Community Chat

[PickyPicky3]

I think I may be related to two famous Americans on my mother's side. Same last name; same town in Europe. I've never used any of the genealogy search or DNA sites.

It would be so much easier just to write two "dear cousin" letters . It's not important, but it would be fun to know.

I'd prefer to keep this as simple and inexpensive as possible. Any suggestions? 

[Redsoxmom1]

I use ancestery.com.  It has been interesting to see the information on my dad's side.  My mom's side all the kin stayed close (cousins of our great grandma that came from Scotland).  I paid an upgrade to find out some info on my dad's mom.  He did not share too much info on a sad childhood in regards to his mom.  I found her and what happend to her after. I have to say after my curosity was answered I felt really sad for my dad.  He was tight lipped about her.  I almost wished I had left it alone...

[Buffalogal47]

@PickyPicky3  Celebrities get letters from people claiming to be relatives all the time. What other information do you have about these people to suggest they are blood relatives? It would be a good idea to spend a little money on a geneology search before you contact these people. Even if you find strong evidence that you may be distant cousins, what do you think you would gain by contacting them?

[PickyPicky3]

@Buffalogal47 

I doubt if I would contact them. I know very little about my mother's side, and it would be fun to find these two there.

These days I rarely turn down an opportunity for a little fun.

[Redsoxmom1]

I should also add that my reserach showed some positive information on my dad's family that I had no idea as well.  His family was one of the first settlers in the town my dad grew up in.  I don't think he knew that or maybe he didn't care. 

As far as contacting relatives,  I am linked to hundreds of  distant cousins through my dna on Ancestry.  None of us have made contact. I really enjoyed most of the information I found.  Just know there may be some darkness as well.  

[Buffalogal47]

@PickyPicky3  I kind of would like to know more about my ancestors, but as you say, there may be some darkness as well. That's why sometimes it's better to let sleeping dogs lie.

[PickyPicky3]

@Redsoxmom1   So if you send a DNA sample to Ancestry for analysis, they send you results with names? How far back do they go? I know the police now use those results to locate family members of criminals. Do you get to decide if others see your name or not?

[Redsoxmom1]

If you send a sample in they tell you where on earth you come from.  Then they match with you people that are also on the site that have done their DNA as well.  And the estimate how close of a relation they are to you.  The closest I have is 2nd cousin on my Dad's side and I have zero clue who she is.  Fun fact, my husband's mom is a twin and his Mom's twin is on the site.  They linked her to my husband as his Mom.  His mom is not on the site.  

I could find people linked to me as far back as 1655 on my dad's side.  

[ALRATIBA]

There is a free genealogy site - no DNA - but you can research public records.  

It's the LDS site:  familysearch dot org.

Ancestry is probably the easiest to use. You'll probably get the most results from there,  It's a popular site.  

[Mindy D]

@PickyPicky3 @They only give you names of those that wish to be contacted. You can opt out of this. I prefer 23 and Me because they have the genetic health option. Once you get results from either company, you can delve further by inputting your results into an open database called GEDMatch. There are companies that look at more ancient DNA migrations than Ancestry or 23 and Me. Neither looks at your complete sequence of familial...nuclear DNA. They generally look at the most recent 500-600 years but they also scan for ancient trace DNA for Neanderthal ancestry and ancestry from ancient tribes. You can also use some sites that can provide ancestry through the female links, looking at mitochondrial DNA or through the male line looking at ySTR DNA. Some of these sites trace migrations of groups of people and their results are part of university studies. If you choose Ancestry, and your possible relatives have also chosen to use it and open themselves up for contact I think they provide data up to third cousins, but how distant they look is not firmly set in my memory. Some members also open up and start family trees by surnames and invite members to add in their data and contact them in the hopes of building a family tree.