What are some of the occupations you've found in your family? (skin, last name)
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Rag collector? Don't know what you would do with rags exactly.
Drayman - which is a truck driver I found out.
Day Laborer - which is what MOST immigrants did when they came over here.
Maid/Servant
Grave Digger
Policeman
Military; Colonialist side in Revolutionary War and both sides in the Civil War, farmers, merchants, working cowboy, moonshiners. And I don't know what he would be classified as, but he hauled freight, by wagon, from Little Rock to Pike County AR and made deliveries along the way.
Location: Prescott Valley, Az (unfortunately still here)
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Military (me, my dad, my oldest half-brother, and a 2 of my fathers uncles), "Rosie Riveter" (my grandma during WWII), medical (R.N. my mother), retail (cashiers), waitressing (me and a couple of other female relatives), offshore oil rig (one of my half-brothers), Texas refineries (my dad and a couple of my half-brothers), civil engineer (my father), and retired.
Most were farmers until about the early 1900's, I start getting occupations more like "machinist" or "RR Agent". One was a sailor, another a civil engineer and another was first a "salesman of household goods" before becoming a life insurance salesman. One of my female ancestors was a teacher. Those are my director ancestors. I also have a great, great, great grand aunt who was a cotton weaver but if we get into indirect ancestors, the list would get too long.
Farmers.
Farm workers.
Coal miners.
Tire builders.
Carpenters.
Soldiers.
I read in a history book once that common names like Smith, Carpenter, Wheeler, Mason, etc, probably have English ancestry. Many generations ago people derived their last names from the occupation they were in.
I'm no expert but that kinda makes sense.
The majority of men on my dad's side of the family were coal miners, with several farmers. My mom's side were mostly farmers with a few shoe makers, rail road workers, and teachers in the mix. Many served during war time and then went back to what they did before the wars. My husbands line were mule skinners, oil field workers, and farmers. They also served during war time.
Farmers, grocery store owner, sawmill owner, lawyer, military, and later, car factory foremen.
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