I've been meaning to ask... I have copies of some old photos (originals in my cousin's possession) that have puzzled me from the beginning. The surnames common to the family give no hint that anything unusual might be suspected-Collins, Higgins and Peyton are perfectly common, old American names. But, when one looks at these pictures, they are not English or Irish looking people. One of them has a very AmIndian look to her, another is a dead ringer for O. J. Simpson. All are, apparently, olive complexioned, black hair (my mother had auburn highlights), high cheekbone and deep set eyes. I have dead-ended on this family, in both directions, and they remain a mystery to me. Looking at my mother (Wagner), grandmother (Wyruck), g grandmother (Collins), and gg grandmother (Peyton), I can see the maternal blood ran strong, for each one of them is their mother's image (until you get to me). I feel that if I could understand the bloodline of this exotic looking family, that maybe it would be a clue that might help me restart my maternal genealogy. can anyone suggest anything? The kinda strange thing is, the earliest ancestor's photos don't look as exotic as their children's, and yes, they were blood related. I've seen the family Bible and have other records, as well. The earliest ancestors (Francis Lee Collins and Mary Jane Peyton) just look homespun American. I did check into the Mellungeon's, but could not find anything there. Collins is the only one of these surnames that has a Mellungeon background, and I can't connect, as yet, with any of them. Cornelia