re: Cool/interesting facts and photos about your family history thread

On Wilkinson: "In all our history, there is no more despicable character." - Theodore Roosevelt

I had family live in oak alley.

Grandpa retired as a major general in the Air Force. Flew over 350 combat missions in his F-4 (most or all being in Vietnam).

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Carlos Marcello

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My dad was good friends with his lawyer's son. Also, Ross Barnett was my grandfather's Uncle (Former Governor of Mississippi).

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My aunt was one of many girlfriends of Elvis Presley in the 50s.

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FIFY

She was hot though

My fraternal grandmother's family has been traced back to Sir Francis Drake.

My fraternal grandfather's grandfather once owned a lot of the land the big Jennings, LA oil strikes happened on but unfortunately he was a useless opium fiend and sold it all for drug money.

Eta: my great great uncle was "Baby" Jack Torrance famously LSU O- lineman and Olympic Discus silver medalist. I think it was the Berlin Olympics.

And my moms stepmother who's maiden name is Barrow says she is related to Clyde Barrow and met him a couple if times.

My granddaddy has the original folder with the pictures, but I have a copy of my ancestry without the pictures. It goes back to 1560, and started in Linton, Craven, Yorkshire, England. Here's an excerpt about Thomas Lassiter, the son of the first ancestor.

"Thomas Lassiter is the first known ancestor that settled in the New World. Thomas was 33 years old when he came to America. He arrived at Jamestown, VA in 1620 (just 12 years after the Jamestown settlement) on the ship Abigail (totes adorbs ship name). Thomas came to Virginia and worked at removing corn from cobs for a grist mill and later became a farmer. Thomas worked for Dr. John Pott who owned the mill and who had furnished his passage to America. He also served in some kind of military capacity to Dr. Pott while the doctor was governor of the colony. After Thomas completed his service to the doctor he became a farmer."

Fast foward a couple of centuries to my great great great great grandfather Jesse, who was a member of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1825. Here is an excerpt about his son Stephen's (great great great grandfather) Civil War service record.

"Stephen Lassiter, 2nd Lieutenant re-enlisted at age 29, Oct. 16, 1861 for 12 months after being discharged from Company C 27th Regiment NC Troops on July 27, 1861. Appointed 2nd Lieutenant to rank from Oct. 16, 1861. Resigned July 14, 1862 by reason of ill health caused by chronic dysentery. Re-enlisted in this company as a Private June 26, 1863 (holy frick give it up great great great grandpa) for the war. Present or accounted for until transferred to 3rd Company G, 40th Regiment NC Troopers 3rd Regiment NC Artillery on Nov. 4, 1863. Died of typhoid fever in 1872." His wife, my great great great grandmother, looked like the female version of Frederick Douglass. Haven't found out if she was a mulatto or a Native American.

My paternal grandfather was among the first few waves at Omaha beach during the invaision of Normandy. I know almost absolutely nothing else about his involvment, because he refused to speak a word of it to anyone but my grandmother. He was awarded the purple heart, but it may have been unrelated to D-Day, as again I don't know. He ate rice and gravy with almost every meal, and smoked unfiltered Lucky Strikes until he died.