The Information Super-Frog

According to family oral history/lore on my Swiss ancestry side.

Switzerland formerly wasn't a rich country. Back in the day if a family had too many boys who survived, the extras would be sent as mercenaries for foreign kings. Then there was America, which was another option.

Great grandfather had a foot in both traditions for extra sons - he came to America, but initially as a mercenary. In the Civil War, if a rich man was drafted, they could instead of fighting pay a fee, or have a substitute go for them. It was usually less expensive to hire an immigrant as a substitute. So that's how he got in the Union Army, but once he was there fighting became devoted to the cause.

He saved up his pay, and after the War moved to St. Louis and set up as a shopkeeper. He did well and after a couple years he wrote to his little brother, the youngest extra son, to come join him.

Great Uncle sailed across to New York, and found someone at the port who spoke some German or French, and told them he was going to join his brother in St. Louis. The man took a big sheet of paper, wrote something in English in big letters, and pinned it to the front of Great Uncle's coat, and told him just point to the paper and he'd get there.

So about a week later he arrived in St. Louis where Great Grandfather was waiting. Great Grandfather took one look at the paper on his brother's coat and tore it off. He'd crossed half the country wearing a sign reading "THIS DAMN FOOL WANTS TO GO TO ST. LOUIS".

It's been a while since I posted old family pix. Here's some of my maternal grandparents on their honeymoon cruise to Bermuda in 1929.




( 7 pix, lots of period character )

I'm back in town after my grandmother's funeral up in Minneapolis. One last thing I can thank her for is not dying up there in the depths of winter. And yes, "Fargo" does seem to be an accurate depiction of a common accent up there.

The hotel I stayed at was the Sofitel, which has a French style restaurant. I ordered the scrambled eggs crepe for breakfast. The waitress brought it with a medium sized bowl full of ketchup.

"I brought you some ketchup, just in case."

"Pardon?"

"Ketchup! Just in CASE!"

My great-grandparents share a hug and a kiss, 1900





What a cute couple they were.

Via vyoma:

1. What is your lineage? Where are your ancestors from?

Homo sapiens, primate, mammal, vertibrate, animalia. Somewhere around Oldavai Gorge, I gather. Before that, I'm not sure.

More recently, I've had German, Swiss, Swedish, French, Dutch, American Indian, English, and Irish ancestors. I seem to look most like my northern Swiss ancestors.

2. Of those countries, which would you most like to visit?

I have visited great-great grandfather's home town of Schaffhausen, Switzerland ten years ago, and London in my childhood. Of lands I havn't yet visited I guess I'd most like to visit the Netherlands, folowed by Sweden &/or Ireland.

3. Which would you least like to visit? Why?

I enjoy traveling, and would like to visit most places that are safe to visit. I don't much care for cold weather though, so I'd want to stay away from Scandanavia in the winter.

4. Do you do anything during the year to celebrate or recognize your heritage?

Hm, New Orleans seems lacking in good Swiss holiday blow outs, so I make do celebrating Mardi Gras, New Years, Cinco de Mayo, 4th of July, Bastille Day, The Queen's Birthday, 15 & 16 Setiembre, Oktoberfest, and Thanksgiving.

5. Who were the first ancestors to move to your present country (parents, grandparents, etc)?

As far as I can tell, they crossed the Bering Straight sometime in the Neolithic Era.

For the more recent arrivals, I had some Dutch ancestors settled in New York by the 1600s, with many more arriving in the 19th century.