Our Vision: “Lest we forget” AncestryFootprints.com is a website that was envisioned by Lars Granholm, Kaj Granholm, and John Granholm. It is a project that looks back at our heritage, shares in the present, and holds unwritten pages for the future. The scope of the project is as far reaching as our heritage; and the goal is to introduce us all to a colorful tapestry of history woven throughout time… Our objective: “Remembering our Ancestry” We created this project to provide you with a place for the following: To learn about our past lineage. Preserve our ancestry and heritage for […]
Measure Twice Cut Once
Spring 2015. It seems as if last spring all my chores have been major projects. It started with a huge pile of old trees I had helped my neighbor cut down on his property and stored next to our barn. That was three years ago. My intention was to cut them up and split them for firewood. However, as well-intentioned projects sometimes go, three years later that pile of trees still happily resided next to the barn. It was time to clean the pile up… Little did I know that that six foot high, fifteen foot long pile of logs […]
The Fallen Oak Tree
This is the story of the 95 year old oak that fell in our yard. This one goes with the keepsake table I made for Judy to pass on to Royce. I also made a similar second keepsake table for Judy to pass on to Steven, with the same stories. Both tables hold folders with these stories in them, each one holding information on their own families. This is a small glimpse of how it was in the lives of Judy’s dad Bob, and her mother Hilda, when they were both 3 years old. The years were 1920 and 1925. […]
Famous Relatives and Ancestors
Relatives are persons who are descendants from a common ancestor. The book Släkten Granö by Uncle Teodor Granholm was the first listing of our relatives starting with Måns, living in the 1400s. Another such source begins with a common ancestor, Erik Sursill, shown in a Sursill Chart. These relatives include three of Finland’s presidents and many other famous persons. The book in the Genealogy Section about Finnish King and Presidents shows how we are related to the first and only King of Finland and to five Presidents. Some famous direct ancestors are listed here. Many more can be found […]
Our Amazing Genes
Cornelius Loos, King James the First of England (who authorized the King James version of the English Bible); Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (also known as Charles the Great); Rurik, Ruler of Kievan (Kiev) Russia; Erik the I Ejegod, King of Denmark; King Henry the VII; Nicholas the II Romanov, Czar of Russia; Anastasia, his well known famous daughter and her siblings, the question we may ask ourselves is, “What do all these people have in common?” The answer simply is this, they are all related through common ancestry. The question then becomes, “What do we, the Granholms […]
Our Wild West Relatives
Read about the Good Guys and the Bad Guys in “Our Wild West Relatives”.
Ukrainian Ancestry and DNA
The present (2014) crisis in Ukraine is of special interest to us. Ukraine was founded by the dynasty of Rurik, one of our Viking ancestors. A recent study indicates that based on DNA results “their closest relatives are found in the coastal Finland, among the Swedish-speaking Finns”. Click here to read about this in “Ukrainian Ancestry and DNA”.
Charlemagne Bloodline and Descendants
Charlemagne seems to be the ancestor of most Europeans. This book describes how his genes and bloodline can be traced to old kings and present celebrities, including to us. See this at “Charlemagne Bloodline and Descendants”.
Popes – Our Relationships
This is a story about how we are related to several Popes. It begins with a 60 years scandalous “Pornocracy” medieval era, next includes several other Popes involved in wars and politics and the Lutheran reformation. To read about them, click on “Popes – Our Relationships”.
Our Literary Genes
If you are interested in writing you are not alone. Click here to see with how many world famous authors we share “Our Literary Genes”.
Viktor Rydberg’s “Tomten”
The most beloved “Old Country” Christmas poem is here in three languages in text, recital, song and movie. Check out Viktor Rydberg’s “Tomten”.