What's with the name?

Many of you have inquired as to the name of Roche. I figure rather than three million small explanations, it would be a time saver to just articulate it here.

The truth? That's my real last name.

Well, obviously that's an over simplification, but it's true.

The story goes like this: My great-grandpa was running from the feds back in the day and changed his name a bunch of times. Yes, my immediate and much of my extended family has been living with an alias for the last 70 or so years. True story.

I have living relatives that should all share the same surname, but don't as a result of my great (or not so great) grandpa.

Usually I don't make it a point to dishonor the memory of the deceased, but when you find out what he did, I think you'll understand:

My great-grandpa left his wife, ran off with another woman, and kidnapped his son, my grandpa, at age 11... never to see his mother again in life.

My aunt, the youngest of my grandpa's siblings, told me she remembers her mother crying out in the cornfield. (Oh, and he stole from the gov't, though I hardly would use that as reason for public scorn of the dead- that's why the feds were after him)

Yes, my grandpa told me that they went up into Canada... eventually back down into the western United States. They were originally living in Nebraska. (I was actually born in Nebraska, how strange is that... considering that I have no memory of it yet it's played such a central role in my family's history)

I place a high value on my identity, and my connection with those long gone. I feel like I'm taking back part of who I really am in using this name.

It comes most recently from Ireland, but in my quest I have discovered that the name of Roche is actually Anglo-Norman, most likely some relation to a similar word in french. It means "rock" or "small stone."

And while I doubt I will ever legally make the switch, I don't think that's the point.