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Family tree: Ancestry, 23andMe and genealogy sites

Have any of you done this? What surprises have you discovered?

WHICH ONE OF YOU BITCHES IS MY COUSIN??!!!????

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by Anonymousreply 161April 9, 2020 8:02 AM

They are trying to find a cure for homosexuality!

by Anonymousreply 1March 17, 2019 2:42 PM

Did it. Then my parents did it, and I got an email telling me about a likely parent-child match for both.

My dad was adopted on his paternal side so it was interesting seeing what that side was.

by Anonymousreply 2March 17, 2019 2:42 PM

I did AncestryDNA. It’s cool to see whom you’re related to, but it still needs some tweaking. The entire northwestern region of Europe is a clusterfuck that isn’t differentiated well. It said I was almost 2/3 British when actually I’m more than half German.

by Anonymousreply 3March 17, 2019 2:48 PM

I loved that movie, OP

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by Anonymousreply 4March 17, 2019 2:54 PM

I did it, no surprise. Had a friend who did it, he inadvertently found out he was a sperm donation baby, and that he had 11 different siblings, all from the sperm donation guy. Several didn't know that they were donations. It's been 2 years, and they're still discovering more siblings.

by Anonymousreply 5March 17, 2019 3:05 PM

I did Ancestry, no big surprises, I knew my one side was Hungarian and that showed up and the other side showed mostly German but that side of my family has been in the USA since about 1745. So the test was pretty correct, but now they have my DNA!

by Anonymousreply 6March 17, 2019 4:29 PM

Did 23andMe and it figured out that my brother was my brother, lol.

It also found a bunch of people who it said were likely second cousins but neither of us has been able to figure out how or why they might be related to us.

Ancestry.com had some interested documents--census forms from 1910/1920 where I was able to find my grandparents and great-grandparents. But other docs were less valuable and the family tree thing had bad UX which made it hard to figure out where someone had placed one of your relatives on their family tree.

by Anonymousreply 7March 17, 2019 4:43 PM

I did it, and didn’t find anything that I didn’t already know.

by Anonymousreply 8March 17, 2019 4:46 PM

Consider following up with GED Match. That's how I found a half-brother I had only heard rumors about.

by Anonymousreply 9March 17, 2019 4:47 PM

GED Match? But I actually GRADUATED from high school!

by Anonymousreply 10March 17, 2019 6:26 PM

[quote] It also found a bunch of people who it said were likely second cousins but neither of us has been able to figure out how or why they might be related to us.

Someone had a sibling they didn't know about. I think if it's a second cousin it would either be one of your parents or one of your grandparents.

by Anonymousreply 11March 17, 2019 9:14 PM

I did the 23andMe and Ancestry DNA tests and haven't really been surprised.

No surprises with family tree stuff either, other than a whole bunch of people we don't recognize - a few of my ancestors, including one grandmother and a few great grandparents, have question marks for parentage.

Our only real surprise, a la Liz Warren, was that we found out that the Native ancestry we were told about for decades appears not to be true.

by Anonymousreply 12March 17, 2019 9:16 PM

I did 23andme and found out my closest relative who also did 23andme was a "half-brother." WTF? I don't have any brothers...turned out my dad hooked up in his early 20's and the girl told another guy he was the father and she moved out-of-state and put him up for adoption. My father only found out after I freaked out for a week wondering what the hell was going on and finally spoke to my half-brother and I informed my father he had a 50 year-old son he never knew about.

My co-workers wife took it and found out her mom had an affair with her best friend's husband and he was her real father.

Be prepared for this type of stuff, I'm sure there are thousands of stories.

by Anonymousreply 13March 17, 2019 9:23 PM

Found out who my real father was and found a half sister.

by Anonymousreply 14March 17, 2019 10:17 PM

I did 23 and Me. My dad was matched as my father...so he really is my father. My mom’s family always talked about how we were part Cherokee. I even have an aunt that looks like she’s half squaw...so other relatives look like they could be part Native American too...but ZERO Native American showed up. I was surprised that on my dad’s side he’s 12% Lebanese. He never met his father and he actually was able to connect with siblings he never knew he had because of all this.

by Anonymousreply 15March 17, 2019 11:02 PM

I’ve been told that not many Native Americans have partipated, giving DNA banks fewer comparison matches.

I did both Ancestry and 23&Me. Very similar results.

by Anonymousreply 16March 17, 2019 11:55 PM

"They" have your SSN, social media passwords, medical history, shopping habits and now your DNA.

by Anonymousreply 17March 17, 2019 11:56 PM

We thought about that R11

But the list of "possible second cousins" is pretty lengthy and they appear to be unrelated to each other as well. Talking to friends who have also done it, they wind up with similarly long lists of people who have around 2% match on DNA. It's not all that accurate at that level is the point.

by Anonymousreply 18March 18, 2019 12:05 AM

[quote]Our only real surprise, a la Liz Warren, was that we found out that the Native ancestry we were told about for decades appears not to be true.

That's why I want to take it, I'm from Oklahoma and was always told (like most) that we had Native American ancestors.

(My great-aunt also always said we were related to Jesse James -- again, probably like most people who were Missouri-adjacent.)

by Anonymousreply 19March 18, 2019 12:06 AM

[quote] But the list of "possible second cousins" is pretty lengthy and they appear to be unrelated to each other as well. Talking to friends who have also done it, they wind up with similarly long lists of people who have around 2% match on DNA. It's not all that accurate at that level is the point.

Well, some may be bad matches. But I think a fair amount are more distant cousins, then, where they're estimating a closer connection than there really is. I have a lot that when 23andMe first started were close estimates and are now somewhere between 4th and sixth cousins.....which, at that level, you could have thousands.

by Anonymousreply 20March 18, 2019 12:13 AM

Yes R20, that's what I meant--that they are more likely sixth cousins where some relative who lived in the 1600s is your common ancestor than 2nd cousins were it was someone born after 1900

by Anonymousreply 21March 18, 2019 12:14 AM

Found a half bro thru 23/me. No clue he was out there.

by Anonymousreply 22March 18, 2019 12:44 AM

Eldest sister did 23andMe and found out she was not 100% Russian but part Finnish. Since I have much, much fairer skin, freckles, and light eyes, I'm assuming that I am now mostly Finnish. Keep forgetting to order the test.

by Anonymousreply 23March 18, 2019 12:57 AM

I did 23 and Me. I knew that I was a European mutt (English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Italian, German, French, Dutch) and my DNA is 60%+ from the UK and Ireland as expected. I've got a smidgen of Scandinavian genes (2%) in there which was a surprise. I've done the family tree stuff too - going back multiple generations (back to the 1600s on multiple branches), but no Swedes, Norwegians, Finns or Danes to be found. The best I can figure out is that I've got some Viking DNA through multiple Scotch, English, and German ancestors.

