A little over a year ago, I learned that I had Hawkins ancestors on my mother’s side. If DNA is any indication, I appear to have Hawkins on my father’s side, too. Most trees on Ancestry.com indicate that Valentine Choate’s middle name was “Hawkins” for two reasons: 1.) a deed floating out there somewhere attributing a middle initial of “H”… More →
Category: Utlaut Kenfolk
I have fifteen going on sixteen…
Just when you thought you’d identified all of your cousins who married your cousins, up pops couple number 15. It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this topic. In summary, I have found 15 of my mother’s distant cousins who married 15 of my father’s distant cousins. I have to give Ancestry’s ThruLines credit for this latest find. Based… More →
Sally, Sarah, Sukie
As I mentioned in my previous post, I expect more from my DNA. A week ago, one of my Joyce cousins posted new information about my 3rd great grandmother, Sarah Ann (Roberts) Joyce. He discovered that she was still living in 1889, when one of her granddaughters was married in her home. This same cousin went on to describe Sarah… More →
Through and ThruLines
One of Ancestry.com’s newest genetic tools is called ThruLines. Essentially, ThruLines looks at your DNA matches and information in your collective family trees and attempts to create a biologically-based family tree explaining how you are/might be related through a potentially common ancestor. I have a love/hate relationship with this tool. Unfortunately, in a few cases, it has picked up bad,… More →
Sarah Austin
Modern conveniences aren’t always convenient. I just bought my first house here on the East Coast. I’ve been here for 10 years so I figured it was time to put down some roots. Everything was running smoothly until it was time to get my cable and internet installed. I never imagined it would take SIX WEEKS. I’ll spare everyone the… More →
Re-Joyce It’s Joss
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I love keeping in touch with my former classmates, family and friends. I hate the politically-motivated false news that pops up too often these days from both sides. That said, I never imagined that Facebook would or could help me with my genealogical research. But it has. A few months ago, Facebook present… More →
Cousins marrying cousins – The Return of the Blog
I have some catching up to do. Between moving and a diagnosis of SIBO, it’s proven to be a very busy 2017. Things have finally settled down and I can once again focus on genealogy. The latest couple (#14) that has made its way onto my list of cousins of my mother’s who married cousins of my father’s did so… More →
Night of the Living Chedd
The irony of the situation has not been lost on me. I’m sitting in a hotel room across from the hospital where, tomorrow morning, my gastroenterologist will have her way with my bowels. And I’m trying to write about a distant cousin whose claim to culinary fame was a concoction known as the “Cheese Zombie”. A school lunch favorite of students… More →
Cousins marrying cousins – Unlucky 13
It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these so here goes. My mother’s 4th cousin, 2x removed, Charles Calvin (“C. C.”) Reynolds, married Mary Elizabeth McCracken, my father’s 4th cousin, 3x removed – earning them the 13th spot on my list of cousins marrying cousins. Unfortunately for both C. C. and Mary Elizabeth, their marriage did not end well. In… More →
Liar, Liar, DNA on Fire
DNA doesn’t lie but I’ve learned that it doesn’t always tell the complete truth. In last year’s DNA testing frenzy, I uploaded my autosomal DNA results onto several websites including one called Gedmatch.com. One of their cool tools tells you whether or not your parents are related. According to this tool, my parents are not related. LIAR! They may not have DNA in common… More →