QotD: Family History

What do you find interesting or unique about your family history?

Here are a few things - perhaps not unique, but interesting, at least to me!

• Our great grandparents on our mom's side (our Mom-Mom's parents) were from the same village in Hungary, though they did not know each other and did not meet until after they had both immigrated to the states.  If I am remembering the story correctly, Grandma Meyer was Grandpa Meyer's house help when his first wife was alive.  Some time after his first wife passed, they married, but I seem to remember Mom-Mom saying that he never treated her as he should have - that he favored his first wife and wasn't shy about letting her know that.
• The Meyer surname is not actually accurate - it was Mayer, pronounced like the bologna, but they Americanized it - well, all but our Great Uncle Dominic (who I believe was from Grandpa Meyer's first marriage), who retained the original spelling.  I have no idea what Grandma Meyer's maiden name was - I wish I did. 
  
• Our great grandmother on our paternal grandmother's side married her childhood sweetheart when she was in her 70's, I believe.  She was 98 when she passed, outliving both of her husbands by many years.
• On both sides of our family, the name Charles is very predominant, though only one person goes by "Charles".  Here's the count and how we keep it all straight: my father (Charlie), his father (usually went by his last name), my other grandfather (Buck), his son (Chuck or Butch), my mom's cousin (Charles), his son (Chucky), and one of my dad's uncles (Brother).  Needless to say, no one in my generation - on either side! - has felt the compulsion to use the name Charles for their progeny.
• Our mom's parents eloped on Thanksgiving day.  He was 26 and she was 17 (I think - do I have that right, Janie?).  They won't back "home" separately.  After a week or so, Mom-Mom spilled the beans to one of her sisters, and I believe that is when word got out.  I am not sure what the reaction was or when they actually got a place of their own (maybe one of my sisters can shed some light on that).
• Another "famous" surname within our family tree comes from our dad's side: Hefner.  Do you think we could be heirs to either a lunch meat or - *ahem* - other fortune? (Heh.  Not likely.)
• When our mother was pregnant with me, she wanted to use Patricia for my first name.  Our paternal grandmother thought that was outrageous since our father had been engaged to a Patricia.  A year or two later, our parents reconnected with Pat and her hubby.  The four became fast - and best - friends for years.  I've always found it humorous and ironic that Mom and Pat became such good friends.