Adding most of the weekend’s presentation by… May 10th 2018 ~ as I update the information – it will be added each time at the top – in sections, so check back as well. In-between one can also read several of the story lessons listed on the right side in the contents list, including one with an overview of the three Main DNA tests. – But I remind – please email and ask so that one chooses the right test(s).
Many people at the event had specific questions and some were concerned about remembering what steps they should take for issues they discussed – here are some of those answers again, with links.
French Broad River Families Project
Wilma Dykeman was a prolific writer about early America and early American Families and that was the beginning. A must read for anyone who loves a good story about people – ancestors. The book has nothing to do with the project, I had named the study before I knew the book existed. But the story is particularly special because the research up and down rivers is the lesson in early colonial research – they often were the “roads’ used so search along them as well as roads. I have followed the river road research for many families through the years. Ms Dykeman has written about more than one, she also wrote about the Susquehanna river families – I am still looking for one of my lost Lewises.
Had I known then, what I know now, I might have chosen a different name for our DNA for genealogy project. But I think most will agree when they learn the research of the families who followed the rivers inland to expand settlements you will treasure their stories like I and so many others have.
We went to the French Broad River again to visit an ancestral home and added the pun for me of “this ole’ French Broad” (being that I have Quebecois ancestors from New France in Canada). While there I learned about Wilma Dykeman who wrote the book “The French Broad”, and she beautifully tells about the men and their women who invaded these lands of the Native Americans and among these folks are some of my Knight cousins. (goodreads has a great review of the book.)
But in the end as our DNA research expanded we found many people who also had links back to the French Broad, one of its tributaries or the region. My Canadian husband’s mother’s father’s paternal family, the Wilsons, have genetic Wilsons in the adjoining cvounty. And the story of the French Broad is the story of countless families and communities – where people moved in groups not as individuals.
All heard me speak about my explaining the importance of Family Tree DNA because they perform all three of the main DNA tests and more. This below is my project – you get the same price here that you do on the main site, I am noy making in money on this, all projects and the administrators are volunteers – the difference with my project from the main site is it automatically adds you to the group and in the project you can start smaller if you want to test either the y-DNA or mt-DNA, because we have the 12 marker y-DNA and the mt-DNA plus which is a lower resolution to begin and discover if you need more for those two tests. REMEMBER mt-DNA gives very very little in genealogy – this test more is to tell anthropology from ancient times.
Ask first – and I will advise about which test you want – better to ask again instead of being disappointed.
Their au-DNA test is called FAMILY FINDER –
Most wish to start with the Family Finder and this is a wonderful idea – if people are looking for biological or specific parents this is still the test where you would start. If you tested with other companies already you might be able to upload your results from the other companies at somepoint – again PLEASE ask and ask again so as to not make a testing mistake.
If you join, once your results are in, I can help in the learning process and support for what you discover.
https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=FrenchBroadRiverFamilies
Utilizing what you already have – adding results to gedmatch.
The Mountain of Names has nothing to do with Gedmatch or me. The Mountain of Names story will begin to give the idea of pedigree collapse and how many of us are related – red, and yellow, black and white – we are all precious and to some degree cousins. I will post the link to the online story, in the coming links section. When that is done I will update here.
We are all related if we go back far enough and we can learn so much about our own history and herstories through DNA for genealogy.
Several folks were interested in gedmatch.com to expand the numbers of their matches in au-DNA. Gedmatch takes sometimes hours, and sometimes days to “batch” for you to use all the features – but one.
They do have a one to one matching almost immediately so for fun, y’all can take my number and compare one to one with yours. Keep in mind how I explained, the genes you get from ancestors decreases exponentially with every generation and so in fact two people might be related back in time and we not see this in the matching at the safe range to judge.
So lesson one about using this is – there are lots of genes and you want to confirm two people are related – and WHERE they might be related before you work on the standard research between two people. And at lower levels of searching there might just be matching DNA “noise” that we share that many will share but it is not traceable relations.
What on earth am I talking about? Make your free gedmatch account and upload your au-DNA raw data if you like – remember this is more public than many sites – so you must decide.
Note down your own gedmatch number and mine is – – – M025265 –
With both kit numbers, click on the One to One compare feature on the right and enter both kit numbers. Then scroll down and see SUBMIT and click! Are we related in any way?
But let’s say we might believe we share a common ancestor farther back in time, where the shared genes – cMs – centiMorgans would be much smaller in total numbers and a smaller minimum length. Then back on the one to one “entry form” page you see
“SNP count minimum threshold to be considered a matching segment”
and you might change that number to 400 or 300
And you will also see “Minimum segment cM size to be included in total” and you could drop this also – keeping in mind this might all be “noise” and not related in any way close enough to learn anything – but this shows how the site can be used and gives something to do while you wait for full batching.
Unfortunately for those who have just recently tested, depending on the company you tested with the upload might or might not be compatible to compare at all, OR you might have to use the new program and not the main database “until” they hopefully sync all the databases again, which they have gotten done before – is might be an if but it also might be a when – so wait and see. But once you sign into – making a free account with gedmatch then you can check their upload information for the latest they are able to do.
In the PAST for most of the last years of gedmatch – they have been able to take uploads from not only Family Tree DNA but also 23andme and AncestryDNA. No more for 23andme. But they do now take uploads from MyHeritage, Generic and WeGene.
If you are just learning about uploading to additional websites with your raw data and you possibly tested with 23andme and AncestryDNA several years ago then you could also upload to Familytreedna.com which is ideal. You do this through the autosomal transfer section in Tests – All Tests. (The difficulties in who takes what uploads, partly comes from new software systems.)
If you have not yet uploaded, or you are not sure if you are interested, then take my assigned Gedmatch letter/number and from the main gedmatch page you can run me through their features and see if you like it.
I do not suggest anyone add their gedmatch assigned letter/number here on this page but you can contact me your letter/number if you want advice about what you are seeing in your results. Ask away with questions – via comments on the contact page or email…
more…
Helps and Hints handouts for DNA for Genealogy presentations.
Starter Kit – with forms and charts – order by email
Many folks either do not have time to make the kit or a printer at home, so we offer for sale a a binder with copies of forms for your genealogy information. Begin with yourself, but many people soon wish to make a binder for each of their 4 grandparents and themselves. This is a personal decision on what you wish to make for yourself, or your family members.
Video coming soon to show the copies and this is a few of the forms that can be included.
This is a make it yourself craft project and you can certainly make one without my help, but some these are what I have made for myself, and others are using some old nostalgic forms which are blank. They are as much for fun as to tell stories about our family and ancestors.
I get the copies made at the local Staples – email for price depending on what you would like. More Information will be coming as soon.
This fan-shaped, 7 generation pedigree chart illustrates what each of the three main DNA tests generally show. We will see together what each test can reveal for each person’s ancestors, and what it cannot.
My favorite chart for ancestors
Links and Added Information
Our site
https://cherielynnsherstory.com/2016/11/18/first-blog-post/
The DNA project – the name is sentimental and the description needs expanding. Multiple projects would mean multiple more emails and my time just won’t allow it anymore – so I am @
https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=FrenchBroadRiverFamilies
Cherie Lynn's Herstory 