Tuesday, June 16, 2015

DNA


My son got one of those DNA kits. All he had to do was spit (pardon me) into the tube, seal everything, and mail it in to the company. After a suitable wait the company sends email giving the results of your ancestry.

As you might have guessed from this blog I am so interested with family; where we came from, who we are, and even who we can be in the future. That is why I write this. I want my children and grandchildren to know how we fit into this world.

My family stories tell part of the story. I can tell the funny stories and the sad stories that give a little insight into the personalities of individual members of the family. I can give a little insight into why we are a loud boisterous bunch. I can mention physical and personality quirks that seem to belong to different members of the family beginning with some before me and continuing after me.

The DNA results are not quite as complete as we had hoped. There were many general areas that ancestors could be found. I suppose that could be because of the movements of groups of people in earlier times.

However some results were more specific. My son is 3% Neanderthal. Interesting. They say most people of European heritage have some Neanderthal genetically but 3% is on the high side.

And he is 0.1% Japanese. Where did that come from? As far as I knew we were mostly Northern European but DNA says that while we are Northern European that is not all there is.

The good thing is that since my children have the same heritage this works for all of them. The others do not have to send away for theirs unless they want to. However if I want to know mine I will have to spend the money. I may just do that.

There is also a program that comes along with the DNA test results. It is for a family tree. I have wanted to do one for a long time but I did not know how to start. I know there are programs you can buy but I felt they would be a large expense for what little I know about where we come from.

So I decided to help my son fill it out with what information I have. He started by placing his father's and my names along with his brothers and sister in the chart. Then he asked for help.

I know a lot of birthdays and a few birth places. What really surprised me was that I have a lot more information than I thought I had. I can go back to my great-grandparents and even some great-greats.
It is time consuming and maybe even a little addictive.

I also came across a website called findagrave.com. You can search a cemetery for family names there. It has been helpful and I found it quite by accident.

So I have been busily filling in the chart. I have not even begun to work on my husband's side of the family but I am anxious to get it ready. Then I can surprise my sister-in-law with what I have and ask for some help with the rest. It will be something nice for us to leave our family.

Also this program has an upgrade that you can pay for. It will connect you to family trees that contain any of the members of your own family tree. That way you can extend even further. I have already been notified of a couple of members who are part of other trees. Two of them I knew had done family trees so I am excited.

I am planning a trip to the historical society in a small town I lived in as a child. It holds information for the whole county. Most of my relatives lived in that county at one time or another.

I also will visit the graves of one set of grandparents and a bunch of other relatives who are in a local cemetery. Often spouses and children are buried nearby.

I am looking forward to digging ever deeper and discovering more of who I am.

9 comments:

  1. I was very involved in genealogy before my granddaughters arrived. What I turned up interested no one except myself, my first disappointment. And when I could not resurrect any cousins who might tell my why my grandparents married, I really did give it up.
    All that notwithstanding, I hope you have great fun and learn a lot.

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    1. There is one thing that troubles me. I do not recall ever seeing a picture of my father's father. My cousin was given all of my grandmother's pictures when she died. I have asked her to send me a picture (at my expense and I would return it) but she always ignores the request. Oddly enough she receives all other email from me. And she is my mother's age so she might even know what he looked like from actually seeing him.

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  2. i think it is very interesting to learn about our family history, I wonder if I may have non-Asian heritage since I am a lot taller than most Filipinos.

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    1. It is possible. At the same time some Asian peoples have been large in stature. The process to find out is easy.

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  3. That is interesting about the DNA tests. I had never considered doing that before but I think it's something I might try.
    I started digging into my family history a little several years ago. I wasn't making much progress until I read a Centennial Book put out bu the City of Dora. It had some family histories. One chapter linked one leg of my family all the way back to the 1700s.

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    1. That is good luck that you came across something so useful and interesting. My parents (especially my father) did not tell us that much about our family histories. I was one of those kids that eavesdropped on adult conversations and I picked up a lot that way. At the same time some of the funny stories are what we were told. The DNA test is a little costly but I found it fascinating. I am going to do my own because it will differ from my children.

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  4. I'm also interested in my family genealogy. I just might try a DNA test.

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  5. I'm also interested in my family genealogy. I just might try a DNA test.

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    1. They are available online. You can shop for the best deal for you. They come directly to you then all you have to do is send them the saliva sample. The results come by email. By the way the only person identified as a relative comes through my side of my son's family. My son is mortified that he is related ( however distantly) to Jimmy Buffet.

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