What is the very Most exciting thing to find in your family tree?

Question: What is the very Most exciting thing to find in your family tree!?

What do most people hope to find!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Lots of "little things" more than any big thing!. Finding out one of my Scots-Irish ancestors in South Carolina took in Andrew Jackson when he was orphaned, and Jackson much later wrote highly of his respect for the old man, was interesting and one of those "how do families 'forget' to mention that!?" kind of things!.

Most disturbing thing was just how long members of about 4 branches of my mother's family have been intermarrying!. I knew that families A and B and C and D were so intermarried in mid 20th century Alabama that old folks had to sit around and make sure the young folk weren't related (or at least not "too" related) before they could date somebody from one of those families!. Doing research I found out this had been going on since the 1820s in Alabama!.!.!. doing more I found out "strike that, those families have been doing this since Revolutionary era South Carolina", then went "@#$*@$*##@!!! They've been marrying each other since 17th century Switzerland!" I'm surprised I don't have more cousins with tails and gills!.

The main thing I love though is using genealogy as an extension cord into history!. I'd never really researched things like the Battle of Atlanta or Bacon's Rebellion or the Black Oath the Presbyterians went to prison for not taking, things like that, until I started finding relatives mentioned in documents related to them!. It expands my historical knowledge immeasurably and connects me to the past as well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I found a great grandparent who was a Civil War soldier!. I was able to obtain his military records from the National Archives in Washington, DC!. I have also had the thrill of finding out that I am descended from some of the Kings of England and Scotland!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

we were cattle theives!. but us highlanders did it for a good cause!. we took from the rich and gave to the poor!.
i'm scottish by the way!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Grapefruit!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am related to Adam and EveWww@QuestionHome@Com

I was just in Sicily researching my family and I found out that my great-grandfather had twins in his family!. A brother and sister born two days apart! No ultrasounds back in 1885!. I was really surprised that his mother, my great-great-grandmother survived but she went on to have two more children including my great-grandfather!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

That I had a ggggguncle who was named Daniel Boone!. That I am from the northern Germanic family of William the Conqueror, also a King of Finland and Queen of Sweden!. That my family settled what is now Copenhaagen, DK and that it was know by my family name before it was changed!. Genealogy is an excellent avenue to pursue!. Things about your family get very interesting once you really get into it!. You would be surprised how many interesting people you are connected to!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am a cousin to an actress, Dorothy Comingore!. One of her best known roles was as "Susan Alexander," the 2nd wife/mistress of Charles Kane in the movie, Citizen Kane!.

I am a cousin of General John J!. "Black Jack" Pershing, a general in WW I!.

I have ancestors that worked for the both the
North and the South during the Civil War!. I also have an ancestor who is the sister of the founder of Harrodsburg, KY!. I also am descended from various royal families in Europe, through bastards of course!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Civil War general George Tecumsah Sherman is a distant uncle of mine, apparently!.

More interesting for me is my g-great grandfather was a soldier in the American Civil War, a member of the 24th NY Volunteers, as a musician, and then switched to the 48th NY as a member of their band!. After the war he was an alderman in a local city, and nearly was a prominent musician there, too!. He and his son nearly drowned in a shipwreck on Lake Ontario, drifting in the lake for over a day and finally washing up on shore miles from where their ship capsized!.

Eventually he committed suicide, shooting himself with a !.22 and lingering for 2 days before he died :(

Finding this out has been a source of weird amusement, especially the part about the shipwreck since my brother and I have terrible luck if we're in a boat together!. My boyfriend says he's never going on a boat with more than one of my family at one time XDWww@QuestionHome@Com

The most exciting thing to find in my family tree are foot prints in history that he/she left behind for our discovery!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

that my g g grandfather's first wife was murdered by her sister and that half of those children from that marriage were adopted out!. They had four and the father could only keep two!. We found one of them, but I have another ancestor, a woman who might be living in Belgium we think!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Through my grandmother's side we're somehow related to Robert E!. Lee!. also on her side from a similar time period we're related to a murderer from Connecticut!.

Crazy things happen when you look up your family!.Www@QuestionHome@Com