Any black sheep in the family tree? While searching the family tree, we learned, much to our horror, that dear old great-grandpa was a murderer and had spent some time riding and robbing in the Jesse James gang. He was also a polygamist with another family elsewhere. How he managed to father my grandpa, a kind and gentle man if ever there was one, we'll never know. To sooth our hurt, we were wondering if any of you have found any black sheep?

On my dad's side of the family, both his maternal and paternal great grandfather's owned slaves in Georgia and Virginia, which is something I certainly don't take pride in today. Indeed, one of his great grandfathers, a Dr. Robert B. Dickerson, was one of the three delegates from La Fayette County to the meeting where Georgia declared its succession from the Union.

Growing up, I heard rumors that my dad's paternal grandmother was disinherited for (gasp) marrying a "Yankee" in the middle of the American Civil War. Then, I discovered that her father's second wife was also from upstate New York (along with my great grandfather). She was Sam Houston's cousin, so I suppose she was forgiven for her birthplace, or maybe my great great grandfather simply disliked his son-in-law and the fact that he grew up in New York and Michigan had nothing to do with it.

I also grew up hearing tales that my paternal grandmother wouldn't let my grandfather's relatives into the house because they borrowed money from him during the Depression and never paid it back.