While taking a break from my research, my husband and I decided to do some more research. Old habits die hard I suppose. Anyway, my husband temporarily caught the research fever from me and decided he wanted to trace his ancestry back to its roots so that our children can know where they came from (If I could love him more!). He knew he had Scottish and German roots and I knew I had, for sure, Polish ancestry. But beyond my great-grandparents emigrating from Poland to America, I knew little about my other ancestors. I didn’t know my maternal grandmothers parents (she claimed a lot of things and we took them with a grain of salt) and my father only knew an arms reach back on his father’s side and a vague hint that his mother was French. Thus, with those tidbits, I began my hunt.

Now I must say, I got a lot more than I bargained for. Where my husband was able to trace back pretty far on his grandmother’s side, it has stopped so far in the U.S., which is not all that helpful, though we know it is still and Irish/Scottish/German line. On his father’s side, we are stuck on a man called Reuben (or Reubin…). But we are still searching. On my side, however, I found a lot. I learned that the majority of my family came from a little section between the corners of Germany, France, and Switzerland. Also, some more recent members are from Ireland, Scotland, and England. For the latter, I found that I have ancestors that fought in the Seven Years War, American Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. How cool is that? Those are found a little ways back on my Dad’s Paternal side. But on that side I also found what appears to be some minor Swiss houses that go back to the 1100’s. On the Scottish side of my dad’s line, I found a group of people that came from the Isles and settled in the same general area, Maryland, that can be, loosely, traced back to the man whom the Macduff, Thane of Fife of Shakespeare’s play was based off of. As an English major, that last tidbit may have been my favorite. Today, there is a city called Macduff in Aberdeenshire, the location where my ancestors came from.

I was also able to trace back my paternal grandfather’s line well into their time in Frace, about the mid-1600’s. This was the first line I was able to successfully trace. I knew they came from France, but I didn’t know when or where. Also, some came from England, though they were married here in the States. Suposedly there are some lines to some earlier people here in America,  but I have yet to find if those are accurate records or just stories told and exagerated over time.

On my mother’s side, I can only go back about 10 generations. Which, all things considered, is actually quite good. But I only know that the came from Germany and not much else. Unsurprisingly, I found many Lutheran’s on both sides of my family, that made me smile just a bit. But the people on both my mom’s side and my father’s side always seemed to end u in either Ohio or Pennsylvania, the latter of which was more likely. And this happens to be where my Great-grandfather came and settled when he came from Poland. Though my family ended up moving, it was interesting to know that they came getting closer and closer together, eventually ending up in a coal mine within Pennsylvania.

While I recognize this is off the beaten trail of my normal topics, I thought it interesting to share. In doing this, I saw that my ancestors basically come from the same place. In regards to my research, this places me directly in the path which Gomer and his descendants would have taken. Now I likely cannot follow every single ancestor to him, I can get the general idea. From here, cities, kingdoms, tribes, and estates were built, long before the division of the countries were made, those we know today. It is quite fascinating. But I hope that once I am finished with my book, others can go back and do the same. They can find they are descended from Ashkenaz, or Javan, or Shem, or Cush, even Mizraim! Perhaps this will show what a “small world” this is after all and that we were all lovingly made by a great God.

Thanks for reading if you got this far. I will try to get either an update or a book review up soon. I am still working on the Amorites (*sigh*). But as always, blessings to you and yours,

~Rose