Anyone do the Ancestry Thing?

[EndtheMadnessNow]

I've gone back and forth about doing it or not, since I have certain reservations about sending my DNA to ANYBODY.

My parents finally did it, so there's no point in me doing it.  The results were somewhat surprising on my mother's side.  My father, we all knew, would come back Italian since his lineage is known.  My mother's side was always the question mark, even though we all grew up hearing Irish/German.

My father's came back 90-something percent Italy, with a smattering of Greek, Turkish, Armenian.

My mother's came back 40% Scotland/North Ireland, English, Norwegian, and Swedish.  Also a mention of Germanic Europe. 

Apparently the way they do this, is they take samples from people who've lived in certain areas for generations, and compare it with those sent in by people investigating their background.  I have no idea how accurate it is, but they nailed my father's test.

I've tried manually researching my mother's side, and can't even get past her grandmother.  It's like she never existed.  No records at all that I can find.  Maybe she was an illegal immigrant?

My dad did it about 10 years ago but, paid an astronomical sum to a private genealogy firm that has full access to the Mormons database, and a genealogy research center over in France and a few others that work together. He wanted to have his roots traced as far back as possible, including if any trace of Neanderthal genes (result was zero) and other interesting odd stuff. Turns out he's a descendant of the Hussars and going back further the Knights Templar. That was a bit shocking. As part of the huge payment the research team produced a hard cover book the size of the bible with family origins, coat of arms, birth location/death dates and all the history. My family on my dad's side has had at least one father/son of every generation in every US war going back to the Revolutionary War.

9/11/1683 marks the anniversary of the epic Battle of Vienna, at a city the Islamic troops called "The Golden Apple." A battle where brave men stood side by side to stop the warriors of Ottoman's expansionist onslaught from entering into Europe. A relief force making up of the Holy League, included the Polish Winged Hussars, a legendary elite cavalry unit the world has ever seen. The cavalry charge of some 18,000 men came to Vienna's aid after Vienna endured 2 months of constant siege by the Turkish armies. The heroic battle that ensued not only saved Europe but Christendom as a whole.

My mom's side is a whole different story.