Are you related to someone famous?

[challada]

We've got a couple of current pro baseball player cousins...one with a World Series Ring (my side of the family) and one without (DH's side of the family).

 

[rhiannonwales]

and a direct descendent from the boats that arrived right after the Mayflower (can't remember the name).

IF its the same one my relatives came on i think its the Goodship Lion. That was the very next one after the Mayflower.

 

[biras jim]

William McKinley

 

[katlas&kids]

William McKinley

Cool! Me too on my mom's side!

 

[katlas&kids]

As posted, William McKinley on my mom's side.

On my dad's side, Dennis Awtry - pro basketball, Phoenix Suns. He was the one that punched out Akeem Jabbar during a game.

Also Gene Autry, The singer, who changed the spelling of his name, Bonnie Prince Charlie of Scotland and also some of the Campbells of Scotland.

My cousin is into this so there may be more

 

[WeirdEyes]

Levi Garrett (of tabacco fame) is a distant relative on my paternal great-grandmother's side. One of my HS friends is the first cousin of Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle).

 

[jekajekalynn]

I don't know TOOO much about my familes history of famous ppl..

On my dad's side we are in the National Registry at Washington DC, and one of our FAR distant reletives were friends with John Smith.

On my moms side we are related to Thomas Jefferson somehow.

For more of the present..

My late dad was real good friends with one of the animators of Snow White.. My uncle was the lead guitar player for Merle Haggard in the 70's, and my first cousin is a former Miss Texas.

 

[ktpool]

My dad is a cousin to Loretta Lynn (and Crystal Gayle). He was born in Harlan, Ky. I have been trying to do some genealogical research on my dad's family, but I don't have a lot to go on...

More interesting, my great-great-great (?) aunt was the actress on stage during the assassination of President Lincoln - my Mom's maiden name is Keene:

"Laura Keene (1810-1873). Famed Nineteenth Century Actress, Stage name of English actress whose real name is unknown. On American stage from 1852. Excelled in light comedy. Forever linked to Abraham Lincoln and the fateful night at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.. She was the actress on stage the night Lincoln was shot, April 14, 1865. It was a benefit and the last night that Laura Keene was to play the part of Florence Trenchard in "Our American Cousin," which was originally produced and performed by her.
But, not only was Keene present in Ford's Theater when President Lincoln was shot but, immediatiatly after the assassination, probably because she had an intimate knowledge of the layout of the theater, she managed to find he way from the stage to the box where the President lay dying. After she arrived on the scene she made the very bold request that she be allowed to cradle President Lincoln's head on her lap as he lay mortally wounded. As time passed and before the President was moved across the street to the Peterson boarding house Lincoln's wound bled onto her dress and that dress thereafter was one of the most viewed relics of the post-assassination period. Although this may seem morbid today, Keene was asked frequently to model the dress for various groups, blood stains and all. "http://www.ehistorybuff.com/keene_als.html

 

[JCJRSmith]

Princess Di, distantly.

Lots of Scottish Royalty actually.

Me too. We are related to the Spencer family and it is still a family name. It was my paternal grandmother's maiden name, and it became my dad's middle name. When he joined the army he officially changed his middle name to his first name, as everyone called him "Spence" anyway. It is my middle name, and now my son's middle name as well.

Other notables in the Spencer line: Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Princess Diana's family. The name goes back to 1066 - origianally DeSpenser - William the Conqueror's treasurer.

 

[Sthronds]

My dh is related to Daniel Boone. His grandmother's father or grandfather (not sure how far back they go) is a brother to Daniel.

I'm related to Daniel Boone as well. I don't know how anymore but my grandmother did all the research. I'm also a descendant of someone who signed the Magna Carta.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I'm not (that I know of), however I do have a friend who is dating someone famous...

 

[MyGoofy26]

My great uncle was a professional fiddle player - Toby Stroud. I never realized he was "famous" til recently - I did some searching this past year and found some of his songs included on history of bluegrass compilations and also found out that the Grateful Dead used to cover one of his songs! Also, Charlie Daniels credits my uncle for inspiring him to play fiddle. I talked to him a bit at work once and when he found out who my uncle was, talked about how he used to listen to my uncle play on the radio when he was little. He'd always tune in when the show my uncle played on was on so he could hear him play. I've also been finding a LOT of his old stuff on eBay and the auctions get pretty competitive. Apparently he has a lot of collectors.

I just thought my uncle was cool because he got us into Disney for free! After he "retired" he started playing in Frontierland for a number of years. We'd go visit all the time.

 

[goofy!]

Somehow related to Andreas van Kuijk, an illegal immigrant to the US better known as Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis's manager).

My maiden name would have been van Kuijk, but my parents changed it when they came to the US (legally ) as nobody could pronounce it. Good thing, as we don't want to claim relations to Colonel Tom

My old neighbor is Kenny Chesney's uncle. Unfortunately, much to my dismay, Kenny never came to visit Uncle Ken while they lived here.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Ahhh, about a million Pilgrims....but then again, in this town, you can't SPIT without hitting a cousin!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

IF its the same one my relatives came on i think its the Goodship Lion. That was the very next one after the Mayflower.

Nope, the next one after the Mayflower was the Fortune (1621), then the Anne and Little James (1623).
Want useless Pilgrim info? Ask a useless Pilgrim!
But anyway, there were ships that were in Virginia well before those, and New Amsterdam, and Maine, then Boston...lots of ships to claim "relation" to.

Sorry, one of my New Year's resolutions is to NOT CORRECT ANYONE, no matter what they say. I figure that resolution will last all of 5 minutes.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

My grandmother was some kind of cousin to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and we're also somehow related to Fulton-his first name escapes me. He invented the steam engine. Is it Robert??

Yep, anyone related to Francis Cooke or family (pilgrim) is also related to FDR. So, hey, we's cousins!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

it's neat to read some of these!

 

[Mickey527]

Not me but my ex husband (so my children are I guess)
His father is a cousin of Brian Dennehy. My ex's father used to babysit for him when Brian lived in Derby and Ed lived in Danbury. I went to see him do the Candelight Procession but I couldn't get in to see him. I tried to get my ex to go because he has been backstage for a few of the plays Brian did in NY but he was away on business and couldn't get back in time.
My ex's cousin on his mother's side was married for a few years to the guy who wrote and sang a song that wound up in the top 10 around the 70's: Do You Want to Make Love (or just want to fool around). I don't remember his name but he lived in Stratford before they moved to CA and then divorced.
My mother's family is from Hungary so maybe we are related to some gypsies. But my father's family is from Germany and our last name is Beck so I might have some relationship to a beer. Peggie

 

[sumrmist]

On my moms side... Andy Griffith's grandmother or great grandmother and my great great grandmother were sisters...
Donna Fargo is a cousin linked on the same side as well as my mothers brother my Uncle Steve who has a band called Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach. He is in the beach music hall of fame. He is also a DJ on a nashville tn radio station.

On my dad's side there were some infamous family members LOL
My grandfather was in a book about American Whiskey nice middle of the book page of him and his still !!
Also on dads side we were related to Daniel Boone.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
Also related to Roy Clark of Hee Haw Fame (some distant cousin).
Very distantly related to Frederick Miller who started the Miller Brewing Co.

Possibly related to Laura (Welch) Bush. Have some family looking into that connection.