Brick walls I keep hoping to break though, since the paper trails are thin to non-existent.
1. 2GGP John Foley (Foley-3930) and Brigid Martin (Martin-59393), both b.Ireland around 1820 give or take a few years, no paper trail before the 1860 census, sourceless birthplaces for the kids all over eastern Pennsylvania so no FAN club to work with. John was a stone worker and apparently they moved around PA and NY following work until they settled in Kane, McKean, PA around 1862. The only other child of theirs we know had kids has given us several DNA matches but no new information, so I keep hoping for a 4th cousin who we can verify with MRCA on that line.
2. 2GGF Johannes Peder Jensen (aka John Peter Johnson, he used the two interchangeably) (Jensen-16340), b.22 Apr 1855 in Denmark but that's from his DC and the informant was a friend of the family who may or may not have had good info. I suspect the day and month may be correct but the year may or may not be. His paper trail starts in 1887 in Manistee, Michigan, when he married 2GGM Christine Marise Jensen, whom we've found several generations of ancestors for and who's DNA confirmed through 2C1R and 3C by way of her daughter by her first marriage. But John? Zip. His naturalization status was "papers" in 1910 and "alien" in 1920, so we could spend a small fortune paying Michigan for fishing expeditions for John Johnsons whom we wouldn't be sure were the right one anyway.
3. And one for my husband: His 2GGF was Charles Hall (1830-ISH - 15 Jul 1907) (Hall-55353). Family lore says he's the grandson of David C. Hall, son of Benjamin Hall and Elisabeth Mosely. DNA matches through several of Benjamin's siblings, none through David's. Nothing on David's children but names, so no known siblings or 1Cs for Charles. Charles was estranged from his family for marrying an Irish Catholic, so again no FAN club to work with. I've built out trees for Benjamin's siblings well into the 20th century, no sign of any other people who could be this Charles. So, DNA supports the "lore" but still no paper trail. Charles' birth varies over 20 years and three states on various documents. You'd think that having an aunt named Durzilla and an uncle named Elibeus I'd be able to find something on them, but no dice. :-(
John Foley, John Johnson, and Charles Hall -- hardly uncommon names! But, hope springs eternal, so I keep poking at these. :-)