretty sure it was the Great Northern Railroad.

Man! You all have so much to offer this thread! WOW!!!! Green! I mean total holy shit!
That must be such a trip!
Oh- Terry- way Cooler!
The only thing new in my life is a cold *sniff*
OT- Try to find ANYTHING wrtten by LaVyrle Spencer. I promise it to be a historical adventure.
Anyone hear from Me2?
Such a sweetheart....
No, Frosti- I could not drink the bad champagne. Too gross. *PTUI*

Whoa! dude! I got that last Joe!

CM- Your boobies still turn me sideways.

I too, have read LaVyrle Spencer. Good reading.

Ok- That's enough posts for now.

HELLO TV!!!!

KT - lots of vitamin C, zinc and warm, garlicky chicken soup.