Genealogy Slam!

Kelli Bergheimer, nationally known genealogy speaker.

Join nationally well-known speaker, Kelli Bergheimer, as she lectures on genealogical DNA testing.

Kelli is a writer, teacher, editor and a nationally hosted genealogy speaker. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild. She also facilitates the Central Ohio DNA Interest Group. To see a full list of her lecture topics, click HERE.

On April 27th, at the Medina Library, she will teach you how to get the most from your DNA test results using your cousin matches and other tools like Excel, One Note and GedMatch.

Sign up for this 4 hour, 12-4 p.m., presentation HERE.

This program is presented with the Medina County Genealogical Society.

Door prizes and light refreshments provided.

Inheritance a Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love

by Dani Shapiro.

 

Shapiro is a gifted memoirist and as such, has examined her life in great detail and written numerous books about it. When she casually takes a DNA test as a favor to her husband, the shocking results explode her concept of who she is and how she fits into her family’s history. 

Raised by Orthodox Jewish parents, her family exults in their distinguished rabbinic history. Then the DNA test reveals that Dani’s beloved late father was not her biological parent. Thanks to her husband’s keen journalistic research, the couple quickly discovers that Dani was conceived by donor insemination in the early 60’s when the process was still relatively new. Her biological father was probably a medical student at a nearby university.

While continuing to track down the donor, Dani grapples with uncertainty. What did her parents know? Did they really give their “informed consent”? Were they puppets of a medical system that kept them deliberately in the dark? Or was her father manipulated by her narcissistic, controlling mother who wanted a child at any cost?

She interviews her father's elderly sister and the family's rabbi trying to learn "the truth". She tracks down doctors who were aware of or worked at the clinic to recreate the environment in which life altering decisions were made.

She struggles to discern what the revelations mean to her own self-view. Eventually identifying the sperm donor and meeting with him reshapes her life.

A sensitive and compelling look at one of the kinds of secrets DNA testing can reveal.

Highly recommended reading.  Order it from your local library HERE.

A DNA Story

Kimberly H. from the Tech Dept at
Medina County District Library

Recently, a co-worker shared a fascinating DNA tale that highlights some of the strengths and
weaknesses of DNA testing and genealogical research.

Here is Kim's story...

(My questions are in bold and Kim's responses are in italics.)

1. How long have you been interested in your family history? 

I have been interested in my family history as long as I can remember. My dad had studied history in college, and my parents were very interested in genealogy. My grandparents also had always told  us stories about their lives growing up.

2. How long have you been researching your family history?
Since the advent of online research, around the 90’s. I tried to pick up where my parents left off.

3. What made you decide to do a DNA test? What were you hoping to learn? Or was it just for fun?
I was told many stories about my ethnic background. I was very curious about where my gene pool came from.

4. Are you interested in the health aspects of DNA testing?
I am interested to some degree, as I lost my mom to ovarian cancer, but fear of finding out makes me hesitant. 
Did you know that most primary care physicians are routinely screening for familial diseases and that some insurance companies will pay for genetic testing?
Yes, as our daughter has Turner Syndrome and has been through extensive genetic testing. We were offered to have testing done, because of her results, but I have a tendency to worry. I’d rather just not know what my genes say could or might happen medically. In this case I kind of feel “ignorance” is bliss.

5. Were you surprised by your ethnicity estimates?                                                                     

Kim's Ethnicity Estimate

I was very surprised by my ethnicity estimates in that what I expected to see was not there, and by what was there. I expected to see European Jew in the mix, as it was indicated to me that my grandmother’s extended family was Jewish. My results do not indicate that is the case. I was also VERY surprised to find I am Scandinavian; 11% Norwegian, 2% Swedish, and 1% Finnish.  As a matter of fact, both my parents have French surnames, but I am more Scandinavian than French. 

Because of people crossing back and forth across the area that is France, there is not a good genetic identifier for French ancestry. Also, for privacy reasons, the French people are very hesitant to participate in DNA testing, meaning we don’t have a large enough pool of “French” DNA to compare against. 

My grandfather’s family has been in New Orleans since the very early 19th century, I dare say even late 18th century. They are part of the New Orleans Acadian migration (Cajun), so that is where my mother's French surname originates. My DNA test confirms though what I have been finding document-wise, I have yet to find anyone from France anywhere in my tree. I also cannot find my father’s maternal great-grandfather anywhere, document-wise.

