Jo Anne B.

My maternal grandfather, his parents, his siblings came thru Ellis island from Holland with $50 dollars in his pocket, thinking somewhere 1903-04? I would love to see if my family names are on the wall.

quiltsRfun

My grandmother was coming to meet her husband. She had an infant child and $28. That was in 1901. When they were restoring Ellis Island they asked for donations and you could put your ancestors' names on the wall. My Dad and his brother contributed and put my grandparents' names on the wall. His sister also put her name and her husband's on the wall.

Halo

I have a deep respect for the immigrants of that time. They gave up everything to come here & start a new life & not expect anything given to them for free. They worked so very hard & was great full for being able to work & provide for their families. They were all proud to learn our ways & become citizens. It is sad that now (not all but) most that come here want & expect everything given & provided for them for free.

ShirlR

It is very interesting what you can find out about your genealogy by doing Ancestry's DNA test, I always thought my maternal grandparents came in through Ellis Island. I knew they migrated from Russia to the US, but through the DNA testing, I found 2 cousins that I didn't know about (because the family scattered after my grandfather's death), and through them, found that the grandparents actually came in through Galveston, TX in May of 1913. I also found that their ancestors were were part of the Volga Germans who, at Catherine The Great's invitation, settled the steppes near Russia's Volga River. So, the DNA testing might be a valuable resource for anyone wanting to find out more information about their family's history.

Geri B

How accurate is that DNA....or is it just someone's imagination and storytelling?

JustAbitCrazy

Geri, the DNA is absolutely accurate. The interesting thing to remember is that you only get half of your DNA from each parent, so half of each parent's DNA is lost to you. In other words, if your mother had American Indian in her background from a grandparent of hers, it may not show up in your DNA at all, because it was in the half of her DNA that you DIDN'T get. Thus, siblings can have very different results.

KalamaQuilts

I found these two links re: accuracy interesting.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/dna-ance...-search-244586
http://dna-explained.com/2013/10/04/...s-true-or-not/

I'll be traveling in May to join a lifetime university research team for my rare eye disease. DNA testing is part of it.
I'm looking forward to see what it reveals, but I'd never pay $300.00 to get results I yam what I yam as Popeye would say.

Beachbaby12

Thank you for the great pictures. We need to remember that these brave immigrants are what shaped America and they did not have it easy. They had to learn to speak English, make a home, and find work. My grandparents came through Ellis Island. My grandfather's ship went to Boston as the weather was bad in New York Harbor. My grandparents were Italians, Czech and Yugoslavian. I was able to track my grandmother's ship many years ago on the Ellis Island website. It was so great to find it! I remember my grandmother telling me stories of how the ship went through some bad weather and she was very sea sick. Also she was in the lower part of the ship and it was very poor conditions. I am proud of all of them - they made it here and left their country as conditions were bad and they were poor. They all became proud American citizens - all are gone none but I had a special close bond with my grandmother.

Blue Bell

My paternal grandmother came to Ellis Island in 1908.

My maternal grandparents were coming in April 1912. However, they missed the boat. The boat was the TITANIC. I wouldn't be here today if they had boarded the TITANIC!

ShirlR

I can testify that my DNA results were accurate; the two cousins I found have given me actual independent documentation of facts such as a copy of the ship's log where my grandfather and grandmother and their children (my aunts). all of whom I knew as a child and young adult) arrived in America, a picture of my grandfather as a young man in his uniform when he was conscripted into the Russian army and a just wealth of other information. One of the cousins is my second cousin and the other is a half-cousin by virtue of a second marriage by my grandfather. I am truly so thankful for their research and records.