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
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:
If you have a German-American ancestor who was residing in colonial Philadelphia, it might be worthwhile to check the Lord’s Supper guest register for St. Michael and Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1755-1763.
It can be found online via Ancestry.com’s Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Records, 1708-1985.
I recently discovered an invaluable resource for researching Irish ancestors. I’m six months late to this party, but figured it was worthwhile to write about in case others have yet to come across this information goldmine.
It’s always wise to periodically conduct a Google search on your ancestors. With more and more records, old books and other potential sources of information being digitized each day, you never know when you might find something new.
axehandles 