DNA increasingly helpful in finding cousins
Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr. at P.O. Box 901, Decatur, GA 30031 or gagensociety.org.
DNA testing is becoming more accepted as one of the tools we have for finding links to our ancestors.
This year I have been amazed at the various connections that have appeared on my page in the ancestry.com DNA area. I also have used FamilyTreeDNA's Y-chromosome tests to try and find male cousins who matched different family surnames. I have been successful on some, while results are pending on others.
Sometimes, you have to be proactive and track down potential cousins to test. Not every family you are working on has someone who will just happen to get tested on their own.
After you track down someone whose DNA you really need, you may have to pay for the test. It’s well worth using GEDmatch, the free service where test results from ancestry.com, FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe testing can be seen and compared.
In using that, I came across a number of cousins who have provided leads. On GEDmatch, you also can search any Genealogical Data Communication family trees that have been submitted, for specific names, whether they match with your DNA or not, again possibly turning up leads.
The December issue of Family Tree Magazine has an article giving a quick overview, including a chronology of DNA testing, which began around 15 years ago, and how the two major companies have 700,000 records on file. The article also warns that there can be surprises in DNA matches, in which some family secrets might surface.
Overall, DNA testing is something that every serious genealogist should consider, because the people you match with could very easily hold information you would not find without them.
Battle of Utoy Creek
The Battle of Utoy Creek and operations in East Point on Aug. 4-7, 1864, will be the Lunch and Learn topic at the Georgia Archives Dec. 12. The speaker will be Lt. Col. Leonard P. Bennett Jr., Army historian, 335th Theater Signal Command.
The free event is at noon; bring your own lunch. The Georgia Archives is located at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow. For further information, check georgiaarchives.org or call 678-364-3710. Check holiday closings at the Archives as well.
Webinars
Free genealogy webinars abound. Check with groups such as the Georgia Genealogical Society (gagensociety.org) to see their monthly schedules. See cyndislist.com for many other links.