6. And the big surprise was…

I have a sister! My grandfather indicated a bit vaguely just before he passed that my mom had a child before my older brother. In doing the Ancestry DNA test, a person came up as 1st cousin or closer. I thought initially she may be related to me as a cousin via my dad, as he never met his father, but when I saw we had being Acadians in common, I knew Rudy had to be related to my mom. After contacting Rudy via Ancestry, we decided to do another DNA test that is specifically to determine a sibling relationship, and it said there is an 81% chance of certainty that we are half siblings.

Kim's "new" sister, Rudy.

7. How has that impacted you?

I’ll be honest in that I do not think it particularly impacted me. I am glad to know there is another family member.  I think it probably impacted Rudy more, finding her genetic family.

   

 a. Do you think/feel about yourself differently?
I am the “baby” of the family, and I am still the youngest, so my position in that regard is unaffected (ha-ha). I have to say, no I really do not feel differently about myself.

Kim's mother around the time she had Rudy.

  b. Do you think/feel about your mother differently?

 My mother and I were very close. Knowing about Rudy only explains how and why my mom did some things, reacted to certain things. Knowing how much she loved my brother and I. I know that must’ve been very hard for her to give Rudy up. I know she probably loved her and likely thought about her all the time. Having to keep it to herself for so many years (because that is what they did back then) must’ve been such a sad burden. I am just so happy that Rudy was placed in a good home and had a loving family to grow up with, because I am sure that was all my mother would’ve hoped for her. 

You seem very nonchalant about this new sibling. How long ago did you find this out? Have you had time to process the information?

My grandfather told me about the possibility of a sister in 1998(?), so I have had from start to finish about 20 yrs to mull it in my head. I never asked my mom about it because after he told us (my husband and I) about it, I had my youngest daughter, then he had a stroke and died, my great-aunt of whom I was close to, passed away, and my mother was diagnosed with cancer, then also passed away. From start to finish, it was 9 mos.

Are you still absorbing it?
I've pretty much accepted the situation, as a whole.  

Or is that your laid back personality?

I am pretty chill about most things like this. I mean if I found out I was related to the Queen or to Hitler (My DNA dream vs my DNA nightmare), that would have definitely brought out a reaction. I have no illusions about who my parents were and where they come from. We are all human and things happen, decisions are made, good or bad. My life is blessed, and Rudy is to me is one more blessing.

c. Did that make you angry?

 Not at all. As I said my mother and I were very close. I just feel so bad she had to carry this burden alone her whole life. She was just a child herself (16 yrs old) when she had Rudy, and all decisions regarding Rudy's birth and adoption I am sure were made by my grandmother, with very little say on my mother’s part.

8. How has that impacted the rest of your family?
It really hasn’t impacted the rest of us. My daughters and my niece are eager to get to know that part of their family. My brother has not said much of anything, perhaps that is the only was he knows to deal with it. I do think it is funny that Rudy, Rob (my brother), and I all only had girls.

Kim's brother, Robert.

9. Did she know she had half siblings?
I believe not until Ancestry put us together. She has a brother by her adopted parents.

10. You are in contact with your half-sister? 
We have sent messages via Facebook messenger and email mostly. I think I hear from her or vise versa once or twice a month.

11. Do you plan a face to face meeting?
I am sure one day we will, but we are both have jobs and Rudy lives in another state. We just haven’t gotten too deep into that yet.

12. Are you sorry you found out? 
I am not at all sorry I found out about Rudy! More you learn about your family is more you learn about yourself.

13. Are you sorry you did the test?

Again, not at all. I am very science minded, and I find the fact that they can tell you so much information about yourself on a micro-cellular level fascinating. To find family, and meet new people that share characteristics with you is a bonus!

14. Would you recommend others to have their DNA tested?
I definitely would.

So what do we learn from Kim's DNA story?

1. Ethnicity estimates are not exact and can be very inaccurate for certain nationalities.
2. You never know what surprises it might have in story for you.
3. To get the most of the results, you must still do traditional genealogy research that provides documentation.
4. Know what your personal comfort zones are. 
5. That being tested is totally worth it!

