Major General “Mad” Anthony Wayne is a something-something-grandfather. A more recent granddad was a prominent merchant on in Kansas selling to Santa Fe trail travelers. His son built an earlier version of the Eldridge Hotel which is still in Lawrence Kansas. We have a grandfather clock from the citizens with a plaque thanking him for rebuilding.
Going WAAAYYYY back we have a ship captain who owned Martha’s Vinyard. I would love to have my share, but I imagine it would be diluted among a few hundred thousand descendants by now.
My mom earned a bachelor’s from the prestigious University of Missouri journalism program in 1953. I have a collection of rejection letters she received saying essentially, “no, you’re female, get lost”. She persevered and went on to become a reporter and freelance writer.