Fame Or Infamy In Your Family? Yeah, Lets Brag

Any noteworthy family members? Close brushes with fame? Let's brag about it here just for fun. It's a rainy Saturday and I can't get out to detect so I'm bored. I'll start off with a couple of mine:

My brother Doug wrote a couple of award winning books, one of them about my mothers last 7 days in hospice care while dealing with breast cancer. The other is a fantasy/fiction novel that may be considered for a screenplay.

My favorite aunt Linda is a popular award winning artist/muralist from the midwest. As an art instructor, she teaches classes in watercolor, acrylic and drawing. Her paintings of the Daniel Boone Home in Defiance, MO are stunning and are on display there.

My 1st cousin has traveled the world playing bass guitar for a band called Modern Day Zero. They have toured with Green Day, Sammy Hagar, Guns & Roses, Nickelback, just to name a few. One of their songs, 'Spit You Out' was used on the sountrack for the indie movie, 'Werewolf, the Devils Hound' in '07. Their most popular hit, 'Sick Inside' was played constantly on rock stations throughout the midwest.

Then there's me, 

It REALLY needs to stop raining!

I got nothing! No famous people in my family. I do have an older friend of mine that is a cousin to Don Mclain, the miss american pie song singer.

Well, that's SOMETHING!  Classic tune! 

Yeah but not technicaly family, but I suppose its somthing.

I am kin to John Tyler, I believe the 10th President of the US 1841-1845. I dont wanna brag but he was the 1st President to go through the impeachment proccess, he did serve his one entire term before runnin with his tail between his legs. 

It's sure been one of the nastiest winter's on record as far as I can remember. After a ton of snow, I have battened down the hatches from the rain that won't give up until Tuesday and that will be after dropping 4" of water.

The only think interesting in my family that would remotely come close is from my great-great grandfather, he was Col. Sampsom in the Boer Wars. My grandfather who fought in WWI has the noble distinction of being being dead 7 times!!! After a while my grandmother disregarded the death notices. Fought in the infantry, Calvary, Spad tail gunner. Had the top of his finger bitten off by a German in a bunker and was shot in the head and got a cool steel plate put in. When he came to the U.S. he did many of the horseback riding stunts for Tom Mix.

I would love to say my cousin was the inspiration for "Alfred E. Newman", but that would be pushing the envelope 

I'm not sure - maybe Cassanova? I've been accused.

Several!

I don't think I do,but Billy da kid was supposed to have hidden out at The Beckwith farm after the L.C.wars........Sareing a last name is as close as I can get..lol

  6 YRS AGO I LOST BOTH MY  PARENTS TO CANCER. BOTH GOT CANCER ABOUT THE CAME TIME, AND BOTH DIED 6 WEEKS APART.  MY HERO IS MY WIFE. MY PARENTS GAVE MY WIFE HELL DUE TO MY WIFE WOULDNT BEND OVER AND KISS THERE BUTTS.  OTHER WORDS THERE WAS A LITTLE TENTION BETWEEN MY WIFE AND MY PARENTS.  WHEN MY PARENTS BOTH CAME DOWN WITH CANCER, MY WIFE PUT ASIDE HER FEELINGS AND HELP DRIVE BOTH MY PARENTS BACK AND FORTH FOR CEMO TREATMENT FOR SEVERAL YRS BEFORE THERE DEATH. MY MOTHER BECAME VERY CLOSE TO MY WIFE IN HER LAST DAYS OF HER LIFE. SO TO SAY HEROS.  MY WIFE IS MY BEST FRIEND AND HERO

                                                          

Good stories so far! 

David is a family member and becoming an accomplished author.(Made the bestseller list already)  The fifth book in this series is due out soon and there is movie talk.  These are adult sci-fi.  If you decide to start reading them, read them in order, Event was the first. He is supposed to be coming out for our big bar-b-que on the 4th of July and pound down a couple brewskies, polish off some pickled eggs and maybe do a little fishing.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...al&resnum=5&ved=0CBsQsAMwBA

my Uncle is Tex Ritter.

 :thumbsup:One of my favorites!

Stonewall Jackson was a distant Cousin.......No other claim to fame...

I'm the rest of the family's claim to fame.  Not really.  Lots in the past famous or infamous in their own time, but almost forgotten now.  Tex Ritter, texastee?  Cooool!  I got to meet and visit with him back when I was 16.  Got an autographed record, I think, somewhere.

