My father's side: the original ancestor was actually a German Hessian hired to fight against the Americans in the Revolutionary War (actually, there were 2 brothers, but they went their separate ways) who settled in America after the war. I can trace my father's side down from one of these brothers. Actually, we have a published family history, and we have included very limited information on the other brothers' family. It kind of gets lost somewhere in the 1800s though. We're working on it.
My mother's side: she's adopted - I have no clue! It's such a shame. I know she has tried for many many years to find her birth family, and I believe she hired a private investigator, but so far no such luck.
As for my husband, I know his father's family originally comes from France. I don't know anything really about his mother's side. He hasn't given too much information.