DNA and Genetic Genealogy featuring CeCe Moore

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

This past Saturday, I was privileged to be in the audience (along with 300+ other people from NE Ohio and western PA) at the Akron Library to hear CeCe Moore's presentations on using DNA for genealogy research.

If you have never attended any of the free genealogy workshops at the Akron Summit County Public Library, I HIGHLY recommend them. The library brings in nationally renowned and respected speakers and you attend for FREE. Their local history and genealogy programs can be seen HERE.

CeCe's name may be familiar to you as she is the genealogist that various law enforcement departments have been using to bring closure to unsolved murders. She uses her extensive knowledge of genealogy research techniques AND genetics AND open genealogy DNA databases, such as GedMatch, to narrow down the suspects to just a few. Then detectives use traditional law enforcement techniques to narrow their suspects down to one person. Her official title is investigative genetic genealogist. Her CV would include the following credits:

• The genetic genealogist for Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr since 2013
• Founder of The DNA Detectives where you can get genetic genealogy help.
• Co-founder of the Institute for Genetic Genealogy
• Writer of blog Your Genetic Genealogy
• Works to reunite individuals with unknown parentage, like adoptees, with biological relatives.
• And as a media consultant she has appeared on:
• The Today Show
• Good Morning America
• NBC Nightly News.
• Nightline
• CBS This Morning
• Fox News
• The Dr. Oz Show
• The Doctors 
• Crime Watch Daily
• Nancy Grace
• Finding Your Roots
• Genealogy Roadshow
• And she has just been hired by a company called Parabon NanoLabs to head up its new "genetic genealogy unit."
• Oh, and she was an actress before all of this genealogy stuff took off!

She offered 4 sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, with breaks in the morning and afternoon and a 1 hour lunch (many of us brought bag lunches).

CeCe was extremely generous with her time, talking with audience members throughout the breaks, answering questions and sharing stories. She also provided excellent handouts of her presentation and her projected slides and talk supplemented the handouts. One special audience member shared the same somewhat unique maternal haplogroup with CeCe!

CeCE answering questions during the break!

Here are some of the highlights.

SESSIONS:

9:45 am: The Power of DNA: Genetic Genealogy Basics - covered the types of DNA testing, mtDNA, Y-DNA and autosomal DNA, and the major companies that offer the tests. CeCe also claims that DNA is an essential part of genealogy research. And that DNA tests are the introduction to genealogy research for many, many people. Incredible! She also said that we need to advise people who are considering being tested, that DNA tests can reveal unexpected surprises! Like parents and siblings that you didn't know you had.

11:15 am: Who Am I: Exploring Ethnicity Estimates - Ethnicity Estimates are the weakest aspect of DNA testing, because it is such a new field. But is also one of the main reasons newbies (new to genealogy or new to DNA) want to get tested. And I'll admit. I wanted to see if my DNA would show the Native American ancestry that oral tradition said was on my Dad's side. (BTW, it didn't!) Ethnicity estimates are also very useful as a marketing tool by the DNA test companies. How many of you have seen the Ancestry DNA commercials about people finding their Italian ancestry? But the science for ethnicity estimates is too new to be truly accurate for two main reasons: 1. Not enough people are being tested and 2. Some entire populations are not being tested at all. Also, the way the different companies interpret the results can cause errors.

My DNA Ethnicity Estimates from Ancestry DNA. This has changed over time and is different than the other companies'
estimates. The "Germanic Europe" is lower than on FamilyTree DNA and the "England and Wales" is much higher.
Notice there is NO Native American ethnicity showing. None. Nada. Zilch. So I have to revise our family oral tradition.
Wish me luck! 

1:30 pm: I Have My Results, Now What? - For those of us who are scientifically challenged the DNA results can be quite overwhelming.  CeCe defined  STR and SNP and cM, Mb and maternal haplogroup and paternal haplogroup. She made recommendations on which companies to test depending on your needs  and talked about how to make sense of your results and about the importance of doing DNA comparisons with your closest matching cousins. Lastly she talked about how relationship predictions can be skewed by how the companies define them.

3 pm: Breaking Through Genealogical Brick Walls with DNA - Instead of using the relationship prediction that the companies use, CeCe formulates her own based on the length of the DNA segments that are shared. She looks at the matching cousins and then which of their cousins she also matches to figure out which family line is involved. She will use traditional genealogy research methods to build family trees for those matching cousins who don't share or upload a tree with their DNA. And she uses pencil and paper to do it!

