Fun Family Facts

Just lightening up things a little.

EVERYONE has little interesting stories and unknown-to-the-world factoids they pick up over the years from family and friends...which often get lost after time, especially after people pass away.


I thought I'd share a few I picked up over the years...and see if others here might have some they'd like to share.


1) Back in the early 1960s, my mom used to be a morning talk show host on a local television station in Cleveland...back when she was in her early twenties.

Comedian Henny Youngman was the guest one morning, and she said he kept flirting with her after the interview.
She told him she was also a painter...and Youngman said he could talk to the motel he was staying at while he was in town for his show...to have
them buy a bunch of her paintings for the rooms.

Rebuffing his advances, she said: "I wouldn't want to display my work anywhere my paintings need to be screwed to the walls."


2) I remember playing over at my best friend's house when I was really young.
Upstairs in his family's hallway was a photo of a couple from the past (dressed in old style clothes). With their photo was an old ticket.

Asking about this, he said his Grandparents (maybe Great Grandparents) had tickets to spend their honeymoon taking a cruise on the Titanic...but at the last moment, had to change their plans.


3) My Grandmother told me that Babe Ruth actually proposed to my Great Grandmother. She turned him down and later told my Grandmother that " He was very sweet...but just not very smart."


...So there are a few of MY otherwise-lost fun family facts...anyone care to share their own here?

My Grandfather (RIP) spent many years researching our family tree and discovered that we're descended from French aristocracy.

One of my great grandfathers X? was filthy rich, then he got drunk and gambled it all away, then later on, my Aunt (however many times removed [I think 8, long time ago we had this discussion]) got drunk and stabbed her husband to death, lol. (That was a very tongue-in-cheek lol, lol)

I've thought about this since my Grandfathers passing, I should get in contact with my Dad and ask if he has his Dads research, I'd love to dig through it.

I suppose it's also kind of cool that myself, partner, and kids are the only people on the island with our surname (pop. >110,000)

My older brother lived in Detroit for a time in the early 90's. He was out with friends one night having drinks, and he admitted he had way too many. He went to the restroom, on the way back he was trying to push his way back into his group of friends. In his stupor he bumped into a guy and proceeded to dump his beer all over his back. The man turned around to see who the idiot was, and my brother say's he almost died when he realized the man he just dumped a beer on was none other than Bob Probert (Rip). According to my brother he said " WTF is wrong with you fella" my brother smartly was very apologetic and starting making conversation with him. My brother lived, and even came out of it with a signed beer glass by Probert. which he still has today.

a reply to: IAMTAT

1) I found out that our family name allows us automatically join witches covens (no I'm not a witch)
My family arrived in Maryland in the mid 1600's
We actually have a public park listed with our family name.
Something is really weird about our family history at that time, there are detailed records, yet a specific Church is holding onto them very tightly.

2) My mom's family is a direct descendant to a Korean King. During the war documents were lost, but we supposedly owned a big chunk of Seoul. Before the war her uncle was so wealthy he would not even walk across the street, he would be carried everywhere. He had an arranged marriage and didn't like who they picked, so he also married his arranged wife's younger sister.

3)Someone very close to me worked in the Pentagon. Their office had been oddly moved to a different building one day prior to 9/11.

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity


You should look into that.

We have an old murder mystery in our family too...(from my father's side).

Back at the beginning of the twentieth century, my Grandfather was a little boy. They lived in the wilds of West Virginia back then. He came home from school one day (back when kids hiked miles to and from school) to find his infant sister murdered...his mother (whom the family used to refer to as The Crazy French Woman) had also been killed. I'm not sure how they were both killed...or if a weapon was found.

Local law enforcement being what it was back then...and that far from civilization...ruled it as murder/suicide...but the family insisted there was a strange man seen in the area at the time...whom kept coming by the house to harass her.

a reply to: JAGStorm


Those are ALL great stories, JAG.

My mom just had her family tree done...and discovered her family came over on the Mayflower.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: JAGStorm


Those are ALL great stories, JAG.