Thanks to the internet I've discovered others who have developed extensive family trees and found some funky family history. One distant aunt (Goody Nurse) was hanged as a witch in Salem. A 17th great GF was Richard Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon (younger brother of the bard). There is also some nobility in the distant branches (of my 40th great grandparents through one branch and 38th grandparents through another related branch are Charlemagne and Fastrada).

Most of my ancestors led non-illustrious lives. There are plenty of stonecutters, coal miners, farmers, and mothers as well as several veterans of the French & Indian, Revolutionary, Civil and Spanish-American Wars. All of my ancestors arrived in America pre-Ellis Island -- some as early as the Plymouth Colony in 1630.

by Anonymousreply 24March 18, 2019 1:53 AM

I'm a bit curious about trying this but I do have privacy concerns. I absolutely do not want to be contacted by distant relatives, cousins, etc. It appears from what I'm hearing that they share this information and that's the last thing I want.

by Anonymousreply 25March 18, 2019 2:17 AM

R25 You either let them share it you can decide not to share. It's your call.

by Anonymousreply 26March 18, 2019 2:48 AM

Did 23/me. No big surprises, and no really close relatives - yet. Did it about 8 years ago. I was curious because no one really knows much about my grandfather on my dad's side. He came to Canada on his own when he was 17 in the early 1900s. He was apparently an orphan. No one thought to ask him where he came from, who his parents were, if he had siblings, etc. My dad, who was the last sibling born, knows pretty much nothing about his dad except the odd story about his early life in Canada. I was kind of hoping that maybe doing this would turn up some surprises, but alas not.

by Anonymousreply 27March 18, 2019 2:58 AM

I found out I'm Whitey McWhiteboy. Irish and English, a smattering of other European. No surprises there.

Then I got an email from a woman in MD who says she's my first cousin.

My 85yo redneck aunt had a baby out of wedlock a year before marriage who we never knew about. My father had no idea at all. The sisters kept her a secret for 60 years.

She badly wants to meet her mother, but my family refuses. The reunion would likely be unpleasant, to put it mildly.

by Anonymousreply 28March 18, 2019 3:14 AM

R24, I had a similar experience with 23andMe. They found that I'm about 60/40 English/German, which I already knew from pretty well documented family history. The Scandinavian percentage for me was 8%, which is apparently about average for people with substantial English ancestry. Like you, I figure Viking ancestry, but don't forget that the Normans were Vikings. Maybe there's a castle somewhere in England I'm about to inherit.

Like most Europeans, I'm also a bit Neanderthal.

I didn't find any relatives close enough to bother about, except that you and I are probably distant cousins, Cuz.

by Anonymousreply 29March 18, 2019 3:24 AM

We did Ancestry DNA. My husband thought he was Scottish. Turns out he’s Jewish.

by Anonymousreply 30March 18, 2019 3:27 AM

I can't fathom what these companies are doing with our DNA.

by Anonymousreply 31March 18, 2019 3:30 AM

You turned you DNA over to companies known for selling data as the only way they make money?

by Anonymousreply 32March 18, 2019 3:34 AM

[quote]We did Ancestry DNA. My husband thought he was Scottish. Turns out he’s Jewish.

Lots of Irish people have discovered they're part Jewish.

by Anonymousreply 33March 18, 2019 3:41 AM

My Aunt’s kids gave her one of these kits for Christmas, just for fun. She got the results back 2 weeks ago and discovered that her father is, well, not actually her real (biological) father. She is devastated. My grandfather was completely unaware but luckily both of my grandparents are deceased. He would have been devastated as well.

So many family secrets being revealed by these tests.

by Anonymousreply 34March 18, 2019 3:47 AM

I can understand why people who were adopted want to find their birth parents. Only the few I know who've actually done it weren't happy with what they found.

by Anonymousreply 35March 18, 2019 3:58 AM

What's the fear about privacy, really? It's all aggregate data.

by Anonymousreply 36March 18, 2019 7:15 AM

This is one of the use for those sites

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by Anonymousreply 37March 18, 2019 12:31 PM

I took the test with Ancestry.com. I also have a detailed tree with them. I suspect that they take the test results, then compare with your tree, and adjust the results, before sending them to you. So, not a big surprise when the results match your tree.

They will update your info as their database gets more data, and therefore is more accurate. Their first results showed no Italian for me. Later, after I entered my Italian ancestors into my tree, they changed it to 1/4 Italian, which is about right.

The downside is that, if you have another family member who took the test, your privacy is already pierced. If I could do it over, I would have submitted the test under a different name, somehow. My concerns are both for myself, but also for every relative I have or will ever have, because they’ll have this data forever.

There was a lot of migration/invasions within Europe, so I have trouble understanding how they can differentiate my ancestors from Speyer, Germany, from those from Frankfurt, Germany. I assume they used my tree to get to that level of detail.

by Anonymousreply 38March 18, 2019 2:45 PM

Ancestry had nothing on my family name at all (I didn't do the DNA test, just entered the name in their database), and it's a very unique name (anyone in the world with it is related to me). No Mormons for my family!

by Anonymousreply 39March 18, 2019 3:57 PM

There is no way in hell that I would ever voluntarily hand over my DNA for a database. That said, my family tree is pretty well publicly established so I never grew up curious about it or wondering what my background was.

For the many descendants of early Western settlers who claim Native American heritage, isn't it possible that their ancestors settled with the Native Americans, either by choice or as captives, and reproduced with other whiteys? It would explain the stories that are handed down over generations.

by Anonymousreply 40March 18, 2019 4:45 PM

A gay second or third cousin who lives in Jackson Heights contacted me through 23andme. He sent me pictures I'd never seen of my grandmother and her sister when they were young adults, including what must have been my grandparents' wedding photo. I keep meaning to email him again to see whether he's been struck with the family curse, diabetes.

He's a few years younger than I am. He grew up outside Philadelphia, I in North Jersey. But I had never even heard of him or his side of the family until he contacted me through 23andme.com. I find that so strange, and there's no one alive I can ask about it (yes, I'm old).

by Anonymousreply 41March 18, 2019 5:00 PM

Do any of you who have done this notice an increase in targeted ads and spam for specific medications? I know they sell the data to pharmaceuticals and insurance companies.

by Anonymousreply 42March 18, 2019 5:15 PM

[quote]I’ve been told that not many Native Americans have participated, giving DNA banks fewer comparison matches.

The Native American data sets for 23andMe and Family Tree DNA are limited to tribes on the West Coast (Alaska to Arizona) and in Latin America. (Ancestry DNA appears not to publicize the composition of its NA data.)

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by Anonymousreply 43March 18, 2019 5:42 PM

my sister took the test from 23 & me. It turns out a good friend i had in high school is my 4th cousin. that was surprising

by Anonymousreply 44March 18, 2019 7:38 PM

[quote] For the many descendants of early Western settlers who claim Native American heritage, isn't it possible that their ancestors settled with the Native Americans, either by choice or as captives, and reproduced with other whiteys? It would explain the stories that are handed down over generations.

