Who is your most interesting ancestor?

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by justNancy

There really aren't any records on my ancestors. My grandparents escaped the Russian pogroms around 1905 with nothing but the clothes on their backs, since their villages were burned to the ground. They never spoke about them. My paternal grandfather built a successful business in the garment industry and then 1929 happened. When I think about what the generations before us had to endure, it makes what we have today look pretty good!

I agree!

Since I got "into" genealogy and history, when asked what time period I'd like to live in, I always say "today" lol.

[TheKiwi]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

Also Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt were distant cousins. Eleanor's 5th great grandfather was FDR's 4th great grandfather.

Paternal Lineage of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt

Thank you for sharing this. I have a lot of research ahead of me!

[rmm0484]

I am descended from a long line of serfs and peasants on both sides on paper. As for my paternal DNA, it gets more interesting way back-

Shimon Afrikanovich b.1027 - aft.1068, Kiev
Thomas Pendarves, 1520, Camborne, Cornwall
Theodore dei Boboni, son of Theophylact of Spoleto and Theodora, c. 934
Sir Walter FitzGilbert fl. 1274
Hervicius de HARCLA: Kent Cumbria England c.1110
Sir James Hamilton, b abt 1390, Lanarkshire, Scotland

A distant maternal cousin says that through our norwegian farm ancestors, we are descended from Charlemagne (he is my 33rd great grandfather), but everyone else is also.