Originally posted by All Creatures Great And Small

I think it would be neat to have a one-country background - it would make researching your family tree a lot easier
I think that depends on what country it is. Swedish geneology is nearly impossible to trace if you don't know it already, so on that side, we don't know anything but the town they lived in prior to coming to America. In the old Swedish naming system, your LAST name is your father's FIRST name with s"son" or "daughter (dotter)" tacked on. So while my grandfather's last name was Peterson, my Dad's last name should have been Axelson, as grandpa was Axel Peterson. MY maiden name therefore would have been Donaldsdotter, and my brothers would have been Donaldsons! But we're in America now, so we've all been Petersons! There - if you think THAT's confusing, try following it backwards!