Possible, but as I understand it there would still be at least small amounts of Asian ancestry unless it was very far back.

I was told that it didn't mean I had zero Native DNA but that it hadn't appeared in some particular number of years or generations. (Which was different than what my mother had been told, which was that she was 1/8 Native American.)

by Anonymousreply 45March 18, 2019 8:02 PM

So does 23andMe send you a list of names who share your DNA?

How do they know who your parents are if they don’t have their DNA?

by Anonymousreply 46March 18, 2019 8:14 PM

[quote] Found a half bro thru 23/me. No clue he was out there.

Did you and your half bro share jerk off tips? Lube / no lube, overhand, long strokes?

It's important to make up for lost time...

by Anonymousreply 47March 18, 2019 8:29 PM

My 23 and me results pretty much confirmed what lore/research had been told to us. We knew that my Anglo great grandfather had had children with a female slave, and now we know who and where they are because of the testing.

R46 I received a list of names given by permission, and the percentage of our shared DNA. It also also gives a prediction, for example: “We predict that X is your niece.”

by Anonymousreply 48March 18, 2019 8:38 PM

I wouldn't want any younger family members to do DNA testing because of the possibility of prospective employers and insurance companies getting information on their potential medical risks. But if law enforcement found a rapist or a murderer in my family tree, fuck 'em, go get the guy.

by Anonymousreply 49March 18, 2019 8:56 PM

R47 has all the gays at his local gay bar in stitches on a daily basis.

by Anonymousreply 50March 18, 2019 8:59 PM

[quote] does 23andMe send you a list of names who share your DNA?

Yes. You see them on the site.

[quote]How do they know who your parents are if they don’t have their DNA?

They work it out thru YOUR DNA to some degree.

by Anonymousreply 51March 18, 2019 9:00 PM

[quote] How do they know who your parents are if they don’t have their DNA?

If your parents didn't take a test, they don't know.

They make predictions on relationships based on how much shared DNA you have with another person.

by Anonymousreply 52March 18, 2019 9:48 PM

So I did the Ancestry test 5+ years ago.

Just got a match on the results under "close family."

I think my father fathered another child!

by Anonymousreply 53March 27, 2019 5:39 PM

The results aren't always accurate.

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by Anonymousreply 54March 27, 2019 5:59 PM

My partner took the test and has found tons of third and fourth cousins. Both his parents are from huge families.

by Anonymousreply 55March 27, 2019 6:10 PM

I did 23andme - what emerged is yeah in fact I'm at least one half Italian the other half had some surprises though like the Ashkenazi and Native American - in the single digits but still present.

by Anonymousreply 56March 27, 2019 6:51 PM

A customer did it (he knew he was adopted) and found out he is 1 of 9 siblings. The father got 17-19yo girls pregnant all over the country and all babies were all given up for adoption. One girl was 1/2 chinese, and adopted by a chinese couple. She didn't know she was 1/2 anglo until she did 23&Me and this information has completely fucked with her head. The bio father seems to have a 5 year gap when he didn't get anyone pregnant, and it's assumed he was in jail.

by Anonymousreply 57March 27, 2019 8:18 PM

I know my ancestry back to the 1600s, so I really don’t need to know more. I won’t give my DNA away. Not in today’s intrusive world that collects and monetizes every bit of human data. It’s the last thing I’ve got that’s private.

I watched a show where George Lopez did Larry David’s DNA and claimed Larry was a large part Native American. Later, Henry Gates did Larry’s DNA and it’s mostly middle Eastern with no Native American ancestry.

My husband did his about 15 years ago. It said he was 17% Scandinavian, 21% middle eastern and northeastern European. He did it again a few years ago and he’s like 80% middle eastern and no Scandinavian.

by Anonymousreply 58March 27, 2019 8:22 PM

I took it and ot said that I’m part bitch 😡

by Anonymousreply 59March 27, 2019 8:44 PM

The reason all of the ethnicity information varies is because (obviously) there's no such thing as Italian DNA or Russian DNA. There's only human DNA. All they can do is compare your DNA to that of other people in certain geographical locations at certain points in time. And as more of this data becomes available and the information is re-evaluated, the results change.

by Anonymousreply 60March 27, 2019 9:48 PM

[quote] I took it and ot said that I’m part bitch

But what percentage of cunt were you?

by Anonymousreply 61March 27, 2019 10:08 PM

I heard of someone who took it and found out they were adopted and their bio family didn’t want anything to do with him and he committed suicide.

by Anonymousreply 62March 27, 2019 10:15 PM

I know someone who took the test.

And then she DIED.

by Anonymousreply 63March 27, 2019 10:16 PM

No, no R63

A very dear friend of mine took that test. And then she died.

by Anonymousreply 64March 27, 2019 10:35 PM

I found my grandpa died of syphilis! 😦

by Anonymousreply 65March 27, 2019 10:42 PM

R65 I had a great uncle that died in an asylum b/c of that.

by Anonymousreply 66March 27, 2019 10:45 PM

R66, Maybe your great uncle is my grandpa!!!

by Anonymousreply 67March 27, 2019 10:55 PM

Im 94% percent German Jew, 6% Southeast Asian

by Anonymousreply 68March 27, 2019 10:57 PM

I'm as white as white can be.

by Anonymousreply 69March 27, 2019 10:58 PM

A German Jew has a good deal of middle eastern ancestry. Nice try, R68

by Anonymousreply 70March 27, 2019 11:00 PM

I made a friend who is very distantly related. IIRC, her family branched off in the 1700 or 1800s. It’s cool, because that’s when the clues get sparse. She found a custom pistol made for my 3d great uncle, Levi.

Another very distant relative lost her son, that’s how she developed interest. We occasionally swap info on old relatives.

by Anonymousreply 71March 27, 2019 11:11 PM

I did both Ancestry and 23 and Me. Both results line up pretty evenly. Mostly British/Irish with a smattering of Scandinavian, French/German and Iberian. Whiter than white. And like others have said, despite family lore, there were no Native American results. My Ancestry results accurately matched me with my uncle as a close family member. It also listed four 1st cousins. I could immediately confirm two were indeed my cousins. The other two were completely unfamiliar to me, as well as to my parents. I've since been contacted by them and we've determined that they were fathered by two different uncles on my father's side.

by Anonymousreply 72March 27, 2019 11:24 PM

I submitted my DNA and I found out I was 1-2% Iberian. I was flabbergasted. Then, last year I discovered some documents in a German church's parish records and saw a fourth-great grandfather had the surname "Cortez". My reported DNA percentage fits this exactly. In fact, the more I learn, my reported percentages are falling into place.