On my maternal Grandmother's side: Daniel Boone and William Jennings Bryan.

On my paternal Grandmother's side, it's been said there's a relation to Mary Todd Lincoln.

Scott

I OkieHillBillie, have been in a few movies.



                       

The only think interesting in my family that would remotely come close is from my great-great grandfather, he was Col. Sampsom in the Boer Wars.

Woolls-Sampson?

He was a true part of that conflict, and very resourceful.

 

I believe so, I never heard his first name as he was always referred to as Col Sampsom. I have tried locating that name several times on google and got spotty information. The only thing  have from him is the ring my grandfather gave me. A very heavy gold ring with 5 blue star Sapphires. I wish I could have asked my grandfather more about him, but I didn't learn this until after his passing. I know my grandfather ran away from home at 16 to join the circus and train horses, as his family was raising horses just outside London. After WWI my grandfather moved to India where my mother was born, later then made his way to the US after getting some type of letter of introduction from the British government. As far as my father's side of the family there may also be one well known person, as my surname is not even common in Greece. I have found other family members in Greece, but I am still trying to connect the dots to this media mogul who may now be located in Asia. Sometimes it's not easy shaking up the branches on the family tree

I OkieHillBillie, have been in a few movies.



                       

As an actor, or an extra    I was supposed to be cast in what became Saturday Night Fever as a dance extra, along with one other movie by Rubin Blades. I was young and stupid and thought it would interfere with my bar hopping at the time. Besides that, I was told I would have to get a SAG card, which was $125 at the time, and a little steep for my liking. I had also landed a spot on a TV dance show that was like "Soul Alive", and "Dance Fever", didn't do that either because it interfered with my nightlife. Maybe I could have been somebody. 

Both one as the main one in a add for

Drexel,Burnam,Lambort as the main one. the others as extra.




                               OkieHillBillies.

My father drove staff car for General BlackJack Pershing. a great uncle was suspect ed as a chicken thief     Bob

That response confused me, Okie Hillbillies.

My Great Great Great Great Grandmother was tried and convicted of being a witch in Salem , MA . Her trial was July 28 , 1692 . Her name was Mary Perkins Bradbury . I believe she was the only accused witch that did not get executed .

many years ago , Grandmother gave me this Genealogical book covering the complete history of the Bradbury side of my family , descendants going back to 1422.
 It has several pages of testimony from her trial .

If you ever want to see a good movie on the Salem Witch Trials - check out "Three Sovereigns for Sarah" (1985)  youtube has a few clips . I would of posted one , but they are quite graphic .

Wow! Some real good ones so far! Keep 'em comin'!

My ancestors came here as pilgrims, attended the church in Salem Mass. during the witch trials (they supported the accused), at least 2 Rev soldiers, one being a Captain Robert Higgins of Virginia. He fought in Germantown and was captured and held prisoner of war for three years. He moved to Ohio and founded the town of White Haven, now Higginsport. His daughter married Thomas L. Hamer, a prominent Ohio lawmaker. He appointed Ulysses S. Grant to West Point and was the person who accidentally put "Ulysses" instead of "Hiram." He commanded Butlers division after his death in the Mexican-American War. He later died of disease shortly after the war ended. There is a town named after him in Ohio as well. There is much more, but that is the interesting stuff

HH
-GC

mojjax,
Thanks for the info on the witch trials. I will check out the movie clips. I read the complete court transcripts of the trials because I found out I had many ancestors living in the Salem area at the time. My mother's maiden name was Cole.
Sarah Davis Cole was married to a direct ancestor of mine, and her sister in law, Sarah Cole, who would be a direct ancestor. I would have to dig out my research papers to get all the facts.
I believe they were both accused of being a witch and arrested 1682. Trials were on June 28, and Sept. 10, 1692. I know one was acquitted and maybe both were.
I read all of this on line. It was quite long but was very interesting. I copied any information pertaining to my family and saved it someplace.

Clayton

On my mothers side she was a Woodall- through Dr. john Woodall of England. And my great grandfather was a horse-thief.
My Uncle Woody Woodall was in the Marines- World war 2 lost battalion, mentioned in the book the secret camera.
From the Dyer, Smith- Riley side I have back passed Mary Barrett Seymore- and William Dyer.

