European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pride in common people roots by Myra Vanderpool Gormley associated Pressi t s not american to Trace yourself to the  George k Schweitzer says. Schweitzer Holder of three doctorates in chemistry history and philosophy is an eminent genealogist and author of several genealogical research books he told a Seattle audience recently to be proud of common people roots. Yet most of us spend More time trying to locate illustrious ancestors than we do researching in Dusty obscure records for the Ordinary folks from whom we descend. Many of our family names originate from a nickname some ancestor bore. If the nicknames of English rulers had become hereditary some americans would be using such surnames As Unready confessor or Bastard. The famous English family of Plantagenet 1154 1399 founded by Henry ii derives its surname from a nickname Given to Henry s father Geoffrey count of Anjou he acquired the Moniker from wearing a sprig of Broom Plant in his Cap descendants of Raymond of Barcelona Are Lucky his nickname stuffing head did not survive to become an american surname. In fact Lew colourful epithets of the Middle Ages made it to these shores because distasteful nicknames such As Colloq deceitful Fox bigger flesh and Cal nose were quickly changed by descendants. The obsession of our ancestors to make remarks Aboul the color of others skin and hair or Lack thereof adds sidebars of social history and genetics to onomastics. Brown is a common English nickname and it referred to someone with Brown or dark hair or complexion. Brauns came from Germany. Brunos from Italy and be Bruns from France to provide us plenty of american Browns. Englishmen with Swarthy complexions were labelled Black or Blackman. Yet some Blakes May derive from the old English Blac meaning White or Pale. So your Blake or Black progenitor could have been a Light or dark person dark germans were called Mohr or Schwartz while the Irish named them Dolan. Doody. Dowd Duff in and Kearns. Czechs Call them Demy. If you descend from dark scottish ancestors you May carry the surname Bissett. On the other hand if your family from Scotland had fair hair or Light complexions they could have acquired the name of Baines Baynes Light Irish ancestors were called Gaynor Glavin and Galligan. While dutchmen were nicknamed Lichter and Witt. In Holland they May have added the definite article to make the name Dewitt. A Pale complexioned or band haired French ancestor could be responsible for your Erma Bombeck ancestor interest children Check out a genealogy Chart during a family reunion in Brooklyn n. Y. Family name being Blanchard. Red hair is still genetically rare and in the old Days in european countries a red haired person no doubt was quite noticeable. Today Many american surnames carry references to red haired or Ruddy complexioned ancestors English surnames meaning red Are read and Reed it is Reid in Scotland. If you descend from ancestors whose hair was Reddish Brown you May be known As Russell in England Gough in Wales larousse and Roux in France. Role in Germany or Rossini in Nlaly. Your Irish ancestors were called Flynn Gooch or Kilroy. K baldness occurred in your family tree Way Back in the mists of Antiquity your surname May still Tell the legend of these genes. Bald headed englishmen were called Ballard Balch or Nott. The frenchmen were referred to As coffin from the French for Chauvin meaning Bald. If your German roots reveal a Glatz your Irish ones turn up a mulls or your italian Pedigree shows a Luna probably somewhere once Long ago in the Middle Ages you had a Bald headed ancestor. Read american surnames by Eldon c Smith Tor a fascinating discussion of the development of hereditary surnames it is available from genealogical publishing co 1001 n Calvert st., Baltimore. My 21202 for $1420 for a beginner s How to genealogy kit with charts Send $4, please include a self addressed stamped envelope and address your genealogical questions to Myra Vanderpool Gormley Box 64316. Tacoma Wash. 98464. I co to a supermarket that is reportedly frequented by yuppies. I have not the slightest idea what that Means. The Only thing i be noted that seems significant is the shelf life of a Box of bran seems to be about two years. Other than that. Yuppies eat human. I thought a carry out Man could shed some insights on the group the other Day when i asked him if he was a Yuppie. Don t i wish he laughed. Do i look like a Yuppie god i m 26 years old and i Don t even own a Var is that something you put on a resume i got a car you have to Start on a Hill he said ignoring me and a bicycle that i could leave in an Alley and no one would steal it. You re looking at a Guy who can t even afford a health club membership. Of course i did t get materialistic until two years ago last  having Given birth to three yuppies i found that statement rather amusing. Many of the kids of the 60s and 70s May have stopped off for a few years at apathy and boredom before becoming born again capitalists but non materialistic never i saw Guys in the 60s wearing Burlap Coats and guitars flying Back to school first class. I saw kids trying to find themselves and doing it in faded ragged jeans that Cost $40 a pair. My own son went to the peace corps carrying a ghetto blaster that he could have sold and had enough to buy the entire country. They were fooling no one. The hair was Long and straggly. It Cost $20 a month in shampoo and rinses to sustain it. They never washed a car but if the motor in it would t turn Over they borrowed yours. Work was meaningless and stupid but they would stoop to it if they wanted a new album. Wait a minute i said. Are you saying that All those kids who left Home for College taking half of their parents House with them were escaping from saturday october 25, 1986 materialism right he said. None of the trappings like typewriters matched Luggage cameras space Heaters or cars had any meaning for  i pursued the subject. But what about when you were Between jobs and came Home to crash and stood in front of a full refrigerator and a car full of Gas meaningless he said. I got into the car and thought about those 77 million yuppies who were trying desperately to catch up to babies three piece suits careers and m a gages. I leaned out the window and yelled to the carry out Man i m curious. What made the difference when did possessions begin to mean something to you he smiled when i had to buy them with my own  Loi Ang tos tunes Syno Ciu the stars and stripes Page 17