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People often say to do the things you want even if they are risky so that you will have interesting stories to tell your children and grandchildren. While maybe it’s not the best reasoning, hearing the wild tales from our grandparents’ or parents’ youth is always so fascinating because things worked so differently back in the day. 

Writer Jamie Schler asked people on Twitter to tell her some cool facts or stories from their family’s history and they had some very intriguing tales to tell. The writer herself shared a few captivating stories that you will find reading through this list. 

Image credits: Jamie Schler

So enjoy this list delving into some great stories from people’s genealogy and if Jamie Schler’s tweet reminded you of anything from your family’s history, please recount it in the comments! Also, upvote the stories that surprised you and impressed you the most!

More info: Jamie Schler

#1

Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

blacklionking73 Report

Maddie Star ⭐
Community Member
4 years ago

this is so sad and horrible on so may levels. poor man, poor bear.

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    #2

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    aktrentalange Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    WOW! Your great, great grandparents sure chose the right name!

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    #3

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    stephenfarrow Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I can only guess that had she known she would have been pleased.

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    #4

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    LowRisingTone Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Nice photo, but it makes me wonder when Germany switched to driving on the left.

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    #5

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    hahnalytics Report

    Alice By Heart
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    The true question is, who is hiding in the drapes?

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    #6

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    LoMai9 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    As well you should be!

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    #7

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    BillyBearkat Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    🤣😂

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    #8

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Kathbee16 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Does she tell your children her stories?

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    #9

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    shortyintexas Report

    R Carson
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Yay seeing eye dogs!

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    #10

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    chrisfarnsworth Report

    Katie Lutesinger
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Good news, everyone! They named Futurama's Professor Farnsworth after him!

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    #11

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    buzzmom3 Report

    Kate
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Those convicted in Salem were hanged, actually. Unless the ancestor was Giles Corey, in which case he wasn't stoned, he was pressed -- they piled rocks on top of him because he refused to answer the charge of witchcraft.

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    #12

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    marynmck Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    Right On!

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    #13

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lifesafeast Report

    Vicky Z
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    It's very well known that nobody puts baby in the corner!

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    #14

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    rogertansey Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    The bitter irony of it all!

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    #15

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    polinium Report

    R Carson
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Sounds like George Forman.

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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Add us on Google

    #16

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    TerryLStanford2 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    YAY...happy ending!

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    #17

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    tweetybirdnnc Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Clementines are yummy and your great great grandmother was a honey!

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    #18

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Laxpup Report

    skint boy
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    Sorry, but that is completely untrue. The oyster from Rolex was named after the similarity of the case shape to oyster shells. The cases were invented in 1891 by Francois Borgel and patented by Rolex in 1926 after Hans stole/transferred the patent to one of his partner case maker manufacturers.

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    #19

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    kevdog Report

    Kona Pake
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Do you glow in the dark too?

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    #20

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    KimmeeCee Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    That’s pretty groovy

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    #21

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lifesafeast Report

    Vicky Z
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    He was at the wrong side to the wrong countries all the time

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    #22

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Jessrm0205 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Do you know which line? I took SP all the time in my years as a young adult because my grandparents lived about 30 miles south of San Francisco, where I lived.

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    #23

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    TuckerLangseth Report

    Vicky Z
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Is this the guy that used to hide kittens in his beard or am i confusing him with someone else?

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    #24

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    tenno Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Wow...the irony is so intense here!

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    #25

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    nminow Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    That’s hilarious!

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    #26

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    HannahHillam Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    The most debonair jailbird of his generation!

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    #27

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Bob10092043 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    My mother discovered she wasn’t an only child after all when someone contacted her because this woman’s 63&Me report showed she had a sister in California. She and my mom met and stayed in touch until she just stopped hearing from Jean (pre-pandemic by years).

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    #28

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    spencerwindes Report

    Deutschland Mädchen
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    What was his name, does anyone know? This would be an interesting story to research more.

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    #29

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lifesafeast Report

    Bacony Cakes
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Yes, Soviet Russia is a laugh a minute, but it sucked.

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    #30

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    KaySwishPoet Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Where did he do his whispering?

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    #31

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Brankepaven Report

    Miss Frankfurter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    You can't miss something like that. They saw. They heard. They weren't going to give up someone who killed a collaborator.

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    #32

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    emigre80 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    OOPS!

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    #33

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lorez99 Report

    Deutschland Mädchen
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Please tell me you named YOUR son Edward as well. (If he has one. And yes, I know he can't see this.)