A helpful hunt: When you are using ancestry.com, do not rely on information someone else in the network has provided unless you have found documents on the site (or anywhere else) which confirms the information. I have been led down an inaccurate path several times. I subscribe to newspapers.com, where you can see the entire press runs of major city newspapers, sometimes 200 years worth. I discovered I have a third-great grandfather who won a blue ribbon in the Hamilton County Fair of 1888 for the best pair of chickens! I typed his name into that local newspaper's press run and found this information. Newspapers.com is pricey, but it has added value to my research. You never know what information you'll come across.

by Anonymousreply 73March 27, 2019 11:27 PM

R73, I love, love, love, your chickens! I have a newspapers story, too.

In my family’s Brooklyn Green-Wood Cemetery plot, there is also an unknown mother and son, a mystery, c. 1800. They really bugged me. Finally I found a law suit in the paper against everybody in the cemetery plot (though this was before most had died), including these two strangers. Why would about 12 people of multi-generations and distant cousins all be sued at once?

By virtue of other info I figured out, the eldest man in the Green-Wood Cemetery was previously buried in the Williamsburg Cemetery in Brooklyn. The Church there was closed, and it’s cemetery was sold to developers for housing. The bodies were all to be moved, and a few, including my family, fought it. The developers had therefore to sue all the descendants to move the body,. This was evidence that these two strangers were related.

It happens that the mother was the sister of the man in the Williamsburg Cemetery. She was buried under her maiden name.

by Anonymousreply 74March 28, 2019 12:14 AM

nice try at what R70? My dad is 10% southeast Asian

by Anonymousreply 75March 28, 2019 2:11 AM

Ancestry.com will update your record as they accumulate data from a pool of customers.

My first report omitted all reference to Italy, despite my grandmother’s parents coming from Naples. I figured, °maybe they were from Naples, but their parents were German?°. Then with an update, they got closer, positing 20% Italian. It makes me wonder if their system looks at your tree and says ”hmm, better throw in some Eye-talian or we’ll never hear the end of it from this dude. It should be 25%, FWIW.

Frankly, I question their ability to reliably identify Franch from Polish, etc.

by Anonymousreply 76March 28, 2019 7:33 PM

I took the NatGeo test which was $200, IIRC, and completely different. It tells me when my ancestors left Africa, through which route. They took a jog through the Levant then through Afghanistan before turning back and heading to Europe. This was prehistoric and even earlier than the Sumerian farmwife era. I am a couple percent Neanderthal.

by Anonymousreply 77March 28, 2019 7:37 PM

Here’s my pictograph from Ancestry.com, and it’s quite puzzling.

My maternal great grandparents were, one set from Naples; the other set from the Berlin area. My paternal grandparents were, one set from the German/French border (Speyer, Germany); the other set split about 50% English and 50% Dutch.

So, the 29% Scottish/Irish is just wrong. And the lack of Italian is wrong again. I’m tempted to subit another test under a different and see how that works out.

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by Anonymousreply 78March 28, 2019 7:56 PM

I thought NatGeo had a map showing my ancestral migration from Africa, but can’t find it now. I did see that I am 1.9% Neanderthal (upper-average); and 3.4% Denisovan (I cant find an average/typical for this.)

by Anonymousreply 79March 28, 2019 8:37 PM

The article at R54 describes commercial DNA tests as for entertainment purposes, much like Miss Cleo or Psychic Friends.

by Anonymousreply 80March 28, 2019 9:27 PM

*exists for entertainment purposes

by Anonymousreply 81March 28, 2019 9:31 PM

My doctor wants me to have a full exome sequencing done. Anybody have any experience with that?

by Anonymousreply 82March 29, 2019 6:26 AM

A few years ago, I googled my name and found a Native American looking guy, with full facial tattoos, including swastikas and the works. He’s got the same name as me, except a different middle name. He’s from an Oregon State county where my Great Uncle settled about 1960 (he followed the stories of the Oregon Trail), so I just knew he was somehow related (though I’m lilly White).

I just got contacted by a cousin from there and we’ll be swapping stories for weeks, I think. It happens that her cousin had lots of foster kids and adopted this NA child. He was always angry. Possible fetal alcohol syndrome. He joined a meth gang working out of a car garage. He used to sand-off other’s tattoos. He injected his victims with heroin, which seems quite a waste, though I bet it involved rape. He used mechanics tools to torture people but was so stupid, one guy survived to testify against him. In jail, he killed another guy, only because the guy he was actually mad at was unavailable. He is on Death Row, though they don’t kill people there. He will never get out of prison. His parents’ natural son was the chief of police.

Sad for absolutely everyone.

by Anonymousreply 83April 26, 2019 2:08 AM

I did 23&Me, and found out my older brother, who had done it previously, and I had the same mother, but different fathers.

Since I look so much like the man married to my mother, I assume my brother is the result of an hook-up our mother had in about March of 1944.

My brother is 74 now. Everyone else is dead. The only reason for me to tell him would be to hurt him.

I’ll never tell him.

by Anonymousreply 84April 26, 2019 3:33 AM

I use wikitree. Wasn't looking for surprises. Didn't find any. But as I have a very large and old family it's been a way to keep track of ancestry for projects I work on.

by Anonymousreply 85April 26, 2019 3:45 AM

I already know by ancestry and will not give my DNA to anyone, unless they have a court order.

I am 50% Celtic (Galicia Spain), 25% English (Nottinghamshire), 10% French (Provence, surrounding areas), 15% (assorted Iberian). I know more than 23andme could tell me, the Celtic part comes from Galicia where my family lived in isolated villages since before Roman times. The English - that side of the family traced their ancestry as far back as merchants in Nottingham in the 12th century. The French and remaining Iberian was intermarriage b/t S. France and Catalonia - again isolated mountain villages.in the Pyrenees.

Of course, there is probably German ancestry b/c Iberia was attacked by the many German tribes during the fall of the Roman Empire. Berber ancestry is sadly unlikely as the Moors never took Galicia and never had a strong presence around the Pyrenees.

I am have almost black hair (lighten it) and dark eyes. Similar to black Irish, black Welsh, etc. I look like my grandfather - I resemble no one else in family. I visited Spain to see my relatives there and walked into a room where EVERYONE looked like me - men and women. That was weird.

by Anonymousreply 86April 26, 2019 4:04 AM

No way ur getting my DNA!

by Anonymousreply 87April 26, 2019 5:19 AM

Didn't tell me anything I haven't known for decades. Waste of time and money. And now some faceless corporation has my DNA. At least I signed up with a fake name.

by Anonymousreply 88April 26, 2019 5:25 AM

Ha ha ha r88!

by Anonymousreply 89April 26, 2019 5:35 AM

I really want to do it because I have no close family, but I hate the idea of my DNA being on a database.

by Anonymousreply 90April 26, 2019 7:05 AM

This weird thing happened. My Great Uncles travelled west along the Oregon Trail. It was late to do so, but I did find the first guy in their small town who did, (and came back), but hepromoted thecplace and they went.

One was my own fault namesake! He went to preach and died real young, 20-25.

