As far as my family tree goes, you can only go back about 5 generations with DNA connections. Anything farther back is based on recommendations made by Ancestry.com from other people's family trees. I have quite a few connections to Germany according to those recommendations. I've tried to confirm them using other genealogy sites, but without actual documents, you have to take them with a grain of sand. I am supposed to have connections to Austria...mostly Bavaria, and many regions of Germany, and pardon me as far as the presentation of the names. These are what is given in the digital records I've accessed: Lower Saxony (Sachsen), Sachsen-Anhalt, Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Hesse, Rhineland-Pfalz, Palatinate, etc. Some of these names may be from the Germanic Empire period. I have a lot of ancestors whose last names begin with Von, but again I have no idea if the records are accurate. And like you, I have had Jewish ancestry pop up farther back too. Most of the German ancestry is through my mother's line. Her family line is much longer than my father's. His ancestors were mostly farmers and laborers, so it peters out in the 1600's.
When I was in high school 1961-1965, the only languages available were Latin and French. I took French for one year, then dropped it. Even after all these years I still remember some of the phrases and words. I'm one of those people who can remember crap from 50 years ago, but don't ask me what I had for supper last night. I did eventually go to college, but went to night school full time, and worked during the day. I didn't use my degrees to get, or change jobs. I was already working for New York State, had several years in the job where I gained seniority, so it would have been stupid to leave to start all over again somewhere else. I basically went to school to see if I could do it. I had been a terrible student in high school, just got by. And because I was able to connect my Civil War history research with my curriculum, it gave me an even bigger incentive to continue with my schooling. I really enjoyed the classroom experience, and back when I was attending, the young kids attending classes during the day, weren't allowed to sign up for night courses, so we were all adults interested in learning.
A while back, several years now, one of my oldest son's Munich friends came to the U.S. with his then girlfriend to visit him. My son lives about 2 1/2 hours away. They drove in and we met at a Greek Restaurant here we like. On the way, Martin made my son stop and buy me flowers, something neither son has ever done. And when it came time to pay the bill, Martin picked up the bill. When I protested, he said it was his birthday, and in Germany, it was customary for the birthday person to treat everyone else. I'd never heard of that custom, and my son didn't really know if that was true or not. So tell me, is that the truth, or was Martin just being a really sweet guy?
Hello again, Mr. Mass55th,
how tragic to hear of your unfortunate son’s health predicaments!
I am truly sorry to read all he had to go through, but from the bottom of my heart I would wish him the very best for the future.
The chemotherapy must have been particularly gruelling for your unfortunate son, and I really pity him. It is always a dreadful chore for the body and soul of the patient - that’s why I decided not to get one for my adrenal cancer (a real orphan disease, as ony one or two persons in a million per year get it), preferring an extra-intensive radiation treatment.
This was due to the recommendation of my family doctor, since the only chemo treatment available for adrenal cancer is Mitotane. This stuff is almost archaic nowadays, as it has been used to treat AC since 1959, having originally been used in veterinary medicine. Its side effects are very considerable, so my family doctor had to call an expert on AC, ultimately advising me to forego the chemo, since no cancer cells had been found in my body, thanks be to God!
If that had been the case, I would have had to bite the bullet and get the Mitotane; still with an uncertain outcome...
Hopefully one day cancer will be relegated to the history books, just like polio, the plague, the pox, or leprosy.
Even the White Death, as tuberculosis was once called, and which claimed the lives of about 25% of adults in some countries, has been overcome - at least in the wealthier parts of the world.
May your dear son recover fully! :-)
And about Martin from Munich: he was right. In Germany, if it’s your birthday, you are, so to say, morally obliged to invite your guests, to be the host.
Furthermore, it is no wonder that he brought you flowers. If you are invited to someone’s house in Germany, you normally bring a gift, unless you are financially in real dire straits - or, of course, if it was an impromptu visit, which your guest couldn’t possibly have foreseen. Or, if you are really close friends :-)
Flowers are very popular as a gift, although, if you know your host’s literary or musical preferences, you could give him or her a book or CD instead. Wine, chocolates or other confectionery are popular gifts as well :-)
So, I hope I haven’t been rambling for too long. Now I’d like to wish you and your dear ones all the best, and - read you soon :-)