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    #34

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Rob_Aske Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Wowie-Zowie! My paternal grandfather traced his family back to the 900s and found out that the family name (Jett) meant “keeper of the keys.” Since the city’s keys aren’t turned over to just anyone, this makes him minor nobility.

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    #35

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    evaricweicksel Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    And how long after that was *he* fired?

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    #36

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    rayjenardon Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I’m sooo jealous! I had a crush on Paul for probably 25-30 year...from my childhood well into my 20s.

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    #37

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    TomFauxSMC Report

    Kristin Ingersoll
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Photos. I need photos.

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    #38

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    RayHagarNV Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Yowza! Check that out! I learned at my father’s funeral that he had been awarded three Bronze Stars for bravery during the Korean War. (My father was an alcoholic who spent all of his money at the bar, leaving my mother to scramble in order to feed me and my brother. When she found out she was pregnant with my sister, she left him, divorced him, and received sole custody of us from the court.)

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    #39

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    JustInCaseKate Report

    Materyst
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Saying this as a German. I think it is wrong for people with Nazi ancestors to cry about it and feel bad and ashamed. This has nothing to do with you. You were not a part of it. It's not you who has to live with the guilt.

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    #40

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lwharff Report

    Deutschland Mädchen
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Woah....

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    #41

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    mimi626649396 Report

    NsG
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Where's the rest of this story?!

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    #42

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    VickyKramer16 Report

    Yugan Talovich
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I hate to be a party pooper, but the Cherokee Trail of Tears was from 1830 to 1850. You may have a very long lived grandmother, but that photo does not predate the Civil War.

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    #43

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    mendozasi10 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    My grandfather’s people settled in the Shenandoah Valley in the 1600s, which means they likely owned slaves. In my will I’m going to leave whatever money I still have in my various accounts to the NAACP as reparation for this ugly history.

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    #44

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    SchmittChantel Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    My great grandmother (born in 1894) married Mr. Robinson, had my grandmother, and later divorced Mr. Robinson (I have no idea how she pulled that off back in the 1920s as a practicing Catholic), married Mr. Ness, had my great-aunt, left Mr. Ness and without divorcing Mr. Ness, shacked up with Mr. Robinson, carrying his name to her grave. It apparently caused quite the scandal in her small Oregon town.

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    #45

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    JamesLeonDavid1 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Which country is it in?

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    #46

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    1c3B3rgMama Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    How the hell could ANYBODY find that out?

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    #47

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    cheris0722 Report

    Amanita Virosa
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Grace Sherwood, taken down a dirt lane now known as Witchduck Road and dunked.

    #48

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    kenduque Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Who in the family did the genealogy that revealed this?

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    #49

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    RebeccaJShapiro Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I want to know more about the Jackson Pollack part!

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    #50

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    DavidHardstaff Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    The Sopwith Camel!

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    #51

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    jmmuyl Report

    Fabian Meresse
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Le drame des pieds noirs....

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    #52

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    nakinacarr Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    ♥️♥️♥️

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    #53

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    summerbrennan Report

    Klas Klättermus
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    It is pretty common with family stories of people being decendants of bastard children of kings. They seem to get around and contraceptions or abortions was probably not a big thing until in the 1900's. My great grandfather was such a bastard to a king, but the most interesting ancestor is perhaps Joséphine de Beauharnais or Empress Joséphine of France who was also Napoleons first wife. Some of my ancestors (her relatives) got beheaded in the French revolution, but if memory serves me right she became Empress like 10~ years after the revolution

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    #54

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    infinitemagnus1 Report

    Deutschland Mädchen
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Unrelated but I like his username

    #55

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Iddybud Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Wow...D**k Clark! That’s so utterly cool.

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    #56

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    GenaBMcCown Report

    ilikeplants
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    One of the Reivers? Apparently that's where most of the Scotch Irish people in the US Appalachia areas have their origin, as well!

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    #57

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    iamsamsmom Report

    R Carson
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Happens more often than you'd think.

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    #58

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    PeggyParalegal Report

    Vivian Ingram
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Was your dad private Ryan by any chance?

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    #59

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    wife4417 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Watch yourself!

    #60

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Sauliloquy1 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    That is really cool!

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    #61

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    TsarinaAJ Report

    grindelwald_the_insomnia_panda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    really?

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    #62

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    samanthacotten Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    ...”with two small children.” Did you mean to convey they were left behind or she murdered them?

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    #63

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    chascates Report

    Jude Homan
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    what?!?