The other was named after his father and his name goes back to the late 1700s. I just learned that he was deaf, though I learned his wife was a year ago..

So, I’m gonna lean more.t

by Anonymousreply 91May 13, 2019 5:10 AM

Lots of people in the US like to think that they are a small part Native American from the early settees mixing with the local tribes. This gives them psychological cover to justify the slaughter of Natives and claim the right to be true Americans. Unfortunately, most of the time its just not true. Youtube is full of disappointing white men who think the test made a mistake.

As I actually happened to be part Native American which matched up exactly with the DNA test, I can tell you the test is accurate. Plus, lets be real, if you are truly part Native American, just like any other culture, you would have witness some forms of it growing up through relatives or grandparents. While I might look totally Caucasian and basically a city guy, my grandparents lived in an adobe house, baked bread and made pottery in an outdoor oven and lived in a remote area 50 miles for the "big city" AKA Santa Fe.

My point is, if all you got is a rumor that you are part this or that, but there is nothing else in your family traditions that reflect that, chances are its just a fantasy.

by Anonymousreply 92May 13, 2019 5:55 AM

Here's an interesting story. It's not mine, but I thought it was quite intriguing;

First African American doctor in the United States:

James McCune Smith (April 18, 1813 – November 17, 1865) was an African-American physician, apothecary, abolitionist, and author in New York City. He was the first African American to hold a medical degree and graduated at the top in his class at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. After his return to the United States, he became the first African American to run a pharmacy in that nation.

He has been most well known for his leadership as an abolitionist: a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society, with Frederick Douglass he helped start the National Council of Colored People in 1853, the first permanent national organization for blacks. Douglass called Smith "the single most important influence on his life.

Smith was born into slavery in 1813 in New York City and was set free on July 4, 1827, at age 14, by the Emancipation Act of New York. That was the final date when New York officially freed its remaining slaves. His mother was an enslaved woman named Lavinia who achieved her freedom later in life; in 1855, Smith described her as a "self-emancipated woman." She was born into slavery in South Carolina and had been brought to New York as a slave. His father was Samuel Smith, a white merchant and his mother's master, who had brought her with him to New York from South Carolina.

Both Smith and his wife were of mixed-race African and European ancestry. As he became economically successful, Smith built a house in a mostly white neighborhood; in the 1860 census he and his family were classified as white, along with their neighbors. In 1850 they were classified as mulatto, when living in a predominately African-American neighborhood.

To escape racial discrimination and have more opportunities, his children passed into white society: the four surviving sons married white spouses; his unmarried daughter lived with a brother. They worked as teachers, a lawyer, and business people. Smith's unique achievements as a pioneering African-American doctor were rediscovered by 20th-century historians.

(Now. here it gets good)

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by Anonymousreply 93February 17, 2020 3:15 AM

They were relearned by his descendants in the twenty-first century, who identified as white and did not know about him, when a three-times-great-granddaughter took a history class and found his name in her grandmother's family bible. In 2010, several Smith descendants commissioned a new tombstone for his grave in Brooklyn. They gathered to honor him and their African-American ancestry.

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by Anonymousreply 94February 17, 2020 3:17 AM

I learned that my Civil War soldier ancestors were some of the few people to survive a battle against the Union by skedaddling away. Pretty neat, eh?

Never fight a rich man's war. Always run away to Canada.

by Anonymousreply 95February 17, 2020 3:35 AM

It's boring if you're white: the UK; Germany, Scandinavia, duh.

I think it would be fascinating if you thought you were 100% black and- like Condoleezza Rice- find out you're more white than black.

by Anonymousreply 96February 17, 2020 3:41 AM

I've done the Ancestry and have been able to track a family link all the way back to 1818 when she was taken from Africa and sold on the auction block. She was 12 years old and her name was Phoebe. What is also interesting about Phoebe is that she had a daughter named Alice who she sent to college right after the Civil War was over. Alice's husband's, (William) father was a slave but he was a carpenter too. He taught his son the trade. This link believed in education. William built a school and even hired a teacher to educate his children. Bottom line, this link of the family is filled with professional degrees and the family is one of the largest minority firms in Florida.

Another link of my family I have definitively traced back to 1857 (thus far) ad they were listed as mulatto going back to that time. That ancestor, Lucious owned a 180 acre farm and did pretty well. They were educated too but I have yet to find anyone had gone to college after the Civil War, Reconstruction, etc until myself. But, these were hard working folks that tended to own their housing and land.

And then, I have the link that are the field hand Negroes that many of them are still trying to get themselves together even to this very day.

My point is that a good number of former slaves made some compelling advancements during Reconstruction. However, Blacks were literally terrorized by Whites that stopped many from education, land ownership, and voting.

by Anonymousreply 97February 17, 2020 3:44 AM

I wonder how many families these sites have torn apart with all the skeletons coming out of the closet.

by Anonymousreply 98February 17, 2020 3:45 AM

I have a good friend who got pregnant and had a baby that she gave up for adoption while she was in college. That baby... now married and much, much, older (late 40's) found her 23 and me. They now talk and have visited each other. She ha met the adoptive parents and everyone gets along. They're all excited about these newly found relationships and nurturing them.

by Anonymousreply 99February 17, 2020 3:50 AM

I did one of those tests a long time ago (can't remember which one) and was disappointed that I had very boring white ancestry: just NW European, but no British, Irish or Scandinavian. I guess DL may not even consider me white, since I'm not a WASP. My BF took a test not long ago, and found out he had Irish ancestry on his father's side and Native American ancestry on his mother's side (he's black). We had looked at each other's family photo albums a long time ago, so I thought I remember him discussing those rumors, but I was surprised by his reaction. He became very quiet after telling me, and I know to let him discuss it in his own time.

by Anonymousreply 100February 17, 2020 4:08 AM

[quote]My BF took a test not long ago, and found out he had Irish ancestry on his father's side and Native American ancestry on his mother's side (he's black).

What is very interesting is that a lot of Blacks who are taking these DNA tests are now learning that they have no American Indian blood in them whatsoever. They're just as shocked as Elizabeth Warren was because many are told that they were part Indian.

by Anonymousreply 101February 17, 2020 4:16 AM

Found out through Ancestry DNA that a girl in my school, two years younger, is my mother's half sister, so my aunt. LOL. The site keeps suggesting that she is my second cousin, but we corresponded and my grandfather impregnated her mother when he was in his 50's. She was the wife of one of his coworkers. Her mother told her after her "father" passed away.

by Anonymousreply 102February 17, 2020 4:21 AM

R101, What was odd to me is that he had told me his father was nicknamed 'Red' because he had reddish hair and freckles. I've seen his family album, and the Native American ancestry on his mother's side was fairly obvious. I think the DNA test was a case of "shit just got real" for him, and I was at a loss at to what to say, so I shut up. I'm not sure everyone is ready for the results when they take these tests.

by Anonymousreply 103February 17, 2020 4:26 AM

[quote] my grandfather impregnated her mother when he was in his 50's. She was the wife of one of his coworkers. Her mother told her after her "father" passed away.

