I never knew or suspected my family's Scots and Irish roots until I did the family tree on Ancestry.com. I dug deep down and when I got to "Ragnar the Boneless" a Viking Berserker from around 800 AD I felt I had gone too far, plus I couldn't pronounce the Viking names.
Now I'm happy with finding the first generation that left the old country. Plus I discovered that one of the earliest ancestors on my mother's side was one of the founders of James Town that was a privateer on the side. On my father's tree are two that came off the Mayflower. As much work as they did on my dad's family tree back to Germany, they missed the Mayflower connection that was through a family from whom my grandfather got his middle name. Plus many who were in the Revolutionary War. Can't find much on the Civil War, but I'm sure Mom's side was involved in that one as they were slave owners up to that time.
Now I'm happy with finding the first generation that left the old country. Plus I discovered that one of the earliest ancestors on my mother's side was one of the founders of James Town that was a privateer on the side. On my father's tree are two that came off the Mayflower. As much work as they did on my dad's family tree back to Germany, they missed the Mayflower connection that was through a family from whom my grandfather got his middle name. Plus many who were in the Revolutionary War. Can't find much on the Civil War, but I'm sure Mom's side was involved in that one as they were slave owners up to that time.
A trail goes two ways and looks different in each direction - There is no such thing as a timid woodland creature - Whatever does not kill you leaves you a survivor - Jesus is NOT a bad word - MSB