violaine, what a wonderful thread/post.
My Dad's father's family came to the US from the Netherlands first as part of the Dutch East India Company with Hudson and then settled here with the Dutch West India Company as part of the original Dutch settlers of Manhattan. One of them held deed to a portion of the land where Trinity Church stands. Dad has been working on the family history since childhood and continues to work on it. But on my Dad's mother's side I am second generation American. On my Mom's father's side I am third generation American and on her mother's side...well, they've been here since at least the early to mid-19th century.
I've been working on Shelia's since no one in her family has shown much interest. Based on my discoveries and encouragement that is changing. I've found she is a Mayflower and original Jamestown descendant on her father's side and an original Jamestown descendant on her mother's side. How totally cool that those families could be at Jamestown at the same time and end up in the same part of the NC mountains so many years later and eventually marrying. I've also found her Cherokee ancestors. In addition we are collecting things related to and from Cataloochee Valley - her family is part of the original settlers there and was "relocated" from the valley when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created.
Lately Dad and I have been looking at his great-grandfather's Civil War service for the Union Army and trying to gather as many records as possible. In particular about his being wounded in combat in Virginia. On the flip side we have also been looking at the Civil War service for the Confedarate Army of Shelia's great-great and great-great-great grandfathers. Totally cool stuff.
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