Who Do I Think I Am?

I have been watching Who Do You Think You Are lately and it has reignited my interest in my own family history.  I am fortunate that my family has already filled in most of the names on my family tree, almost to the point that it's overwhelming to look at!  Just for fun, (and after all I'm a math major), I went back 5 generations and looked at the 64 great-great-great-great grandparents of mine.  Can you believe we have most of those names?!!  These individuals were born between the years 1769 and 1826.  24 of them were born in the Eastern USA, 3 were born in Eastern Canada, 15 were born in England, 2 were born in Wales? (maybe), and 20 were born in Denmark.  If we say that those born in Canada and England were of English descent (and they most likely were), then I am 66% English, 31% Danish and 3% Welsh.  In other words...everyone back-off about my pale skin-tone.  As my mom says..I come by it honestly!

These 64 people are actually very near to my heart since my church and family stressed their significance as I grew up.  I feel that if you go back any further, you get lost and the names get so far back and so numerous that they lose their differentiation.  Someday I would like to gather stories/pictures about these 64 individuals + their progeny that is connected to me and my siblings.  So many movers and shakers in that bunch!  Here's another statistic:  Out of the 64 and their 62 children that eventually converged into me, 10 moved across the country either to move out West for religion or opportunity, and 23 emigrated to the US from other countries.  I feel connected to them in a way because I understand the pull to move to a new place.

Also just for fun, my mom is 37.5% Danish, 56.25% English and 6.25% Welsh.  My Dad is exactly 25% Danish and 75% English (his maternal grandmother is Danish).  My mom has Danish ancestors on both her father's and mother's sides.