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    #64

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    rhianmellis Report

    Maddie Star ⭐
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    lol, I love this... so vague but soo cool

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    #65

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Danlar85 Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Well...he’s in big trouble now, Buster!

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    #66

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    chrisderose Report

    Cindy Lloyd
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Sounds almost like a story of a man from Sicily. lol!

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    #67

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    espinsegall Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    How tangential!

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    #68

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    malarkeymarc Report

    Ines Olabarria-Smith
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Wow

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    #69

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    MollieKatzen Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Quite the shake of the dice, your family!

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    #70

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    nmcvey Report

    Cindy Lloyd
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Don't feel bad. My 2nd great grandmother was a madam. She even owned the house and had three other prostitutes that lived with her. Her name? Annie Smith. Her son had my grandfather who had my father so I am a "Smith" but I have come to believe that I can never trace that family. It's probably a fake name.

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    #71

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    MikeWiseguy Report

    Deutschland Mädchen
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I know of two brothers who were on opposite sides. They had to fight against each other...

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    #72

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    JoabShammah Report

    Kristin Ingersoll
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Equals. GOOD GRIEF.

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    #73

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    BennuJae Report

    Bacony Cakes
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Lord knows i'm coming home to you.

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    #74

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    auntie_beans Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    So technically, he/she DIDN’T come over on the ON the Mayflower.

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    #75

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    MomsThoughts Report

    ArmyDog07
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Noice!

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    #76

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lifesafeast Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family, which also includes potatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers, and eggplant. 🥔🌶🍆

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    #77

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    sdec Report

    Mary Rose Kent
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Talk about bad blood...

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    #78

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    djglowell Report

    Cindy Lloyd
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Oh that reminds me! My husband's family were victims of two Indian attacks. The first was my husband's great-great grandfather. He had a farm in Texas and the Indians tried to steal some of their horses and cattle. One of the farm hands took an arrow to his chest and still managed to stop them from stealing anything. The man survived and the gg-grandfather was forever in his debt. The second one was much more tragic. One of the cousins from the same farm family was a young girl. She was at the school house that was in a remote area. The school house was a cabin without any chinking between the logs, so Indians surrounded the school and began making calls at the children. The Teacher opened a hatch to get the children under the floor and all the while she was taking arrows. If I recall she managed to get all the children under the floor before she collapsed, but there was a gap in the back or something. One of the Indians pulled my husband's cousin out from under the school and the girl

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    #79

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    lifesafeast Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Jamie, ENOUGH ALREADY,

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    #80

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    oli_m_sims Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    You’re assuming he……!

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    #81

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    BCDreyer Report

    Miss Frankfurter
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I'll bet she had some stories though!

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    #82

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    Rebekahneeds420 Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Maybe, VanderBiltmore?

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    #83

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    SFBrianT Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    No B.T., couldn’t have been anybody from your family.

    #84

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    921spike Report

    Cindy Lloyd
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Sam was fighting for justice of his brother, which it sounds like his brother's lynching was unjust. Reminds me of how the Jesse and Frank James family got started. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Jesse and Frank worked with Sam. As for the Nazi thing, many were forced into it or brainwashed into it. It's hard to imagine how these things happen, but is no reflection on you.

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    #85

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    MushKat Report

    Cindy Lloyd
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    I read about that on Wikipedia. That is a tragic story! It's the kind that makes you question humanity. At least y'all don't suffer from the same demons your great aunt did.

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    #86

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    ClemUhhh Report

    Tim Douglass
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    There is no one "guy" who invented mass-produced consumer products, and the industrial revolution was the product of thousands of people in many different places, so I'm going to cast some doubt on this particular story.

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    #87

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    notmiketee Report

    Tobias Rieper
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited)

    we celebrate july the 4th in UK as the day we kicked you out of the empire just kidding we love our american cousins

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    #88

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    KeenEye_NY Report

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    #89

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    TheReelRandom Report

    Analyn Lahr
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Forgive me for being dumb, but what is NA? Do you mean North America? If so, I've just never seen it abbreviated.

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    #90

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    BarbaraHamrick Report

    Lisa Samuelson
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Lucky you!! He's my awesome governor and he keeps CA safe!!

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    #91

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    voipGrl Report

    Wheeskers
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    John died in a single seat airplane by himself.

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    #92

    Family-History-Oddest-Coolest-Fact

    chascates Report

    Thomas Sweda
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    Alas, my ancestors, family and relatives, did absolutely NOTHING.

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