DAMN! Women can keep a secret!

by Anonymousreply 104February 17, 2020 4:31 AM

I've done genealogy through Family Search and other sites but have never done the DNA test. All my ancestors came from Norway and were there for many generations back as far as records exist so there is no reason to do the DNA thing. I did find a few semi famous people including being remotely related to one of the founders of 23andMe.

by Anonymousreply 105February 17, 2020 4:32 AM

[quote]What was odd to me is that he had told me his father was nicknamed 'Red' because he had reddish hair and freckles.

There are many Black people who truly have no idea that there are Black people (and quite a few I might add) in Ireland, R103. It's all about exposure. There are probably just as many Black people who found President Obama's background perplexing as many Whites. The Black folk could work with the White woman thing. They could even handle the Hawaii thing. BUT, LIVING in INDIA and wherever else he lived??? It just did not compute for many Black people. Black people don't have those types of experiences! Once again, it goes back to racism and what is told/taught to you and what is not.

Thankfully, the internet and more people traveling are changing these perceptions and expanding the knowledge of many.

by Anonymousreply 106February 17, 2020 4:42 AM

R105, you do those things to find if your ancestor was a British war bride. Or other surprises.

by Anonymousreply 107February 17, 2020 5:09 AM

[quote]Blacks were literally terrorized by Whites that stopped many from education, land ownership, and voting.

Samuel and Hannah Tutson bought three acres of land and homesteaded an additional 160 acres to plant crops. In the spring of 1871, Byrd Sullivan and other white men threatened Hannah to give up her land immediately. She refused and stated, "I am going to die on this land." Three weeks later, klansmen forced their way into the Tutsons' cabin in the dead of night. The klansmen saw Hannah in a corner, clutching her ten month old baby in her arms. They threw the child across the room, hurting its leg. The men then dragged the woman into the woods. They whipped, choked, and even raped Hannah. The next day, she stumbled an estimated twelve miles searching for her children.

by Anonymousreply 108February 17, 2020 6:22 AM

Everyone should be required to out their DNA in. That way we could solve 99.9% of all crimes.

Of course pedophiles and criminals object, but I am not them.

by Anonymousreply 109February 17, 2020 7:02 AM

My late father was an identical twin which means DNA is identical as well. So when I took a 23 & me found out I have a really high match, with an unknown male. But since DNA is identical in twins, he could be my half brother or just be my cousin. One of those bothers cheated on their wives, we just will never know which one. They both took the secret to the grave.

by Anonymousreply 110February 17, 2020 8:11 AM

I've had my DNA done through Ancestry, with few surprises. English, Dutch, Welsh mainly, with the only real surprise being Danish. I'm going to try 23andMe because they display their results differently. My partner also had his done through Ancestry - English, Scottish, with the only surprise being Basque.

by Anonymousreply 111February 17, 2020 10:01 AM

[quote]I really want to do it because I have no close family, but I hate the idea of my DNA being on a database.

Get over it. BUT, while I'm not a conspiracist, I must admit that I too am becoming quite concerned over the many DNA companies (each marketing from different angles) that are sprouting up all over the place and the privacy/ safety issues that could arise. I did GenoPlate too (it focuses on diet & food) and all it does is make use of the DNA results that one has submitted to Ancestry or 23&Me. Now, I signed up for it and paid quite quickly. But, I thought that it was an "add-on" product of Ancestry. But, it isn't. It is an entirely different company. So, now there are two companies (as far as I know ) out there with my DNA.

by Anonymousreply 112February 17, 2020 12:48 PM

Yes I've had mine done. Here's one surprise I identify as Italian-American or Mediterranean. But that's a good chunk sure but little chunks of North African aka Egyptian and Ashkenazi Jewish.

by Anonymousreply 113February 17, 2020 2:57 PM

Hmm... Does that mean you have a big dick, R113????

by Anonymousreply 114February 17, 2020 10:26 PM

My DNA test says I’m 35% Irish/Scottish. From my own research, I calculate it’s more like 3%-4%. It can’t be higher than 12%

by Anonymousreply 115February 17, 2020 10:43 PM

My adopted sister found her birth family by using Ancestry.

However, unlike other DL stories where things went horribly "wrong," she discovered her birth mother lived an hour away from our home town and her birth father lived 4 blocks away from our childhood home. They had divorced at some point. She also had three other siblings. They always knew about her and one of them (the one who contacted her through the website) wanted to meet her.

She said no, she was happy with the family she had but she was just curious and left them alone. She's a pretty uncomplicated person so none of that was a shock. She said she didn't want anymore people in her life. Her sister still put her on their Ancestry "family tree" as their sibling which she hates. (I think she's just angry at them but we never really talk much about it.)

I did it also. My birth father passed away years ago and his family started contacted me because they "saw" I was close to them as their cousin. I figure there was a reason he never wanted me to meet them (then again he was a mega asshole) so I haven't bothered with the exception of one really nice "cousin" who lived in New Zealand when I visited. I got lucky because she was incredibly nice and funny and it was only "weird" when she randomly remarked how I'm a carbon copy of my father. Which I hate but I smiled through it because it's true.

by Anonymousreply 116February 17, 2020 11:04 PM

I did both 23&Me and Ancestry - 23&Me being the more accurate. I'm 99% UK/NW European, Ancestry tells me significant French and German but that's not correct. My mother was estranged from her sister so I was able to connect with my cousin. Amazingly, though we were both raised in the UK we ended up living 1 hr apart in California. Now I have access to family photos and stories which is really nice. My partner found a surprise cousin, the result of his uncle's fling then an adoption. It's been fun.

by Anonymousreply 117February 18, 2020 3:50 AM

[quote]I must admit that I too am becoming quite concerned over the many DNA companies (each marketing from different angles) that are sprouting up all over the place and the privacy/ safety issues that could arise.

This is the new one Mytrueancestry Well... the latest one I have seen.

ANCIENT DNA - REAL HISTORY: 5000 years of history at your fingertips - compare yourself to thousands of ancient DNA samples from real archaeological sites! COMPARE YOURSELF WITH ANCIENT PEOPLE Find your ancient relatives with direct analysis - 70 Ancient Civilizations represented!

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by Anonymousreply 118February 18, 2020 11:33 AM

Checked it all - 100% lily white background. No shithole background in my family!

by Anonymousreply 119February 18, 2020 11:49 AM

[quote]I learned that my Civil War soldier ancestors were some of the few people to survive a battle against the Union by skedaddling away. Pretty neat, eh?