In CeCe's closing comments, she emphasized the importance of continuing your education as things will change quickly and dramatically in this field over the next couple of years as advancements are made. She suggested that social media, such as Facebook, is a good way to become aware of changes and developments.

On another note...

One of the nice benefits of going to workshops and conferences is the opportunity to check out materials that other libraries own. Here are four Akron Library titles that caught my eye:

This is a good primer on using DNA
in your genealogical research. MCDL
owns a copy of this 2015 book.

This book is also from 2015, and yes,
MCDL owns a copy of it, too.

   

This is an older, 2006-7, book that specifically
deals with the DNA test provided by National
Geographic called Geno 2.0. It only tells you
about your very ancient DNA. It is how I know
that I am 1.8% Neanderthal

In this 2017 book, Houston weatherman,
Frank Billingsley, relates his journey to find
his biological parents using DNA.
MCDL will be buying this title soon.

SOURCES:

• "About CeCe", Your Genetic Genealogist, (accessed 27 July 2018).
• "CeCe Moore," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed July 31, 2018).
• "CeCe Moore - Genetic Genealogy Interview", The Family Tree DNA Learning Center, (accessed July 27, 2018).
• Murphy, Heather, "Genealogists Turn to Cousins' DNA and Family Trees to Crack Five More Cold Cases" New York Times, accessed 27 June 2018. 

Book Review: The Stranger in My Genes by Bill Griffeth

Bill Griffeth photo from his Twitter profile
https://twitter.com/billgriffeth

Bill Griffeth is a long time financial journalist with a impressive list of cable and TV programs to his credit, including his current gig as the co-anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell". He has also written four books, the latest being The Stranger in My Genes 

Bill caught the genealogy bug in 2003 and had previously written "By Faith Alone: One Family's Epic Journey Through 400 Years of American Protestantism". Written in 2007, that book chronicled his research and his impressive family history going back to the Salem Witch Trials, during which one of his ancestresses was accused and executed.

In 2012, his cousin and fellow family historian, Doug, urged him to take a DNA test to learn what else they could discover about their family. He was not prepared for the results.

What he uncovered turned his world upside down. It truly rocked the foundation we all rely on; the intrinsic belief that we know who we are, who our family is, and where we fit into that family.

It also made 50% of his genealogy research inmaterial.

Bill  recorded his emotional roller-coaster as he integrated this new information into his identity. And he keeps the reader absorbed throughout. It was riveting from beginning to end.

If you are looking for a good, fast-paced, genealogical & DNA read, this is the book for you. I finished it in less than one day.


Borrow it from the library here.


And if you are interested in trying DNA testing for yourself, most of the companies are having sales for the holidays right now. See Judy Russell's post HERE.

SOURCES: CNBC

DNA Testing, continued

Sequoyah, who created a written language for the
Cherokee people. He is definitely  NOT in my
ancestry. 

Last week we took a look at what DNA testing in my family failed to turn up. Namely, it did not show any of the Native American DNA that family lore tells we have. I haven't given up on the family lore yet. As more people get tested and they refine their methodology, something still could show up.








What was equally fascinating was some surprises in our DNA. My test came back 5% Scandinavian. This was surprising because going back 200+ years, we have no known Scandinavian ancestors. So what could it be??

VIKINGS!!

Promotional photo from the popular TV show Vikings, which I have to
admit, I have never watched.

We all know how the Vikings raided the British Isles and most of northern Europe. Surely, that accounts for the Scandinavian DNA!

Impact of the Viking Raids

NOT!

According to this article in a 18 March 2015 edition of The Guardian the Vikings did not leave a genetic impact on the populations they raided. Interesting, right?

It gets more interesting. 

My older brother's DNA test revealed 19% Scandinavian ancestry.

And my younger sister's DNA shows a whopping 39% Scandinavian!! That is over a third of her DNA!!

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!?!

The truth is, I don't know what is going on here....yet.

But here are some possibilities:

1. Scandinavian families are hiding in our ancestry, just under westernized or Americanized names.
2. Our KINIKIN ancestors are actually Dutch, not German. The Dutch are considered Scandanavian. (Our great grandmother's maiden name was KINIKIN. We have traced them back to Delaware in the 1700's.)
3. The tests could be inaccurate.

