06 February 2015

Using DNA Test to Find Relatives.

I have mentioned in previous posts (see blogs dated 2 Aug 2014; 24 Apr 2013; 2 Sep 2012; 8 April 2012) that I have tested with both 23andMe & with ancestry DNA tests. And that 2 of my 4 children have also taken the 23andMe test. A paternal male cousin (our fathers are brothers) has too, so that should get us the Newman line. This cousin's son has taken the ancestry DNA test, so I have a link to my paternal line on that site too.

I have done a little bit to try and contact those that are matches on to me on those 2 sites. So far no close relatives have responded to me. However I have been able to connect my 2 kids to three 2nd cousins from their fathers side. One from their paternal grandfathers line and two from their paternal grandmother's line. One of those from their grandmother's line was part of a closed adoption so doesn't have any clue to her ancestry. It made me happy to be able to tell her that while I couldn't tell her who her mother or father was, and I could only tell her that her grandparent was 1 of 13, I could tell her that her great grandparents were Thomas Francis Riordan and Grace Lillian Janvrin. I am really hoping my kids will reach out to this 2nd cousin and maybe together they can find out more for her, or at very least be a connection to her birth family for her.

On a personal side I have just joined a facebook group called "Ancestry-Gedmatch-FTDNA-23&me-Genealogy and DNA" It is a pretty large (6000+ members) and active group and I hope to learn more about how I can use these DNA tests to connect to my relatives.

I have also uploaded the raw data from the 23andMe test to FTDNA, and if I get 4 people to add their DNA test through this link I will fully unlock the site and be able to find matches on their site too for free.
Click Here if you are willing to upload your raw data to FTDNA and help me unlock the features. If I don't get 4 others to help I will have to pay $39 to unlock it and I really don't have that in my budget currently.

The people in the group have also been talking about genmatch, and when I went to upload my raw data to that site I discovered I had uploaded it July 2011! My kit number is M173936 if you are also on genmatch and want to see if we have a match.

To help me remember where I have memberships and subscriptions I have started a sheet in my research log for "online presence" where I can list all the links to websites where I have an account of some type. I have a columns for website name, url, username, password, subscription information (for those that are subscription sites), and notes. Hopefully that will keep me from forgetting where I have uploaded trees and other info!

2 comments:

  1. I Linda. I think I'm one of those people you have tried to contact or asked to share info on 23andme. I hadn't been on in a while and honestly never really understood how to actually find people there. No one ever seems to have any info to share.

    I just requested to join the facebook you wrote about. I see they mentioned something about not allowing members to join unless your privacy settings are loose, so I hope I'm let in. It's kinda weird.

    Anyway I'm here if you ever wanted to know anything. I see we have the Brown name in common, but no easy match. I'm on ancestry, myheritage, 23andme of course, and I probably too have some old tree up on Gedmatch, haha. There's no easy way to make them all up to date!! Ancestry is my go to tree.

    Karli Anderson
    https://www.23andme.com/user/?profile=eb08d23f563ea9f1

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    Replies
    1. There are lots of people that have taken the dna tests, especially on 23andMe, that didn't necessarily take to to try and find relatives. Some have taken it because they were interested in their ethnicity. And many of those who used 23andMe took they test strictly for the health reports. It is only this past year or so that I am really beginning to get a better handle on using the dna results myself.

      I too have a tree on ancestry and a basic ahnentafel chart here on my blog posted in Feb 2011

      my 23andMe profile is: https://www.23andme.com/user/?profile=a0af882a70fd17ef

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