Right before the COVID19 Pandemic, I had PLANS.
The successful busting down of one of my genealogical brick walls led me to believe that following a similarly focused path would lead to another victory. So in the last summer of the Before Times, I made a goal and began to relentlessly pursue it.
That goal was to utilize DNA to figure out the origins of Sarah Tuttle, wife of Philip Hess Bender, Sr.
When genealogy is one of your passions, there comes a point in time when you go full nerd.
I’ve been known to get my geek on about life in bygone eras, political and cultural upheaval brought on by The Reformation, migration routes and diasporas.
Nowadays, I find myself fascinated by consumer DNA testing.
“I’m the future with a bunch of antique.” – will.i.am
It’s been said that setting goals turns the invisible into the visible.
With a brick wall ancestor, it often seems like one is chasing a ghost, hoping one day for identity to materialize. The pursuit can last years – decades, even.
This is the story of how setting a concrete goal enabled me – nearly one year after I had set my goal – to finally busted one of the biggest brick walls in my family tree!
DNA Day is here and many have been snapping up DNA test kits on sale this week at FamilyTreeDNA and Ancestry.
Most probably test because they want to learn what the test will tell about their ethnic makeup. But for serious genealogists and family historians, testing opens the doors to exciting yet often bewildering territory.
Here are my top three tips for getting the most out of testing your autosomal DNA:
Just wanted to share a recent stunning DNA test revelation.
This finding probably would have been devastating for all parties involved if it had come to light back in the day. Today, it’s just a fascinatingly juicy detail that reveals more about a distant ancestor’s life.
My autosomal DNA test results are in.
Some scraping of my inner cheek promised to give insight on my ethnic background and a chance to find folks somehow related to me.
I wasn’t expecting any surprises or revelations about my ethnic makeup.
A recently published NPR article ponders the connection between DNA and family history and appears to the be the first piece in what could be an intriguing ongoing series.
Writer Alva Noë makes the distinction between genetic (or DNA) ancestors and pedigree ancestors, and touches on some important facts and thoughts to consider when it comes to utilizing consumer DNA testing as a tool for exploring one’s genealogy.
I’ve always been a bit curious about geneatology – using DNA to trace family lines.
When the holidays came around this time, I had an urge to nab one of the discount offers out there. I did some research on the top three companies offering DNA testing for genealogical purposes and decided to take the plunge with FamilyTreeDNA.
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