Anyone interested in genealogy family trees and DNA?

[Cyd]

A caution… “rabbit holes”…using public sites anyone can post…
When making notes, there is often “a questionable person”, that “might be” related, requiring further research …
While it can be “noted, as possible”…


…Such information being read, repeated, several times…”magically becomes a fact when people do not regard the “guessing, the maybe, as a possibility”… and carry on as it is a Fact.”

Had… a gggFather… knew his place of residence, his burial place… but could not find a “local recorded death certificate”…
Puzzling!!
Found through old letters, he died in another State, while on a brief visit to see his daughter.

Some “cemeteries” will allow, additional information to be stored in their office, along with the records of the deceased buried…
Such as:
News clippings of Obituaries…
List of family members, brief notes, parents, spouses, children, dates, places.

If you are visiting plots for photos, always stop by and ask the office, if there are any additional notes. Or call, the contact, if no office onsite.

I once (years ago) had a dilemma of wanting headstone photos in another State.
Called the cemetery to see if they would take photos… uh no.

Person speaking to…I asked if they lived near by the cemetery…Yes

Asked if I sent them…the plot #, disposable camera, stamped return envelope, $20.00, would they take several photos of designated plot#, and surrounding headstones. They agreed!
All worked out well.

Also have located photos of my relatives, by discovering their “friends”, and friends relatives who had photos of “their relatives”, which had also my relatives in the photo.
Sent them, $$ for copies and postage.
Again, was successful.

Had a guy, (I cold called) tell me he had two children with no family history interest. Sent me, a box of… letters, certificates, photos… even a picture of my mother in her high school grad cap and gown!

My mother gave me, my dads funeral guest book. Two of the guests went to elementary school with my dad. I contacted them, asking if “they” had any “school group photos”… one did, and made copies for me… my dad in K, and one in 3rd grade.

Have gotten relatives “children's home made toys”, “tools” and “ladies home made hats” and “antique dishes, silverware” and hand painted dishes, from a relative visiting Holland (1910) and painting scenery on the China. Some nic-nacks, jewelry, homemade greeting cards, silhouettes, tapestry's (1915)
Interesting, good finds in my opinion. I make notes of the objects history.

Did you ever do an online family tree?

 

[Cyd]

I did the Ancestry DNA test. I'm mostly European (mainly English and Irish), and some indigenous American (they didn't get very specific on that). My great grandfather came from Greece. Oddly, the amount of Mediterranean DNA I have is relatively small.

They have me being European also yet amazing things have happened I did my DNA at ancestry because I preferred their tree software, the DNA helped solve family mysteries we didn't know existed... a ggfather was adopted had married prior had 4 children in first marriage the wife died giving birth to last child. His parents raised those children had their DNA there anyway found out true parents of his.

You can download your ancestry DNA raw file and upload it and pay like 20.00 or so to familytreedna to read it, you might find out some other interesting things ... I did that as Ancestry said no Jewish like my brother showed so uploaded it there and it was same as brothers and there.

 

[Taken]

Did you ever do an online family tree?

No. Mostly communicating (mail/ phone) with elder (some very distance) relatives.

Did trace my moms to This this land…1630… from England…
Dads side This land …1750… prisoner from England, crime stole a sheep, prison / death sentence, commuted to ( colony / 7 year indentured servant/ under GB king…) skipped out, headed westward, a few hundred miles, in war 1812.
A woman was doing this same line, had good reliable records, stopped, put it away, because (she was trying to lead back to royalty (ha ha, I thought, why)… anyway, she was ashamed of the prisoner thing and gave me her research works…!!

Also contacted years ago, with a very elderly relative, in her 80’s sharp memory, widow, no children, and lived half of year in Michigan and other half in DC and regularly went to the National Archives and shared with me oodles of information.

I found a Civil War diary, written by my G+uncle ( by a strange fluke ) located in a library, where none of my relatives lived. (Different State).
This guy wrote about him and his 5 brothers, all in the war… one my G+father.
Had the library copy all 137 pages for me.
Wildly interesting.
Written in pencil, no punctuations!

I am not on Ancestry, nor did their dna offering.
Two of my sisters, separately did the dna thing with Ancestry…
Both came back…
Moms… English
Dads….. English / Scots/ Irish
Which is what my records reflected.

Haven’t done much in the last few years, busy with other time consuming works, Have a large file cabinet full!

If in US… large local public libraries, genealogy societies, often have Old “County” Book info on early settlers. Often a photo or Sketch, of a person, home, and short story about them.

Also something in Libraries, called Polk Directory. I think that continued to the 1950’s / 60’s, not ancient… but listed addresses, name of everyone in the household, occupations, kids, “student”. Kinda cool for a more recent interest.

 

[Cyd]

No. Mostly communicating (mail/ phone) with elder (some very distance) relatives.

Did trace my moms to This this land…1630… from England…
Dads side This land …1750… prisoner from England, crime stole a sheep, prison / death sentence, commuted to ( colony / 7 year indentured servant/ under GB king…) skipped out, headed westward, a few hundred miles, in war 1812.
A woman was doing this same line, had good reliable records, stopped, put it away, because (she was trying to lead back to royalty (ha ha, I thought, why)… anyway, she was ashamed of the prisoner thing and gave me her research works…!!

