Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Balancing Genealogy and Life

I realized that in my following my passion, life seems to click. Everything flowing--- the way life should always be. I also realized I needed some balance. Life has a way of alerting you when you don't get enough balance. Eighteen hour days sitting a the computer, writing emails, answering emails, writing a book, answering phone calls from friends and family asking, "How do I...?" (that's one of the things I love the most), trying new combinations of online genealogy tools; it was taking a toll on my health. I needed some exercise.

My sister, Gretchen arrived in town with my two great-nephew's (ages four and five). A weekend planned full of family fun. We went to Kiddie Park that evening; a local favorite for parents and children. The park has water boat rides, a kiddie roller-coaster, bumper cars, a train ride, caged Ferris Wheel, spinner ride, airplanes, pop-corn, cotton candy and much, much more.

Clowning Around



I even introduced Santa to my great-nephews. They promised they wouldn't tell anyone he spends his summers incognito at Kiddie Park, using his pretend name, Ron Adams.

The Blundering DNA Genealogist with Santa at Christmas.

We had a blast at the park. (I could barely keep up.)

The next morning, my son and I took the boys to Windle's Rock Shop. Tom Windle is not only an expert on minerals and rocks, he is also a wonderful historian and genealogist. Tom told us about the major turning point of the Revolutionary War--- The Battle of King's Mountain and his Patriot ancestor, John Sevier.  For information about this historic battle click HERE. You might find some of your own Patriot relatives who fought in this battle click HERE. (If you have one who is not on this list; join WikiTree and add them.)

A member of Tom's staff told us where we might find some good fossils. No luck with the fossils, but we found some locust exoskeletons and a golf ball. We enjoyed whispering in the band-shell and hearing our voices echo from one end to the other.

I was so stiff and sore I could barely move.

The next morning my son took the boys on a trip to Woolaroc Museum. The trip was almost a bust. An electrical storm had knocked out the power. Once again, Uncle Vern to the rescue. He sweet talked a museum groundsman to allow them a climb up the tower.



Once back in town, their NeNe took them to a local pool with corkscrew slides.

I was home; again playing on the computer (not spending time with my sister and nephews during their short visit), and a phone call came. (Remember: Life has a way to alert you when your are out of balance.)

My sister slipped and fell at the pool. An ambulance was taking her to the hospital. I was needed for my great-nephews.

Funny how when in a crisis with your mind focused on others, all of your aches and pains disappear.

I rushed to the pool. Medics were ready to load my sister (neck immobilize and strapped on a gurney) in the ambulance.  My nephews calmed; we hurried home. My son had arrived, and after a few calls to family, I was off to the hospital.

Cousin (they call him Uncle) Vern to the rescue again! He took the boys on another rock hunt. Success! The boys found some fossils near a creek.

My sister had a pretty severe concussion and they released her with orders to stay in bed for at least a day...and not to hit her head on concrete for another thirty days, or she might have some problems. (They actually said that.) Oh, the wonders of modern medicine!

After my sis and nephews departed, my son and I went fossil hunting. Success big time. I'm glad I took my reusable grocery bags; the fanny pack was way too small.

Big storm that night. Up again the next morning, perfect hunting conditions. Finding the fossils was like collecting pieces of ice after a hail storm.

Oh, my aching back! My bend-over gave out. The area was too wet and muddy to sit on the ground.

And we went AGAIN the next day. I took a trash bag to sit on (just in case). My youngest sister, Stella, went with us this time. Over a hundred pounds of fossils later---what do you do with a hundred pounds of fossils?
Horn Coral
Vern's Cherokee Native American name is Stonemaker. He loves rocks, teaches knapping classes, and does stone art.


 Polishing the coral exposes the fossil's beauty.



After three days of rock hunting, even my eyelashes hurt. I was like the rusted Tin Man all over.

The next morning, I felt great.

Spent some time with one of my bestest friends, Mary T. Kincaid, (she writes books for children).

While  teaching her some online genealogy tool tricks we discovered WE MIGHT BE COUSINS through MY BRADY LINE!


Aaah...sweet balance.








GEDmatch, Spreadsheets, and Mac Users

Thank you Tami Murphy for this information. 

Gedmatch Copying Test Results to Spreadsheets for Mac Users.


To select all and copy on triangulation:

1.  Select all use "flower/command"-A

2.  Copy use "flower/command"-C

     In your spreadsheet to:
1.  Paste use "flower/command"-V
2. Save

Happy Finding!

