Jaiade

Teen, you are too funny. I read your post and l'ed ol. I have the kit to send in my sample. Have had it more than a year. You wouldn't think I was really interested but I am the head honcho when it comes to research of this kind. My problem is I have hit a brick wall and don't know how to get over it. And I kind of get the feeling that having the test done is not going to help. I 'think' I probably know where I come from 'in general'. Is this basically what the test will reveal?

Anniedeb

My test gave me percentages. In my case I had been told I was English, Irish, French Canadian, and Native American. My test confirmed most, but showed no Native American. My test was through Ancestry. I found several relatives through DNA matches, from other members who had done the test. Through those matches, I was able to find new information to follow, and investigate. My Tree is set to Public viewing meaning that those searching can view my info. That does not mean anyone can change the information. You have to authorize someone to edit your information in order for that to happen. I've belonged for 6 years, and yes...people grab and attach info to their trees without verifying, or using common sense, but no one has ever changed my tree. I am the main researcher in my family. I realize every family is different. Some have no interest. Some have valid reasons to want nothing to do with it. I am the opposite. I love the challenge of exploring the past. Standing by my great-grandparents graves who all passed before I was born, was incredibly emotional for me. And yes....my tree has some pretty crooked, twisted branches.

Jaiade

Anniedeb......lol, twisted branches, lol. I know what you mean. Don't we all? I love the research also. Did she mean that about the changed regarding her tree? I know that in the census Ancestry offers the opportunity to change that if you find a mistake. I don't know what's involved or if just anyone can make changes because I didn't try it. I was searching for my widowed great-grandmother whom my mother said she knew and the time period I was looking in my mother hadn't been born yet. I eventually found her as living with her youngest daughter and her husband. I think they were living with her in her home as far as I could tell. So she was the 'head of house' and they should have been listed as they were related to her. And then I never found her in the census again and I would not have looked for her except my mother said she knew her. The hunt is very exciting. And, oh my, when you find a good connection!

NJ Quilter

I don't know that I would put my tree onto the ancestry site. I have a program local on my computer that I input data but only after it has been 'verified' as best possible from various sources. My only interest in possibly setting up an ancestry account is to access info that used to be free that is now sucked into that site.

I really don't care what countries my ancestors may have derived. I'd simply like to know their names! Lots of family secrets on mother and bio dad's sides of the family that would be interesting to figure out!

Anniedeb

Yes, Ancestry allows you to submit "changes". Say you are looking in the 1910 census, for a John Fiviur. The census shows you a Jon Fever. Everything else matches, location, wife, etc. You save to your tree. When you then click on the source, 1910 Census, you have the option to view record, or view image. If you view record, you have the option to submit a "correction". I then submit a correction on the surname that says "Fiviur, rather than Fever". That does not change the census. It is added under the view image, with any other corrections that have been submitted. This makes it easier for other searchers. Early censuses were all hand written. The person writing the info often wrote the name phonetically---thus so many spelling variations to wade through. PS....that's a made up name!! I know that no one can edit my tree without authorization. I don't know what happened in her case.

helou

I have been doing genealogy for more than 25 years and like NJ Quilter, I have a computer genealogy program
"that I input data but only after it has been 'verified' as best possible from various sources. My only interest in possibly setting up an ancestry account is to access info ."

I have been a member of 2 different genealogy society and voluntered as well for many years.

I am not interested into having my DNA test done. What brought me to genealogy was because of my mother having an irish last name and she did not know a word of english. For my job I had to learn to speak english so I asked my mother if her dad (my grd-father) spoke english and her answer was: "I think he did".... he died 2 years before I was born ... Furthermore, her grd-father (irish name) lived with them when she was young. He obviously spoke french too.

So, I was very interested to know when the english langage got lost for our family and why I had to sweat so much to learn english when I was in my twenty..

I found out that on my mother side she had and Irish ancestor and a German ancestor who came as soldiers serving under the British flag in Canada. My Irish ancestor arrived around 1802 and my german ancestor came in 1813 in the war against the United States. After the war they both settled in a different region in the province of Quebec.. and they married a french speaking girl... where my mother tongue came from...

and from then on, I searched where they live when through numerous microfilms etc... to this day, I still do genealogy and I write about what I know of my parents childhood, my grand-parents, their siblings, their grand-parents etc.... consulting census etc...
It's a never ending story..

I do it because, they are our family stars and no biographer will ever write their biography.
One of my friend's mother wrote and gave each of their adult child a copy of their extended family life. A priceless heirloom, in my opinion!

LenaBeena

Sent in our tests to Ancestry 2 years ago. At that time they had only 60 billion other peoples tests to compare with. Mine show Scandinavian and British Isles. Friends showed Polynesian. Now they have tripled the number of people submitting their saliva and I have found more relatives. We keep in contact with very distant cousins in Germany too. Don't understand the fear some people have with this. Our church has helped many members and we get together monthly to help add to our family trees. Grandparents relate all they remember about their childhood and older family members for the current families to keep and pass along. I agree with helou that they are priceless heirlooms!

QuiltingNinaSue

I think there is value in doing genealogy studies to know the background of inherited diseases through genes. I was an 'orphan annie' raised by foster grandparents who gave lots of love but little knowledge of birth parents back ground....except they were orphaned at an early age. Mother was rejected by relatives at birth and again at five years old. My foster grandparents took her to raise when she was five years old. Dad came by on the way to Boys Town and met my Mother. They married in late teens and had a boy and a year later me...divorced when he entered service in WWII. Brother gave me 600 names and I joined Ancestry. com and found 2000 more names in the family and my computer crashed destroying all records. Even though I was 'published' in Ancestry.com, I had to pay yearly dues to correct my contact information so I dropped it all.

A cousin on Mother's side has done extensive research and saved it on computer disks. None of our three children care about genealogy of our background. Husband's Mother did trace theirs back to Ireland and printer out hugh books on it, which for a cost of printing we have one, but outdated now. I would rather quilt than research it anymore. Wondered about DNA, but never have the $$ to do it. Results seem more standard than true to me. Loved the stories I found in the research, but life marches on, and its seems less important.

SusieQOH

I've never done it, not because I'm not interested, but it seems to take a lot of time and I really want to spend my free time doing things like quilting. I wish someone in my family would do the work for me!