LOL! Actually it is! It is because of their actions that you are here! MAZEL TOV!!!!

by Anonymousreply 120February 18, 2020 12:16 PM

And, another one. They're sprouting up all over FaceBook

Nebula Genomics

"Already have your results from 23andMe or AncestryDNA? Ready to learn even more about your DNA? Upload your data and get a free report from Nebula Genomics, including access to 25+ traits and 100+ research reports."

These web sites are cheap looking (to me anyway) and just leaves me with an icky feeling.

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by Anonymousreply 121February 18, 2020 12:32 PM

And, another one

Dante Labs

Whole GenomeZ - Whole Genome Sequencing for Advanced Analysis (130X + 30X)

Regular price $999.00

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by Anonymousreply 122February 18, 2020 5:53 PM

And, another one....

do more with your dna

personalized health + nutrition powered by your genes

Improve your diet and get proactive recommendations based on your gene adjusted needs.

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by Anonymousreply 123February 19, 2020 1:12 AM

And, another one

Managing your heart health without knowing what's in your genes is like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces.

When the question is genetics, the answer is Invitae. Invitae is a leader in advanced medical genetics. Our company was founded with a singular mission: to make genetic information affordable and accessible to everyone who can benefit from it. The Invitae team includes pioneers in genetics, medicine, technology, and genetic counseling, and is trusted by experts to provide the most comprehensive, reliable genetic screening and support available.

Through all stages of life and all areas of medicine, when the question is genetics, the answer is Invitae.

This one is even a public company

NYSE: NVTA

27.25

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by Anonymousreply 124February 19, 2020 7:21 AM

And, another one

CRI Genetics

Most of us can only trace our genetic timeline back 2-3 generations... AT BEST.

And if you don’t remember your great-grandparents, there’s a chance your great-grandkids...might not know you, either.

But with a DNA ancestry test, you could go back 50 generations--meaning you unlock 1000+ years of your family history.

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by Anonymousreply 125February 19, 2020 7:26 AM

DO NOT USE THE DNA SITES they will sell and share your information

by Anonymousreply 126February 19, 2020 7:30 AM

And, another one

Bewellmed Labs

Now you can finally get a clearer picture about your health A new simple test that will tell you all about yourself. An accurate screening of your body's biochemistry with a simple science based test

Get a clearer picture about your health! Looking for the best solution for your health symptoms?

Weight, Energy Loss, Brain fog, Mood Swings, hair and skin problems, or ANY other health problem — this simple hair test will tell you what’s really happening in your body...

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by Anonymousreply 127February 19, 2020 7:31 AM

And, another one...

Xcode - Keeps You Healthy

Got your 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage results back? Go beyond genealogy — and learn how your DNA shapes your nutrition, fitness, personality and intelligence traits

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by Anonymousreply 128February 19, 2020 8:00 AM

No surprises in terms of family tree, but I learned I was a carrier for hemochromatosis. It affects something like 2% of the Irish population, but I’d never heard of it. I have kids (one is also a carrier), so this was very valuable.

It can cause liver problems, so if you are a drinker, it’s even more important to know if you have it.

by Anonymousreply 129February 19, 2020 9:09 AM

And, another one

Dante Labs

The first DNA test worldwide that combines the completeness of Whole Genome with the accuracy of Whole Exome.

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by Anonymousreply 130February 19, 2020 11:01 AM

I would be too afraid that these companies would sell my information to my insurance company and potentially my employer or prospective employer and any medical info would be used against me. No thanks. I know who my family is, no interest in knowing their exact origins.

by Anonymousreply 131February 19, 2020 1:41 PM

The DNA results kind of suck. Not to mention they decided my Portuguese results magically turned into Norwegian after a couple months.

It did make me curious enough to research my genealogy and my family have a lot of secrets.

My grandfather was only second generation white.

My mother's family are native American and look it. My dad's family are average white folk. Turns out they were all listed as what ever was the common term for black up to my gggrandmother. We were definitely surprised.

by Anonymousreply 132February 19, 2020 6:41 PM

[quote] Most of us can only trace our genetic timeline back 2-3 generations... AT BEST.

I’m matched 5th and 6th cousins successfully through DNA and family trees to a common ancestor, so I would say through 6 generations.

My biggest surprise in doing research was learning that my parents were married 6 months before I was born, and I was not premature. My mother was virtuous and not a slut, so it was very strange. I assume my father plied her with alcohol the fateful night.

by Anonymousreply 133February 19, 2020 8:02 PM

I agree R131. I'm quite surprised by all of these DNA companies that are sprouting up all over the place. It just does not feel secure to me. Also, with all of the advancements in AI (artificial intelligence) that is happening, (so rapidly that it even scared GOOGLE and they walked away from it), who knows what is really happening with these samples and data.

by Anonymousreply 134February 19, 2020 10:17 PM

[quote] I would be too afraid that these companies would sell my information to

If your close family does the test, you’re still screwed.

Unrelated, I saw on Law & Order that a cousin did the test, and it was enough for probable cause on the main character. I was once falsely accused by a litigious neighbor and liar the guy looked pretty. When the term of whatever it’s called expires, I’ll write about it here as an EFT, or whatever that’s called.

by Anonymousreply 135February 19, 2020 10:27 PM

I cannot believe that in all this time no one pointed out R12 's mistake.

DNA testing confirmed Elizabeth Warren's Native American ancestry.

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by Anonymousreply 136February 19, 2020 10:56 PM

I did Ancestry about 7 years ago and wasn't expecting any surprises to my ethnic makeup. Turns out there were surprises. It said I was 12% Scandinavian but no one in my family can figure out how.

When I logged back in within the last few months it said that due to "refinements in the DNA process" they were able to provide more detailed info. Now the Scandinavian background is completely gone and has been replaced with "New England Settlers".

I want to try 23 and Me and see if I get the same results.

by Anonymousreply 137February 19, 2020 11:14 PM

I was just contacted by a distant cousin in England last week. We swapped info. She branched off from my 3d great grandfather.

I was sent a picture once, of a 1st cousin, 3x removed; by someone who buys old photos at flea markets, and then tracks the ancestors down. It’s her hobby. It’s really cool to see unseen photos of close relatives.

I’ve made other such connections which I forget now.

by Anonymousreply 138February 19, 2020 11:34 PM

I’m adopted and went on 23&Me out of curiosity. I found an older half-brother. It turned out that I was conceived while his father (my bio-dad) and his mother were happily married. It kind of destroyed his sense of things. I felt terrible.

by Anonymousreply 139February 19, 2020 11:40 PM

[quote] It’s really cool to see unseen photos of close relatives.

It's nice to know something about them too. You see... this is something the most Black people of the USA never had, nor will ever have (see link). There is value in knowing from where you come from or how far you have come from those in the past.

I love Black history month in this country. I'm learning about history that was taken from me or simply never taught to me. How different could it have been had many Blacks learned of the many scientists, engineers, designers, etc that made substantial contributions to the history of the USA besides picking cotton and building buildings for free? Most Black people are conditioned to idolize the athletes and entertainers because that was all that was taught to us and that we knew.