Monday, August 14, 2017

GEDmatch Tool: Gedcom + DNA Matches

A gedcom is a software tool that allows a person to build, save, and share family trees. There are loads of free gedcom software online you can download to your computer.


Before I added this information I used Excel to create a single DNA Workbook using Gedmatch Tier 1 tools which I keep on my desktop. Within the workbook I have downloaded on separate sheets: Tier 1 Beta Graphic Tree, Graphic Bar Chart, CSV file, Triangulated Segments and Matching Segments. I recently added a sheet for Gedcom + DNA Matches. I have two other people I have shared this method with who are also getting great results.


I recommend this for everyone; especially people who are adopted and looking for biological family. If you are building a Mirror Tree, it all starts with finding your most recent common ancestors and this works.

GEDmatch: Gedcom + DNA Matches


An often overlooked tool on GEDmatch is the Gedcom + DNA. You will find it on your landing page.




When you enter your kit number it will bring up everyone who is a DNA match to you and has a tree on GEDmatch. Yes, you can view these people on your one-to-many page, however, sometimes it's nice to have a separate page just for gedcom matches in a spreadsheet in your workbook. Add a column in the spreadsheet for notes. It also gives you a ready place to find all gedcom user numbers. (Recommended)

OR

To find gecom ID numbers; enter the kit number in User Look Up which is also on your landing page.


You can enter any two gedcom ID numbers (not kit numbers) into the 2 GEDCOMs tool and it will search both trees for you.  (This tool is what made GEDmatch so popular in the first place.) No more crossed eyes from studying trees.

Click on 2 Gedcoms to open this window. Enter gedcom numbers and click Compare.

This tool comes up with the same, or similar names, and you review the information to decide if these are a match. You don't have to click on anything else unless you are certain you want to confirm the match. (Hint: if you get similar names in the same geographic area and time frame, and with no parents listed, these could be siblings or cousins. If they have the same parents...BINGO!)

Added Power in GEDmatch

 
Compare gedcoms in your Gedcom + DNA list with trees in your Triangulated Graphic Tree in Tier 1 Beta tools.  They are the matches who have a little green tree in the rectangle. Bold all of those matches that are in your Gedcom + DNA who are in your Triangulated Graphic Tree. 

Kit number at top of rectangle. Green tree indicates a tree associated with kit. If you are live on Tier 1 you can click on tree and review. You need gedcom number to do a compare. (See above to look them up.)
 

Some of the DNA matches you have in the Gedcom + DNA list may not have had enough DNA show up in your triangulated groups; therefore you need to compare the Gedcom + DNA that are not bolded against gecoms of people in your triangulated groups. 

Even though their segments may be smaller, if three not too closely related people, share the same position, on the same chromosome and have the same common ancestor in their tree, it makes a triangulated group.

AND, if another person shares that same ancestor, but in a different location on a different chromosome, it adds another layer of verification for that shared common ancestor.
 
You need at least three people (you count as one of them) to verify the common ancestor on a different chromosome. IMPORTANT!  This piece of DNA in a different location could be a different common ancestor AND THIS COMMON ANCESTOR WILL BE FROM THE SAME LINE OF ASCENT OR DESCENT FOR YOU.
 
For adoptees, you are actually doing "reverse" tree building. You will use the triangulated Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) to find the MRCA you are looking for and following the branches down to you.

Successful finding!
 
(I consider blog shares a genealogical blessing.)




Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Adoptees: 6 Mirror Tree Helper Tools

For those adoptees who are building Mirror Trees there are a few tools that can make your task much easier.

1. A gedcom program. This is a computer program for building family trees. Having a gedcom program allows you to construct a tree or parts of a tree with ease. With most programs you can attach and detach tree branches and save time and keystrokes. (You can save branches that don't appear to be your closest in a separate folder and after you have found your family, re-attach them if they are part of your tree.)

There are many free gedcom programs available online.

The program I have the most experience with is Legacy Family Tree. There is a learning curve. Legacy has superb training videos. If you can afford it, I would go ahead and purchase the Delux program.  Price-Free and up to $99. (Legacy is on half price sale at the time of this post 8/9/2017) HERE

2.  Learn and use Rootsweb WorldConnect. This site is an oldie but goodie; launched in 1999, you can read a brief history of those who created it HERE.

Genealogists make mistakes, (I certainly do). Unfortunately, many of the those posted their trees to RootsWebWorldConnect and never made any corrections. Some of these amateur genealogists appeared to make a contest of building trees as big as they could as fast as they could. They used one of Rootsweb's most innovative features; the ability to download gedcoms and link them together. Many of the gedcoms were not adequately sourced. This created many errors being repeated and re-posted. Many people have uploaded parts of these error filled trees to other genealogy sites; including AncestryDNA trees.