Also contacted years ago, with a very elderly relative, in her 80’s sharp memory, widow, no children, and lived half of year in Michigan and other half in DC and regularly went to the National Archives and shared with me oodles of information.

I found a Civil War diary, written by my G+uncle ( by a strange fluke ) located in a library, where none of my relatives lived. (Different State).
This guy wrote about him and his 5 brothers, all in the war… one my G+father.
Had the library copy all 137 pages for me.
Wildly interesting.
Written in pencil, no punctuations!

I am not on Ancestry, nor did their dna offering.
Two of my sisters, separately did the dna thing with Ancestry…
Both came back…
Moms… English
Dads….. English / Scots/ Irish
Which is what my records reflected.

Haven’t done much in the last few years, busy with other time consuming works, Have a large file cabinet full!

If in US… large local public libraries, genealogy societies, often have Old “County” Book info on early settlers. Often a photo or Sketch, of a person, home, and short story about them.

Also something in Libraries, called Polk Directory. I think that continued to the 1950’s / 60’s, not ancient… but listed addresses, name of everyone in the household, occupations, kids, “student”. Kinda cool for a more recent interest.

Did you have your sisters take a snapshot of their DNA to put with your documents? I did of our stuff and with their upgrading systems they do, things keep changing. So your sisters could look a bit different today

 

[Taken]

Did you have your sisters take a snapshot of their DNA to put with your documents? I did of our stuff and with their upgrading systems they do, things keep changing. So your sisters could look a bit different today

No. Their results matched one to the other and was a discussion amongst us.

My research, my notes, matched up to others researching the same lines.

The older history, reveals a usual, very large list of offsprings, (8,10,16) children, spouses dying, another marriage, often more children.

More recent history, fewer offsprings, divorces, another marriage, more children…
And…

More modernly, fewer offsprings, no marriages, no children.

Fewer children, No children, “direct lines” ending.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Cyd]

No. Their results matched one to the other and was a discussion amongst us.

My research, my notes, matched up to others researching the same lines.

The older history, reveals a usual, very large list of offsprings, (8,10,16) children, spouses dying, another marriage, often more children.

More recent history, fewer offsprings, divorces, another marriage, more children…
And…

More modernly, fewer offsprings, no marriages, no children.

Fewer children, No children, “direct lines” ending.

Glory to God,
Taken

I noticed some of the same but in USA when I was having children they only wanted families to have 2.5 children hahaha You did great work finding all that stuff. The reason I did family tree is because my sons not interested in it, but grandchildren might be. So for sons it would probably be tossed out information. Online and you can download your info is then made available to any investigating.

I have been locked out of my ancestry account so battling to get it back. Yes I have my username and password to normally log in, but all the sudden they changed things to a 2 step process and that locked me out. Once I get it back I will download the main stuff and probably upload that to FamilySearch thee Mormon one... AI says they are very secure plus my brother has as a notable one being Joseph Smith. So my guess is he was also maybe a Levite too. If not that tribe at least House of Israel.

 

[Taken]

I noticed some of the same but in USA when I was having children they only wanted families to have 2.5 children hahaha You did great work finding all that stuff. The reason I did family tree is because my sons not interested in it, but grandchildren might be. So for sons it would probably be tossed out information. Online and you can download your info is then made available to any investigating.

I have been locked out of my ancestry account so battling to get it back. Yes I have my username and password to normally log in, but all the sudden they changed things to a 2 step process and that locked me out. Once I get it back I will download the main stuff and probably upload that to FamilySearch thee Mormon one... AI says they are very secure plus my brother has as a notable one being Joseph Smith. So my guess is he was also maybe a Levite too. If not that tribe at least House of Israel.

Seems, most families has one person somewhere in the family that has enough interest in family history to do the research…
While some family members have NO interest and others want the “readers digest version”, of another's research.
I like as an interest and pastime, doing the research. Dead-ends, Frustration…I just put their folder back in the cabinet and move on.
I am familiar with hundreds of names, so searching “this” I may comes across one I was not focused on, and add the tid-bit to “their” file.
I have in the past looked through LDS records, which I liked their efforts.

God bless you.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Cyd]

Seems, most families has one person somewhere in the family that has enough interest in family history to do the research…
While some family members have NO interest and others want the “readers digest version”, of another's research.
I like as an interest and pastime, doing the research. Dead-ends, Frustration…I just put their folder back in the cabinet and move on.
I am familiar with hundreds of names, so searching “this” I may comes across one I was not focused on, and add the tid-bit to “their” file.
I have in the past looked through LDS records, which I liked their efforts.

God bless you.

Glory to God,
Taken

Have you tried searching at wikitree.com this is another free site but you can search names there without joining

 

[Cyd]

@Taken and @Rita

With you having family with Ancestry tests you shoud have them download the DNA raw data file. It is a long link Upload Familytree
It is pretty cheap to do to find out new things.

 

[Rita]

@Taken and @Rita

With you having family with Ancestry tests you shoud have them download the DNA raw data file. It is a long link Upload Familytree
It is pretty cheap to do to find out new things.

I doubt my daughter would use an American site - we would probably stick with things based in the U.K. , thank you for the link though

 

[Cyd]

I doubt my daughter would use an American site - we would probably stick with things based in the U.K. , thank you for the link though

Oh ok Rita but I would ask her as Ancestry is USA she might want to. Anyway up to you if you want to let her know or not, thanks for responding