Judy Russell, of The Legal Genealogist Blog, again had something to say about that last point in this post. 

And just because I know that someone out there is thinking it -- YES, we are full siblings! The DNA tests do confirm that. We share the exact amount of DNA that is expected of full siblings!

DNA Testing Results

At the end of summer, my family took advantage of the reduced pricing on DNA testing from Family Tree DNA to get some more individuals tested. As Judy Russell of the Legal Genealogist Blog says "Test. Test as broadly and as deeply in your family as you can afford to test."

Both of my daughters now have been tested and two of my seven siblings also have been tested.

And it has been fascinating to see what the tests have revealed as well as what they haven't revealed.

I first became interested in DNA testing to help with a particular brick wall I have. Family lore tells us that my Great Great Grandmother, Emeline (ARTIS) SWAIN was three-quarters Cherokee. When I first starting researching my family history I interviewed relatives who knew Emily before she died and they all swore she was 3/4 Cherokee. And everyone pointed to my siblings with straight dark hair, brown eyes and darker complexions as evidence.

But no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find any written records that would corroborate  the story.

Emily Artis, on right, with her husband
 Otha Swain. Circa 1890's.

Emily's parents were Stephen ARTIS and Mary WALKER. The couple married in Montgomery County Maryland in 1829 and Stephen was in a militia unit for Washington DC in the War of 1812.  They have not been located in the 1830 census. Sometime around 1830-1835 they moved to Ohio, where Emily was born. Stephen reputedly died in 1837, but of course no death record exists for him. Mary is found in the 1840 and 1850 census with minor children. Searching in probate, land records and the DAWES Rolls for Cherokee connections have failed to turn anything up.




So, DNA testing to the rescue, right?? Maybe, maybe not. If Emeline was 3/4 Cherokee, as her Great, great granddaughter, I would be 3/64 Cherokee or slightly less than 5% Cherokee. That IS enough to show up on most DNA tests.

IF.

If everyone got exactly half of their DNA equally distributed from each of their parents. But DNA is much more interesting and tricky than that. You do get half of your DNA from each of your parents, but what half you get is pretty much up to nature.

And I apparently didn't get any of the Cherokee DNA from Emeline. My DNA results came back 100% European. Which wasn't too surprising, as I am fair complected and have blue eyes, like my mother's side of the family. But what about my brown eyed, brown haired siblings??

My first sibling to be tested was my oldest brother. He has the dark hair and dark eyes associated with our "Cherokee" ancestry. But his DNA results came back 100% European also. Puzzling...

One positive outcome was that we found out from his Y-DNA testing that our paternal JOHNSON's came from northwestern Ireland! We had no idea the Johnson line was Irish! Needless to say, we have not yet traced them back to the Emerald Isle. (Our farthest back Johnson was born in Kentucky in 1792.

My other sibling tested was a younger sister. She has hazel eyes and dark auburn hair. She seems to be a thorough mix of our parents - dark eyed, dark haired Dad and fair haired and green eyed Mother. Surely, with such a clear mixture of our parents, that Cherokee DNA would show up!?!

NOT!

She came back 100% European too!

So that is where we stand right now. No DNA evidence of Cherokee or Native American ancestry.

Does that mean the family lore is wrong?  Not necessarily. Remember that it is pure chance which of your ancestral DNA you inherit. We could get all of my siblings tested and none of them show up with Native American ancestry and it still wouldn't mean the family story is wrong.

BECAUSE OF THE TEST.

Not all DNA testing companies test the same chromosomes when they run their tests. And not all DNA testing companies use the same reference DNA to compare your DNA to. What do I mean by reference DNA?

That is their core DNA samples from around the world that they use to compare their users DNA. Because of the expense involved, they tend to focus their DNA samples on the presumed demographic of the people they think will buy their tests. So it is heavily weighted towards western European DNA. And not so much less numerous peoples.

Also, the test results are estimates based on what a formula each company has. And it can only compare DNA results with people living today. They are NOT comparing our DNA to people who lived a hundred or two hundred years ago. You know... our ancestors.

Judy Russell of the Legal Genealogist blog explains in much better in her September 2013 post here:
DNA Disappointment.

Next week I will talk about what the DNA tests did reveal...