Jingle

My daughter has spent money and hours and hours researching our families. We did a DNA test and several cousins on my Dads' side contacted me. She was not able to find out much on that side. I have no desire to keep in contact. No contact from my Mom's side. We didn't do the one with the medical results. I have outlived all my six family members and I know what they died of. I will live as long as I am suppose to.

toverly

I can see how it would help people who are adopted find out more about themselves. But, for me, I'm pretty happy with what I know. No need for my DNA to be on record somewhere.

Anniedeb

This always sparks a lively discussion. People either love it or say "no way!" I fall into the love it category. I view it as a journey into the past. To me, it is important. I love finding out where my grandfather, great-grandfather, or grandmothers came from. Their travels and adventures are the reason I am where I am, and who I am. I have stood on my great-grandfathers grave, and been overwhelmed with emotion. I have been able to solve a couple of family mysteries regarding people who disappeared. I have great-great-great-grandfathers who enlisted during the civil war. My great-grandfather died in 1907. Married, widower, married and 24 children. Explored out west, and was an early settler in South Dakota. These snippets into the past are fascinating to me. Another relative published a book on my grandmothers family covering the families of my great-great grandfather and one of his brothers.

History is what it is. For me it answered tons of questions, and gave me lots of insight. I found nothing earth-shattering, but we do have our share of ruffians and hooligans to be sure!! Several cousins are also interested and we share info and pictures, and verify information. I'm not afraid of DNA. My grandson has had his DNA sequenced to try to find out the cause of his deafness and other disabilities. The information we have received has been instrumental in the doctors building an effective plan of treatment.

If it's not for you, that's OK too. Everyone has a different story to tell. I view it almost like a book. Some books are not well written and don't have a happy ending.

Enjoy your journey!!

Pat M.

Yes, we did it, we found out that we did come from Europe, I have more Neanderthal than the average person, it is fun but I will not spend very much time with it. I like quilting better.

cashs_mom

I agree. I've done some pretty extensive genealogy research at our local genealogy library plus some correspondence. I knew quite a bit about my mom's family before this and know more now. Some day I'm going to delve into my dad's family. I find reading the old documents very interesting. I've even found some pictures of my ancestors which was very exciting.

NJ Quilter

I've done the genealogy stuff without doing any DNA testing. Have probably more finite results re where in Europe mine and DH's families are from. Lots of free info out there. For those interested in that, I highly recommend downloading Legacy software. There is a free version and I find it's extremely helpful in keeping info easily sorted.

Battle Axe

I was shocked to learn that I have a common ancestor for King Richard III. Our maternal haplotype are almost identical.

Where is that tiara????

Stitchnripper

Mr Stitchnripper did it and it confirmed some suspicions about his father’s origins. My brother just did it and there were no surprises. My cousin is a genealogist so she has done my father’s side back many generations and is in contact with a lot of relatives. My father and her mother are siblings.

pocoellie

I have to say I'm on the "no" side. If I have any relatives I don't know about, I have NO desire to know them.

Iceblossom

I already knew my family history well enough for me, there were no surprises. Going back the previous 4 generations was exactly as I believed it would be. I had a long struggle with myself over possibly becoming the next Henrietta Lacks and my typical privacy concerns but finally decided I wanted the health screenings offered by 23 & Me. If it was the ancestry information I wanted, I would have gone with Ancestry.com.

One of my on-going health concerns was a too-high blood iron level, well it turns out I have one gene that tends towards that, if I had two I'd be having more problems but as it is, it's ok with one, not such a concern any more now that we know (and it was retested). The amount of insomnia information wasn't what I had hoped for, but yes -- indications are that I would tend to sleep less than most people.

Like another poster, I do have more neanderthal genes than most people. And I'm related to Otzi the Iceman through my mitochondrial (maternal line) DNA.

My son's dad doesn't know much of his family history past his maternal grandparents and basically nothing about his father's side at all, and pretty much all of his relatives have died out. I've been thinking of getting him a kit and maybe one each for my son and daughter in law. Similarly, my husband actually knows a bit about his father's side of the family but not much past his maternal grandparents and nothing is written down.