An Ongoing Workflow: Connecting Top Matches to Help Identify Shared DNA Lines

My latest research project workflow has me working on identifying and linking within my tree my DNA Matches at Ancestry. I'm starting on my paternal matches so I've filtered them to show paternal lines.  I have my view set to show my top 50 Paternal matches and all of those but 10 are mapped out in my tree.  Having 80% connected is pretty good. Since these paternal matches range from 56-76 centiMorgans, I should be able to at least narrow it down to a grandparent or great-grandparent's branch of the family.

I took a quick look at my top 50 maternal matches and I have all but 3 of those identified.  There is also one surprise cousin whom I have identified but am not linking.  The maternal top 50 range from 117-281 centiMorgans.  The difference in the ranges between the maternal and paternal top 50 matches is likely due to my maternal grandfather's branch having a high number of descendants and with more active researchers among them.

To find our relationship path, I use the shared matches to identify the tester's lineage.  Some are easier to figure out than others, especially when a match has a close relative with an attached tree.

Once I finish mapping the top maternal matches, I'll meet my goal of having all DNA matches sharing 50 cMs or greater identified within my tree. Accomplishing this will make identifying future matches a lot easier. Also once I get the first page for each side done I will likely do the same for the 2nd pages of  paternal and maternal matches.

A match with Shared Matches from both sides of my family.

When sorting thru DNA matches at AncestryDNA, I like to note the connection for each of my matches as being thru the ancestors of one of my four Grandparents.  Both my parents have ancestors who were in Tennessee in the early 1800s. Most of the time I will only be connected to the match on one side.  There a few times when I will have multiple connections.  See the example below with Bill who shares matches with me who are from my PGF's Mom(King/Manire) and my MGF's Mom(Pittman/Adcock)  He has no tree and trying to figure this one out will take seeing the segments in a chromosome browser. 

Thru my admin and shared links, I can tell how much DNA Bill shares with Me, my sister, and my mother.  Unfortunately, we did not begin DNA testing until after my Dad had passed so he was never tested.

Bill's match with Me

Shared matches only show those in common who share at a 4th cousin level(Ancestry's minimum for 4th cousins is 20 cMs)  I noticed that my Mom isn't listed as a shared match.

Bill's match with my Mom

After looking at Mom's amount of shared DNA with Bill, I'm really hoping I will be able to check this match in a chromosome browser so I can identify the grandparent(s) who passed on the 2 segments I received.  On checking Bill's match with my sister's test it appears they do not share any DNA within the range that Ancestry would report.  This is a good example of randomness of DNA inheritance.   I've written to Bill and asked if he was planning on uploading to GEDmatch, MyHeritage or FTDNA.  Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to view the segments in a chromosome browser and see what occurred.  

Bill's match(or lack of) with my Sister