On the McClinton-Anderson-McCafferty side lots of history.

my G grandmother was a Younger from Ky kin to all those outlaws. My GGG?granfather motherside was Gen Coffee and Coffee county Ga is named after him. My fathers side we have a Fort Capron named after his relative.  We have a Capron  Ill.( my last name) a Capron W.V a Capron OK. THere`s an author name Thomas Capron who wrote a few books, one of them is "white moccasins" about cracker life here in early 1800 Fl.
Then we have Capt. Allyn Capron , born here in Tampa and was a ROugh Rider with Lt. Colonel Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish American war

 

Royalty I think!
 I had a great uncle that was shot with four kings up his sleeve!

             My Great-Great Uncle was the President of a local bank & a shareholder in the Ar Western RR, the town of Bates AR was on the route, & bears his name.
  Another relative  by the name of Lt. Rye, fought in the Mexican war.
  Some of my relatives were 49ers, coming back to Ar with a little cedar box full of Gold, they were 'stowaways' on a ship coming from Holland when they were boys.

                                                                                      Fossis............

I have a brother that is a famous comic book artist, he has drawn for Marvel, DC and National comics, drawing some of the most legendary characters. Due to privacy I choose to not reveal his name...

Maternal line Benjamin Franklin was a brother of my ancestor. Thought i was related to CSA General Stand Watie BUT although his wife had the same name and birth state as my grand mother they had different birth years and dates. Paternal side president Grover Cleveland and one of George Washington's aides. siegfried schlagrule

 My grandfather , O.C. Collier , had a general store and gas station in Dugspur VA during the time that
sugar and Mason jar purchases had to be logged for the 'Revenoorer's' inspection . A redhot Republican in a Democrat county , Grandaddy signed out all the sugar and jars to Democrats .
 Curtis Turner was a regular customer of his , either picking up supplies for the family business or needing some of that good Texaco high test to fill his tank to make a delivery .
 Many future NASCAR greats bought fuel there when they were dirt track racing in local pasturefields
prior to sanctioned racing .

My father played on the winning world amateur  basketball team in 1954. They won the championship in South America after winning the U. S title in Denver. He played for the Peoria Caterpillars. He was named to the all world team and lead their team in scoring in the tournament. He did not talk about it a lot and did not display all of the medals and news clippings about the event. All 5 of his children and the neighbors all knew about it but it wasn't something that he bragged a lot about. Latter in his life when the New Orleans Hornets were relocated to Oklahoma City I made contact with their p r person and they invited my dad to come to a game and meet Chris Paul who was later named the rookie of the year. They also recognized him during the second quarter of the game and put him on the big screen at the Ford Center.  He was also presented an autographed basket ball from Chris Paul. That was one of the biggest thrills he has in his latter years besides all the grandchildren and great grand children that came along. He passed away last year after battling diabetes  and renal failure for almost 25 years. You can google his name Kirby Minter and find out more about an amazing man, my dad. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

My maternal grandfather worked on The Manhattan Project . His job was to make it go "BOOM" at just the right altitude . Many folks in Hiroshima and Nagasaki will attest to his abilities .

been told my grandfathers brother(both now dead) moved to the states and became charlie chaplins pianist but i can't say this true for certain.....my american friend here in italy is a direct decendent of john wilkes-booth (lincolns assasin) on his fathers side.....also being half vietnamese  he was on one of the last choppers leaving saigon(us embassy) he said he remembers him and his sister being photographed in the phillipines by time magazine.

A relative in 1839 is the one who wrote the saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" for one of his plays. Our line of the family also were original colonists in Jamestown.

That response confused me, Okie Hillbillies.

 

   RGINN. I was in three movies as extra's and one ad as the main one. North and
 
South, Blue and Grey, and Pass the Ammo where I shot at a robber trying to rob

my store. and as the main one in the Drexel,Burnman,Lambert ad.

                                  OkieHillBillie.
                                 

A relative in 1839 is the one who wrote the saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" for one of his plays. Our line of the family also were original colonists in Jamestown.

Hmmm...
I always thought that was Shakespeare....

But after a cursory search, I see that I was in error.
I have learned something new today!
Thanks, Friend!

"The pen is mightier than the sword" is a metonymic adage coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu"



Scott

Glad I started this thread. Some amazing stories here!
Thanks all! Keep 'em comin'!

A relative in 1839 is the one who wrote the saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" for one of his plays. Our line of the family also were original colonists in Jamestown.

Remove a space, and add a comma, and you get a whole new statement! 
Although the feminists would argue that point!