Still, Rootsweb is an awesome tool for expanding family trees you share with matches on AncestryDNA. If you have linked your Mirror Tree to one child's line, you may need to find another child from this line before you start getting leaf hints. If your match only shows one person, look for family members at Rootsweb. (Use the surname and geographic location but give a 10-20 year span on birth date to find possible siblings to your match on Ancestry.) Rootsweb link HERE

The use of DNA to find and correct errors on Rootsweb, is slowly having positive effects on public online trees, thanks in no small part to adoptees using the Mirror Tree method to find family. As an adoptee, if you discover such an error, please relate this information to your match. You will benefit genealogists and all those adoptees using Mirror Trees in the future. Use Rootsweb for CLUES. Take the information based on your common ancestor match on Ancestry and look up to expand family members. Armed with this information go to--

3. Join (free) WikiTree and enter your profile. Then one profile at a time, grow your tree DOWN using your suspected common ancestor you find Ancestry who is also on WikiTree. For someone who is not adopted How-to video HERE. Each profile has a link to find sources specific to the information in the ancestor profile. Your DNA, once linked to a GEDmatches DNA, verifies you are on the right path.

4. Everyone should download relationship charts. There is one, The Shared cM Project, designed by Blaine T. Bettinger; another one created by Christa Stalcup, DNA Detectives Autosomal Statistics Chart, for the DNA Detectives. (see my May 5, 2017 post for Blain's chart.) Christa's chart is HERE

I recommend having these charts laminated. Most office supply stores or libraries will do this for a nominal cost. It will help keep the charts from getting lost if you are also a paper-note-taker like I am.

5. If you have one side of your tree identified, fill out an X DNA Inheritance Chart and keep it handy. With permission from Blaine T. Bettinger, Debby Parker has attached a Creative Commons license and has linked several different electronic formats of the charts for use in compliance with the creative commons license. You can download and personalize the charts that are available by clicking: HERE.

6.  Use GEDmatch Tier 1 Tools for one month. This will cost you a one time $10 donation. Download all of the Beta tools as indicated by the red arrows in this screenshot into a single workbook. You can make it a single workbook by opening different sheets indicated at the bottom of an open spreadsheet. Here is a video on how to download DNA data to Gedmatch HERE.

I prefer the Tier 1 tools in a workbook spreadsheet for myself in this order starting with Beta Triangulation Groups: Sheet 1- Graphic Tree, Sheet 2- Bar Chart Graphic, Sheet 3- CSV file, Sheet 4- Triangulation (it takes the longest to run and I title it Triangulated Segments) Sheet 5-Matching Segment Search. With each results run  simply do a Ctrl-A to copy then open the spreadsheet page and paste. (Full instructions are found in my post Easy Peasy Spreadsheets.)

Write emails to the people you triangulate with. Send them a copy of your one-to-one comparison, or send them a screenshot of who you match with in the graphic tree or Triangulated segments. 

On Sheet 5, Matching segments I add a column in the spreadsheet just before the black bordered color graphic. This extra column is for my notes, most recent common ancestor (MRCA) and who triangulates with me that helped ID the MRCA.

If you suddenly have many new closer matches on Gedmatch, you might want to donate again and download a new workbook or at least the Triangulations page in your workbook. Then transfer all your common info from your previously identified matches in your matching segment sheets. I am told I wouldn't have to do all this sorting and adding if I use Genomate Pro. (Big learning curve for me.) Maybe when I have a chance I will try it; but for now I am struggling to keep up with the emails I am exchanging with others and adding our MRCA's.

A note here on MRCA. The most recent common ancestor is the closest person you SHARE. It may be a couple. You come from one of their children's lines, if your match comes from a different child's line; you share the common set of grandparents. Include both surnames in the column. If one of the grandparents had a second spouse and the child's line who you match came from that different spouse, you will be able to identify your MRCA as the one grandparent you have in common. Common ancestors (CA) is everyone one else in the more distant straight line, up the tree, who you share with your match. This drawing is an example of a MRCA:


If you use the tools I have listed in this blog post, it will help you find your MRCA's.  Using AncestryDNA for Mirror Tree's finds common ancestors. Triangulated groups will help you find your MRCA's. Finding MRCA instead of CA's will help you find the right biological family with more accuracy. So, look for your closest match on Gedmatch who shares the most DNA with you and see if you triangulate with them. Then start building your Mirror Tree down each child's leg or branch of the tree. If you don't get wiggly leaf hints, start again with the MRCA and build down a different child's branch.