My mom just had her family tree done...and discovered her family came over on the Mayflower.

What! How cool is that! The Mayflower? The is the first ship ever child in America knows the name of.

originally posted by: Sabrechucker
My older brother lived in Detroit for a time in the early 90's. He was out with friends one night having drinks, and he admitted he had way too many. He went to the restroom, on the way back he was trying to push his way back into his group of friends. In his stupor he bumped into a guy and proceeded to dump his beer all over his back. The man turned around to see who the idiot was, and my brother say's he almost died when he realized the man he just dumped a beer on was none other than Bob Probert (Rip). According to my brother he said " WTF is wrong with you fella" my brother smartly was very apologetic and starting making conversation with him. My brother lived, and even came out of it with a signed beer glass by Probert. which he still has today.

Great story.
Smart brother.

My uncle has my moms family tree traced back to an officer in napoleon's army.

My dads side came to Virginia in 1656 and had a plantation. Apparently he had a castle in England too.

Other than that my family is either pretty boring or they just dont talk about anything.


My cousin went to prison for shooting a beaver
....

My wife made Haywood banks laugh...
Outside the comedy club he was selling autographed CD's.
$15 for the new ones.....
She asks..
How much for the used ones?

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: JAGStorm


Those are ALL great stories, JAG.

My mom just had her family tree done...and discovered her family came over on the Mayflower.

What! How cool is that! The Mayflower? The is the first ship ever child in America knows the name of.

I was surprised too.
The family survived the trip...Father died shortly after arrival...pregnant mother and son survived.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: JAGStorm


Those are ALL great stories, JAG.

My mom just had her family tree done...and discovered her family came over on the Mayflower.

WTH? My ancestors on my moms side came over on the Mayflower as well. Wiki says there were 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew members. That’s crazy we share the same history from such a small pool of people.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Not my family but my children's family: My kids' great great grandfather on their biological father's side went on safari in Africa somewhere after the death of his first wife and came back bringing with him a new wife- an actual member of a real African head hunter tribe complete with a bone through her nose and a big plate in her lower lip! While the family was shocked at first they came to love her immensely as she loved and cared for his children as her own and from what I'm told even became much beloved in the community for her kindness and charity!

originally posted by: KKLOCO

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: JAGStorm


Those are ALL great stories, JAG.

My mom just had her family tree done...and discovered her family came over on the Mayflower.

WTH? My ancestors on my moms side came over on the Mayflower as well. Wiki says there were 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew members. That’s crazy we share the same history from such a small pool of people.

Ok, how weird to think that your moms ancestors and IAMTAT ancestors could have been on the Mayflower having a chat about the New World, AND now in 2018 here we are on ATS talking about it.

There is just something deep about that............

a reply to: IAMTAT

I had a great-great uncle who was hung for horse thieving.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: IAMTAT

I had a great-great uncle who was hung for horse thieving.

Dr Phil is my uncle..

a reply to: IAMTAT


My grandmother's cousin fell down while feeding a pig, knocked herself out and the pig ate her head.

I never did ask what they did with the pig.

My grandpa used to make liquor during prohibition. He used the money to feed his family and also the neighbors.

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: IAMTAT

I had a great-great uncle who was hung for horse thieving.

Dr Phil is my uncle..

Cool.

Bet he never stole a horse!

You people and your interesting family tracking back to the annals of history, mah family may being peasants but I'm pretty sure I am a direct descendant of the first man ever and there is a 1 in 200 chance I'm a direct descendants of Genghis Khan... Some day ill claim my empire...

originally posted by: KKLOCO

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: JAGStorm


Those are ALL great stories, JAG.

My mom just had her family tree done...and discovered her family came over on the Mayflower.

WTH? My ancestors on my moms side came over on the Mayflower as well. Wiki says there were 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew members. That’s crazy we share the same history from such a small pool of people.

I think about 40 of those passengers were Puritans...Mom's family line were among the Puritans.