Thursday, January 29, 2015

Using "wait time" for DNA results wisely

Over these past 2+ weeks since I've gotten my DNA results, I've been busy analyzing and comparing in an effort to break through some of my genealogy brick walls.   I really had a hard time waiting on the results but while waiting(and it really wasn't that long--around 4 weeks) I wanted to use my time wisely.  If you have additional suggestions please add them in the comments.

Things to do while waiting for your DNA results:


  • SET UP INQUIRY & INFORMATIONAL TEMPLATES  --  I did set up several templates with a link to my working file at Rootsweb's WorldConnect...a listing of my GGG & GGGG Grandparents and areas in which they lived.
  • "FLESH OUT" YOUR FILES   -- I also made some efforts to find the maiden names of a few of the females where I had just their given name.  While I didn't have a lot of luck with that, I was able to pick up some new names by finding who my direct line's siblings had married.
  • WRITE A PLAN OF ACTION  --  I did my atDNA test at Ancestry so my plan was to download raw data...upload it to FTDNA & GEDmatch.  I set up my username at GEDmatch ahead of time and uploaded a GEDCOM.  I also uploaded a "barebones" file of my direct lines to Ancestry.
  • DOWN LOAD GENOME MATE  --  This is a WONDERFUL software that lets you compare segments of your results.  The first week I had my results at GEDmatch I was doing this by writing things down or copying into a spreadsheet...this is so much better.  I don't regret having tinkered with it the hard way....I think I learned more by doing that.  When I started out researching in 1990 I used the hand cranked microfilm reader.....to this day it is still my preference when viewing microfilm.(Don't judge me...lol)
  • STOCK UP ON OFFICE SUPPLIES  --  Truth is....I look for any and every excuse to do this.  You will need loads of index cards for notes..post it notes unlimited supply of ink pens and mechanical pencils...and Print off a few 100 blank pedigree sheets and family group sheets so you can just grab those when the notion hits you.  As far as the pedigree charts take two of them and label one X inheritence Son and X inheritence Daughter....use these as your guides for checking contributors to your X Chromosome.
  • WATCH GENEALOGY SHOWS  --  I have a bunch of shows such as Finding Your Roots, Genealogy Roadshow and Who Do You Think You Are? on my DVR.  You may also be able to find these OnDemand or on the web.
  • GET FAMILIAR WITH DNA TERMS AND TYPES -- Read DNA blogs like DNA Explained   Join USER groups for the site(or hopefully sites) to which you plan to upload your DNA.  For my budget, testing at Ancestry and uploading to GEDmatch and FTDNA was the way to go. 


Several things I learned since getting my DNA results:

If you email 30 people you will get several responses....but then one day 20 will answer all at once...it will be overwhelming...don't stress.

Having a public tree at Ancestry.com doesn't mean that anyone with a username can see it.  Be sure to send a share to a match if you use Ancestry.   Those who have their test there but who do not have a subscription(such as myself) cannot see your public tree.  I did not know that.  I assumed(wrongly) that if I made a tree public, that anyone that had registered and had a user id could see it.  That is not the case. I feel like the explanation of Public tree as given by Ancestry needs some clarification. Ancestry allows you to share(and turn off a share) with several different options.  Don't miss out on a cousin connection because you didn't share your tree.




Not everyone loves genealogy. WHAT!!!!   Some have done the DNA tests purely for the entertainment value of knowing their ethnic makeup.  Sad but true...




Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Incredible luck on an X Chromosome match

Several days ago while I had my One-to-Many Comparison tool results open for my kit at GEDmatch.com , I decided that it might be nice to know who I shared the largest segment matches with on the X Chromosome.  This led me to do a sort by largest on my results.  Of my results, I could tell that 3 were results for one person who had tested with 3 companies and uploaded, the top one along with two more on down the list all appeared to be managed by the same person given the contact email.






I went and looked at those three kits using the Chromosome browser to see if they matched me on the same segments.   They did despite not having any Autosomal relationship at the given perimeters of  7cM / 700 SNPs.  I figured there would be no harm in emailing the person who managed the accounts and asking to give me a little background on their ancestors and noted that mine were mainly in TN by the time it became a state and prior to that NC, SC and VA.  Best experience ever contacting a potential cousin!!!  Today I received an email with a note letting me know that she did indeed manage the 3 kits and that the kits were those of her grandmother, her grandmother's sister and the son of another of her grandmother's sisters.  She also sent me a guest invite to her file at Ancestry and within 5 minutes I knew how we were connected.  Our Most Recent Common Ancestors are my 5th Great Grandparents, James Knox and  Elizabeth Craig Knox.  The Knox, Craig, Eoff, Jakes, Sutton and Morrow families seemed to have moved in clusters from the early 1700s on til about 1900.



