Do you know the background of your distant family tree?

Question:The background of the majority of my family tree is Dutch and I knew it the whole time I was growing up---even before I started genealogy. My parents grew up in West Michigan which is one of the major concentrations of Dutch people in the United States. The Dutch people are a very proud lot. Even today, you can see evidence of the Dutch culture in my moms home town. The windmill, the tulip, the wooden shoe are all symbols of the old culture left behind, yet they are affectionately and proudly displayed as a clue to the heritage of their descendants . Every year, there was and still is a tulip time festival. Activities at the celebration include parades, fireworks, a Dutch Market, various shows and concerts, a craft fair, klompen dancing, and street scrubbing. The city of Holland has thousands of tulips lining the streets and in special tulip gardens throughout the city. My mom and her siblings grew up learning how to klompen dance and just about all of them participated in the parade in some capacity.
My grandparents were very proud of their heritage. After all, most of my ancestors didn't immigrate until the 1880's-1890's. In other words, while my grandparents were growing up, they were mindful of the sacrifices made by their parents and grandparents to leave a bad economic situation and come to America. They saw their parents take the legal path to citizenship, learn the language, and become contributing members to a rather new society.

I think learning about my ancestors has impacted me in a postive way. My ancestors were not quitters and had the spirit to persevere, despite any challenges that came their way. I am proud to be numbered amongst them.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The background of the majority of my family tree is Dutch and I knew it the whole time I was growing up---even before I started genealogy. My parents grew up in West Michigan which is one of the major concentrations of Dutch people in the United States. The Dutch people are a very proud lot. Even today, you can see evidence of the Dutch culture in my moms home town. The windmill, the tulip, the wooden shoe are all symbols of the old culture left behind, yet they are affectionately and proudly displayed as a clue to the heritage of their descendants . Every year, there was and still is a tulip time festival. Activities at the celebration include parades, fireworks, a Dutch Market, various shows and concerts, a craft fair, klompen dancing, and street scrubbing. The city of Holland has thousands of tulips lining the streets and in special tulip gardens throughout the city. My mom and her siblings grew up learning how to klompen dance and just about all of them participated in the parade in some capacity.
My grandparents were very proud of their heritage. After all, most of my ancestors didn't immigrate until the 1880's-1890's. In other words, while my grandparents were growing up, they were mindful of the sacrifices made by their parents and grandparents to leave a bad economic situation and come to America. They saw their parents take the legal path to citizenship, learn the language, and become contributing members to a rather new society.

I think learning about my ancestors has impacted me in a postive way. My ancestors were not quitters and had the spirit to persevere, despite any challenges that came their way. I am proud to be numbered amongst them.

All I know is that we came from Scotland and Ireland.

no:( i was adopted...maybe one day ii will learn

What I do know is that if several immigrant families from several countries had not come here in the 19th century (or in one case 18h), my family would not be here in Minnesota.

Also, in tracing one great grandfather, I have found out where my daughters wanderlust has come from.

I know quite a lot about many of my ancestors, and I think it's great, because I know a bit more about where I came from and this can only help me better understand who I am!

Here's your cryptic answer (gotta have one every time you ask a question): I know enough about my ancestors to realize I owe my freedom of religion and freedom from Europe to them.

I have access to very detailed family histories for both sides of my family. I think this knowledge has taught me a great deal about who I am and why. I also think that it is interesting to watch the same characteristics pass from one generation to another.

Yes, thanks to a few of my relatives. The family tree really doesn't have much to do with the influences I grew up under, unless youu want to trace habits and sensibilities back along the line. Those influences were more a direct result of my parents and their respective teachings to me. My mother was the prime role model, as my parents divorced when I was five. Over the years, my differing step-fathers provided examples for me, and whether good or bad ones, they were still examples from which to learned. I had the opportunity to live with my biological father for several summers during my teens, and that also provided instances of learning. Who I am today really has more to do with my own outlook and my adult experiences than family genetics. There are mannerisms, and of course my appearance that are owed to my heritage. It can also be argued that every generation thinks they are entirely unique and is boldly heading in new directions relative to the family. I don't buy into that, since I feel that there is really nothing being done or said today that wasn't already covered by a previous generation outside of technology. So I guess I've effectively blown my own thoughts on family out of the water. Regardless whether it has been me or family, the end result is positive overall. And there you have it.

(((((((hugs))))))))

I don't. My mom and a cousin have been working on a family tree, but I don't think they even know what part of Germany my great grandparents came from. Ditto my dad's family.

I understand my paternal grandfather and his brothers all headed to America with a plan to meet up over here... but... they didn't have a good concept of how big America was, and they never found each other. And two of them settled like 30 miles away from each other. Sad....

Regarding whether that has influenced me... Generally not much. Both my parents grew up on farms and I grew up in a city, so even one generation ago and we don't have much in common ~ But, and I think this is important ~ I am a descendant of immigrants; people who left behind everything they knew and took a chance on a better life. I think that has influenced me. My parents raised all their kids to be very independent and it's served me well.

Yes I do as I've been able to trace my tree quite far back. Before coming to America, my ancestors were in Canada (Quebec), Ireland (both Irish Free State & Northern Ireland), Wales, Scotland, England, France & Switzerland.

Does it influence me, yes slightly as the last few generations are heavily Irish so I have the customs that come with that ethnic background. I'm a history buff so exploring my own personal history has opened my eyes to events in American history in general that I would not have really known otherwise.

My mother only started researching the family tree a couple of years ago, so it was too late for what she found to have been able to affect my childhood.

We had always known was that my mother's mother was born and raised in India, before coming to Britain when she was 21. We now know that my grandma's mother was Scottish, and her father was half Irish and half Georgian. They met in India in the early 1920's.
Mum's father was English.

As far as I know, my dad's side of the family are all English.

I know my fathers side came from Russia and Switzerland and my moms came from France

Yes, my ancestry has been traced to England, Ireland, Wales, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden. It hasn't changed my life except in a recreational sense.

There have been many interesting finds. I was quite amazed when I was able to substantiate a bit of family folklore handed down orally for hundreds of years. I got it from my grandfather when I was a child and discounted it as I got older - but it was true.