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by Anonymousreply 140February 19, 2020 11:43 PM

This peg-legged fellow is not my ancestor; however, I love the photo as my family history is that I had an ancestor who was a drummer boy at 14 yrs old, who fought at Bunker Hill. He actually lost his leg later, we think. He promoted some leg manufacturer in classified ads in the local paper, presumably for extra money. Anyway, that would be what great grandpa Sam looked like, in family lore.

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by Anonymousreply 141February 19, 2020 11:59 PM

George) Gracie sent a dollar to one of those genealogy sites and they told her I have royal blood. I was related to a prince

Mailman) I could've been a prince too, but I didn't want to spend that much. I sent them 50 cents and I am only a knight

by Anonymousreply 142February 20, 2020 6:57 AM

On Ancestry how much info do you need to supply about your descendants? Because I have very little info about mine. TIA.

by Anonymousreply 143February 22, 2020 6:24 PM

R143, you don’t “need” to provide any. But if you mean, how much to find more, it’s actually very little. You mostly have to go back before WWII or WWI. The free, Find-a-Grave website, owned by ancestry, is good for getting more recent info, to get you back that far. There are other free sites as well.

Once you enter that info, the Ancestry site will start offering you hints. The hints are documents that it thinks are applicable to your family and will broaden your tree. It even shows you other people’s trees, and you can grab their data, saving a lot of work - but [italic] beware, [/italic] a lot of other people’s’ data is wrong, so you should verify it. You should never put anything on your tree that you are not certain of, or your tree will soon become filled with worthless, incorrect junk.

My cousins did it the hard way, in the 1970s and 1980s, by visiting libraries, churches, graveyards, historic homes, and other sites. Now, you can do much of it from your couch. They could not track the “mysterious Miss Ridgeway”. When they told me that, I found her and her ancestral line, online, in 15 minutes.

Good luck, friend!

by Anonymousreply 144February 22, 2020 8:28 PM

I don't know about you R143 and R144, but I have no descendants. I know a few people who may have some small descendants living with them but that is about it.

by Anonymousreply 145February 22, 2020 9:36 PM

You mean ancestors, not descendants. 🙄

by Anonymousreply 146February 22, 2020 9:40 PM

[quote]That's why I want to take it, I'm from Oklahoma and was always told (like most) that we had Native American ancestors.

So... you want to pay hundreds of dollars to find out you're mostly if not entirely white? Wise.

Both sides of my family are refugees and immigrants and a lot of records have been lost to us. The family that I do know is very small and very elderly (over the age of 70, but I'm in my 40s and on DataLounge so I'm counting myself among the elderly) and they're not sure about their family history either before the early 20th century because it just wasn't something they had long talks about with their parents and grandparents, so I've been curious to see what turns up and if I have more family than the handful I know about. But not curious enough to risk my health data and privacy, yet.

by Anonymousreply 147February 22, 2020 9:44 PM

Thanks, R144!

by Anonymousreply 148February 22, 2020 9:50 PM

r139, your half-brother's mother may have been happily married, but clearly your father was not. It's not your fault your father made the choice he did, but lucky for you, he did.

by Anonymousreply 149February 22, 2020 10:00 PM

Is ancestry DNA accurate?--Accuracy is very high when it comes to reading each of the hundreds of thousands of positions (or markers) in your DNA. With current technology, AncestryDNA has, on average, an accuracy rate of over 99 percent for each marker tested.

Which is better ancestry or 23 and Me?--For one, AncestryDNA only tests your autosomal DNA, while 23andMe tests your autosomal DNA, your mtDNA, and your yDNA (if you're male). ... 23andMe uses this information to tell you about your ancestors tens of thousands of years ago and their migration patterns.

by Anonymousreply 150February 23, 2020 12:06 AM

R150, I don’t think Ancestry DNA is very accurate. Below I report what I found by virtue of my own research, compared with what Ancestry reported. They differ considerably. It’s always possible for family lines to have come from somewhere else, earlier than I have traced it back; or intermixing due to conquest in war, but I think my info is pretty accurate.

My research shows:

56.25% German

25% Italian

12.5% English/Welsh/Scot

6.25% French

Ancestry reports:

19% German

11% Italy

32% English/Welsh

35% Irish/Scot

3% France

NatGeo also says that buried within those genes somewhere in 3.4% Denisovan and 1.9% Neanderthal.  Isn’t that amazing, after so many tens of thousands of years?

Still, it’s an approximation and probably better at identifying more distinct differences, such as non-European from European.

by Anonymousreply 151February 23, 2020 4:50 AM

Another one and now it's running a $7 (yes, you read that right) special.

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by Anonymousreply 152April 8, 2020 7:27 PM

My parent's parents died when my parents were young. So we knew nothing about about our family history.

I'm 95% British Isles and 5% Danish.

My father used to claim that my mother was part Native American. False.

by Anonymousreply 153April 8, 2020 7:34 PM

I discovered a distant relative who committed suicide by ingesting strychnine in the 1920s. There was a newspaper article about it at the time.

I have no ancestors who are recent (in the last 200 years) immigrants to America. All of them arrived prior to the Revolutionary War.

For years, I hadn’t been able to find US Census records for my great grandfather after 1910. Finally, I found him in the 1920 census. In the Virginia State Penitentiary.

by Anonymousreply 154April 8, 2020 7:37 PM

I recently discovered that I’m a direct descendant of Miles Standish (Mayflower, bitches). A guy I used to date has the last name “Standish” and I asked him if he was one of *those* Standishes to which he replied yes. So, that was kind of funny to realize that we are distantly related.

by Anonymousreply 155April 8, 2020 7:39 PM

I knew Greek ancestry which is 65%, and Caucasus 20%, but was surprised to learn I was also 8-10 % European Jew.

by Anonymousreply 156April 8, 2020 7:48 PM

^MAZEL TOV!

by Anonymousreply 157April 8, 2020 7:48 PM

hairy, r156 ?

by Anonymousreply 158April 8, 2020 9:03 PM

I'm thinking about doing it. Which one is better.

by Anonymousreply 159April 9, 2020 1:55 AM

I think it might help you to read quickly through the thread, R159. People have spoken about the major two companies. I've done Ancestry and I'm happy with it. My brother did 23 & Me and our results were pretty much the same. Why he felt he had to do that is beyond me. Me? I would go with cost re whichever one is cheaper

by Anonymousreply 160April 9, 2020 2:03 AM

If your family history research using ‘traditional’ sources (birth/marriage/death records) varies substantially from your DNA results, there’s something you need to consider, other than Ancestry got their results wrong: your mother and grandmother were adulterous. Suddenly, your 100% Bulgarian heritage could be 50% Italian.... or any other ‘not my grandpa’ mix you don’t want to think about.

Or maybe grandma was adopted.

by Anonymousreply 161April 9, 2020 8:02 AM
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