Big Surprise

 My Family Tree Welcomes 

Elvis Presley, Nicolas Cage and Michael Jackson!

When Famous People Become Collaterals ...
Big Surprises Happen

Imagine My Surprise Last Week

Genealogy research can lead to some pretty wild discoveries. You start out looking for great-grandma’s maiden name, and suddenly, you’re brushing elbows with celebrities—well, at least on paper.

I listened to a youTube video this week presented by Connie Knox on Find A Grave.  The video can be found here: Find A Grave  During the presentation Connie demonstrated how to make virtual cemeteries.  For me this was a great exercise as I will be visiting a few cemeteries this coming spring and wanted to group together ancestors in the same cemetery.  Virtual cemeteries was a perfect solution for me.  

This past week while putting together the virtual cemeteries for my ancestors, I stumbled upon a surprising addition to the family tree. Turns out, I needed to add Anna Lillian Iversen to a virtual cemetery that I'd be visiting—who, besides being my second cousin once removed, also happens to be the ex-mother-in-law of none other than Elvis Presley.

Yep. That Elvis. The King of Rock and Roll.

Anna Lillian’s daughter, Priscilla Beaulieu, eventually became Priscilla Presley, which means, by extension, Elvis himself just waltzed into my family tree like a sequined jumpsuit-wearing surprise guest at a wedding.

And the plot thickens. Because, of course, if Priscilla is in the tree, so is Lisa Marie Presley—my third cousin once removed. Which also means her famous ex-husbands, Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, get a side note in this genealogical adventure. Talk about unexpected in-laws!

But here’s the kicker: One of my bloodline ancestors is Louisa W. Jackson, my 2x great-grandmother. And no, despite the name, she’s not from the Michael Jackson branch of the Jacksons. Just a funny coincidence to keep things interesting.

Genealogy is like a box of chocolates—you never know when you’ll find a rock star, a Hollywood actor, or a King buried in the branches. The next time someone asks about my family tree, I’ll have a hard time not leading with, “Well, let me tell you about my cousin's Elvis, Michael and Nicolas...”

So, who’s the most surprising person you’ve found in your family tree?

"And That's a Wrap

Keeping our family story alive one 

thread at a time."

Barbara 

52 ancestors in 52 weeks, week 6 Surprise