While the X chromosome inheritance pattern is known(it differs depending on the gender) there seems to be no set rule for what it does.  I am still learning after having only been at this for less than 2 weeks.  This X match segment is from my Daddy and yes it is his Mom's that she received from her Dad...and that her Dad received from his Mom who got it from her Mom who got it from her Mom...who got it from either James Knox or Elizabeth Craig Knox.  I could never just say "I found a 6th cousin once removed"  I have to tell you how.  

Saturday, January 10, 2015

My AncestryDNA Autosomal Results are in.

My AncestryDNA test results came back yesterday afternoon and as promised I am following up with a post comparing my prediction to Ancestry's interpretation of my Autosomal DNA test.


My prediction
Area Percentage
English 68.75%
Scottish 12.50%
Irish 6.25%
Austrian 3.13%
Manx 3.13%
Unknown 6.25%

The Africa Southeastern Bantu, Asia South, Iberian Peninsula and Caucasus parts which are less than 1% are likely "noise" from recombination of the DNA although it could be some of what is left in small amounts from generations way back.  I am as I suspected a vast majority of English/Irish/Scottish mix.  I was surprised to see 2% Scandinavia.  I have uploaded my raw data to Family Tree DNA and looking for connections there as well as having uploaded to GEDmatch.

I have connected with a 2nd cousin once removed almost immediately after viewing my results.  This connection was through GrGr Grandparents David Pitman & Mary F. Adcock Pitman. His Grandfather was their son David H. Pitman (a younger brother of my Great Grandmother Nancy Florence Pitman Luna)

Ancestry doesn't have a chromosome browser where you can compare results one on one or triangulate to see if your connections are through your paternal or maternal lines.   From what I've heard so far, there are no plans for one in the near future.  They do have the best turn around rate.  I have results in less than a month...and that,to me, is excellent.

I foresee many more posts about this topic as I analyze my results and hopefully convince one or more of my siblings and my mother and cousins to test as well.

Tuesday, January 06, 2015

My Direct Surnames Word Clouds

Finally got around to making Word Clouds of my direct ancestors surnames using Wordle website. 

My Direct Maternal Surnames



My Direct Paternal Surnames





Old Hickory TN Area: Old Photos of Homes and unknown persons



These pictures were taken in Old Hickory TN during the mid 1920s.  My paternal grandfather, Thomas DeWitt Cooke and his family moved there when he hired on at Dupont.  They lived at 1009 Clarke Street until some time after their oldest son died from Scarlet/Rheumatic Fever in 1927. From there, they moved to 911 Dodson St which was several blocks away from their previous residence.  The house on Dodson St. is no longer there but the one on Clarke Street is still standing.  I have read the articles which tell about the different house styles of Old Hickory.  I am not sure which house my aunts and uncle are standing in front of in the picture.  It may be the one where they lived on Clarke St. or at a neighbors.  I believe that the picture of the woman sitting on the steps, the children all in front of the house...and the one of the two boys beside the house are all taken by the same house.  The picture of the two girls is probably at a different house as the porch column looks different to me.





I wish I could identify the children in this picture.  The boy standing in front right is Tomie D. Cooke(my uncle).  The 2nd girl from the left on the back row is my aunt Magnus Cooke Snoddy.  Girl on the right of the back row is my aunt Viola Cooke Agee.  The little girl in front on the right is my Aunt Olive June Cooke Brannon.

I wish there was some way of contracting folks who had family who worked for Dupont and live in the area around Clarke street during that time period.  If you can identify any of the unknown people in the pictures or know which house this is please contract me at my gmail address associated with this blog.



This is a picture of my uncle Tomie D. Cooke and his friend from the neighborhood.






















This is a school picture take probably in the mid 1930s at whatever school was operating at Old Hickory at the time.
If you can identify any of the people in this picture, I'd love to hear from you.  My aunts are the ones with the Xs beside of them.


















This is a picture of my aunt Viola Cooke Agee and a neighborhood friend.  I believe that the taller girl in the picture is the same one who is in the picture of the 7 children in front of a house as shown above.