Happy finding!







Do You Manage DNA Kits for Multiple People?

This post will give you a clue about how I blunder around. I write people emails; often sticking to a prepared message. Sometimes I get responses and sometimes I don't. I have told people I think some of my matches have a "Do Not Respond" gene floating around. Fortunately, for my genealogy pursuits, I don't. 

Then there are those who do respond who are open and eager and they may think I am nuts. That's okay; I am who I am.  I share, often bouncing from one train of thought to another. I let them know me. Hey, they are related, they are family.

Today, I wrote just such a message. The only change I have made is to remove one living person's name (and some glaring type-o's). The name I removed is another person I have communicated with who triangulates with the recipient of this email. All other surnames are part of our important communication to find our common ancestor, or to address something my relative shared with me in our communication. Here is that email:


The other person who triangulates with us is at a loss, as her father was adopted and she is trying to discover her father's line. Once we figure it out, I will be able to tell her who it is and she can do a form of "reverse" genealogy called a Mirror Tree to find her father's family. 
It isn't unusual NOT to have a DNA match at 3rd cousin and more distant. In fact, it is astounding that it happens. It all has to do with how the DNA is recombined in each person that makes us unique. That tiny segment we share in the same place, on this same chromosome which links us to our shared common ancestor to me is very special; it links us through time and history. It is our window through which we can focus on that particular ancestor. Like a message in a bottle. I want to know what that message is telling me. That is at the root of this passion I have--- genetic genealogy. 
I would love to look at your full tree. I noticed the name Caudill in the screenshot you sent. Funny, I have been running into that name more and more in my searches. As we progress further and further back in history we may find we have more than one common ancestor. I have a friend at my local library; when I saw all the surnames we share (I keep finding the same names in searches), I immediately told her we would find we were related and probably with more than one ancestor. We have found three so far (though not genetically.)

As for the Edwards surname; many people have researched John Jenkins wife as Mary Ann McPhearson. There were two John Jenkins in Butler County, KY. Both had wives named Mary Ann. Only one had a daughter named Vilet (yep, they left the o out,). That is Mary Ann Edwards and she is the mother of my 2nd great grandmother Lucinda Jenkins who married Robert Armstrong. It appears we may need to focus on this Jenkins line; I am still curious about the Caudill surname. I have also come across the Workman surname as well as Hawkins and Gist. But hey, I study MANY trees.

Have you run the test on GEDmatch: Are your parents related? Sometimes that can give you a clue beyond what the written results indicate if you look at it in graphic mode as well. You might see a tiny blue line which indicates a common ancestor.
Jim Bartlett's blog, Segment-ology (when read, starting with his first post) helped me understand how triangulation works better than anything else other people have written.

BTW, you can download your tree from ancestry to your desktop; make notes of the "evidence" you have in that line because if you got the source info from them you will have to find it from other sources (for free) it's out there. (I recommend you do this since Ancestry has just been purchased by another company.) You can get a free gedcom program on line if you need one. I recommend Legacy. 
It would be a great leap forward if you donate one time to GEDmatch Tier 1 tools for a month. That will provide ample time to download all of your results from all of the kits you manage into separate workbooks in Excel for each person. You will be able to see who triangulates where, on which chromosomes. I use my Matching Segments page; add a column right before the graphic where I can enter info about common ancestors discovered using the triangulation tools.  
If you read Jim Bartlett's blog and download a workbook for each person, I promise a light will come on and you will jump way ahead of others. To better understand what you are seeing, I have provided some explanations in my blog: The Blundering DNA Genealogists. (I gave it that title, because that's how I have learned, by blundering around and using the tools and trying to figure out what they mean.) Now I am blessed to be able to teach people this method at my local library. 
I also highly recommend building your tree on WikiTree. And though there is a learning curve, I also caution against using a gedcom to upload your tree. By building one person at a time, you will discover cousins as you build and link to this collaborative one ancestor profile entry tree. (We do our best not to duplicate the same ancestor, but link ourselves and others to that ancestor). When you include your GEDmatch kit number, it will automatically populate those profiles with whom you and others share DNA. You will know you have the correct ancestor as soon as three people triangulate with this ancestor. Finding a third person can take awhile; triangulated groups help if you can get others to join WikiTree who triangulate on GEDmatch. 
Whew! Long winded me. I look forward to an invite to view your tree. (Please include a maiden name for your grandmother's line) 
Cousin somehow---we WILL figure this out,
Barbara Shoff