For a Friend Adoptee Search

 

The father (now deceased) of a friend of mine was adopted. My friend desperately wanted to know more about his ancestors. He was able to get minimal information about his paternal grandfather and grandmother through a court order to view the adoption records. Even then, they contained little useful information. There was a name for his grandparents, but they both had the same surname. They were listed as living in Ohio (but no information on where). His father was born in West Virginia. Not a lot to work with!

My friend tested at 23andMe, and while he reached out to many DNA matches, few responded. I suggested he take a test at Ancestry.com since they have the largest database of testers (and working with the DNA matches is much friendlier on Ancestry.com ) and I offered to help him with the results. I wanted to see if all the learning I've been doing could help him solve his mystery. I'm the first to admit, I'm a novice when it comes to DNA, but I was up to the task.

After using the Leeds method with Ancestry.com's colored dots, and knowing just one maternal cousin, I was able to develop a list of paternal matches. From there, I created several quick and dirty trees for some of his matches. In just a few days, I was able to work back to his 2nd great grandfather (with a high level of certainty, since there are 10 DNA matches to him). Then, working forward again, I was able to find a match for his grandfather's name as shown in the adoption records! I was thrilled (and so was my friend)! 

It's very important to note, there are no DNA matches from his potential grandfather or great grandfather, so there is room for error. Unfortunately, this grandfather and all his children, except one, have already passed. The one living son is 87 years old, and if he is indeed the correct person, may not know he had another brother, and definitely wouldn't know about his potential nephew.

His grandmother has been more of a challenge. It would appear, from census records, his grandfather was married with several children (2 of whom , twins, were born about 15 months before his father - one of them is the uncle I mentioned above.). The mother listed in the 1930 and 1940 census did not have the same given name as the mother in the adoption records. It's certainly possible the name was recorded incorrectly (or intentionally given wrong). There is a possibility the family just couldn't support another child (they had 7 known children)...but it could just as easily have been a dalliance on his grandfather's part...there's just no way to know for sure. At this point, she remains unconfirmed. 

I've actually just determined the one lone uncle appears to still be living. It's a tricky situation! First off, I could always have made a mistake in my research, or perhaps the records just don't paint a complete picture of all the ancestors. How do you reach out to tell an 87 year old man he may have had a brother he never knew...and how to ask if he'll take a DNA test to confirm? Using a website based on public records, I've been able to come up with a potential phone number and email address for his uncle. 

As a researcher, my job is to find information, not to decide what to do with it. This may be the last chance for my friend to get any firsthand information (if indeed the match turns out to be correct and truly is still living). It could just as easily be a false lead. I plan on talking to my friend to explain just how life changing, or life shattering, this could be if it turns out to be true. He will need to proceed with caution and compassion and hope he can initiate contact. If he's lucky, perhaps the gentleman will be willing to talk, and perhaps even do a DNA test. If luck isn't on his side, he may get no response, or the person may shut down communication. On my end, passing on the information is oddly and decidedly disconcerting. I didn't expect it to weigh so heavily on me. So much of my research is on those no longer with us. When it comes to potentially impacting the life of a living person, it adds a completely different and complex dimension - one I'm not entirely comfortable with yet.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Myth of the Cherokee Ancestor

 

My journey began with the myth (now almost 100% disproven) of a Cherokee ancestor. (For the elaborate story, my family's supposed secret, read How My Journey Began).  As I came to find out, many families have the same (or a similar) story about having Native American roots. Perhaps it's simply the twists and turns oral histories take, maybe it's embellishment for intrigue, or perhaps it's simply wishful thinking...but for some, it's reality.

Looking back on my research experience and the brick wall I just couldn't break down (for good reason), I should have done DNA testing sooner. For me, DNA disproved my family myth. I don't have a speck of Native American DNA in my Ancestry.com ethnicity results. OK sure, is it possible the DNA ancestor was so far removed I just don't have any of the DNA passed down to me? Sure, yes, it's theoretically possible. Is it possible not enough Native American DNA samples have been obtained? Yes, again, it's theoretically possible. But based on the story and the approximate number of generations, it's highly unlikely. I trust the science and I've accepted my myth was false. For some, DNA may prove a Native American family story or may even show an unexpected Native American result. If I were starting my journey with the full benefit of hindsight, I'd make DNA testing the first step in my journey. 

Either way, searching for Native American ancestors can be challenging. One of the great sites I came across as I tried to find my non-existent Native American ancestor was Cherokee By Blood. This TNGenWeb special project page contains helpful information for those searching for their Cherokee roots. As they aptly note, it may not be an easy journey. Even if oral histories are accurate, paper trails may not be so easy to find...or follow. It may take considerable work to verify.

Cherokee By Blood offers up many resources to help the family historian in search of Cherokee roots. From rolls, to maps, to migration information, articles and tips to help you fit the puzzle pieces together - this site is a must for those looking for their Cherokee heritage. Even if you're just interested in knowing more about Cherokee history in general, this site has plenty of information to keep you intrigued. Maybe one day, my ethnicity results will change as more people do DNA testing, but at this point, I have high confidence my family story was just that - a story.

Image by Orange Fox from Pixabay

Untold Family History in My Hands

Last fall, my father passed away at the ripe old age of 96. My mother passed away several years before. He and my mother were depression era babies and always saved....well...pretty much everything (something I've had to work hard to learn not to do). Now, I'm faced with the daunting task of clearing 60 years of "life well lived" out of my childhood home. 

I was a nosey kid. I admit it. I own it! I happily poked around and looked in boxes and closets just to see what I new treasures could find. But now, as I'm uncovering items I've never seen in my life, I'm filled with profound sadness because I'll never know the stories behind them. There's no one left to share the memories to go along with the objects,

I thought I'd seen all the family photos. Boy was I wrong! My mom had a footlocker full of albums. One of them was my maternal grandmother's side of the family. While many do have handwritten notes on them, others do not, and I may never be able to identify who they are. I've been thrilled to find photos of my grandmother as a child and to see images of my great grandparents for the first time. I was heartbroken at the image of a child less than a year old in a casket. Were it not for the heart-wrenching photo, I'd never have known my 1st cousin 1x removed even existed. I'd found no mention of him prior to discovering the photo. Now, he has a place in my family tree.

The real treasure was an envelope with my mother's handwriting "Eliza Elvira Kuhn" on it. I knew the name from my research. It was my 2nd great grandmother. Inside this seemingly innocuous envelope were two well preserved tintype photos of her. I never saw an actual tintype before. I was mesmerized at the thought I was holding something 150+ years old in my hands. 

Over time I hope to identify more ancestors and relatives and attach their images to my family tree so others can enjoy them as well. I don't mind if others save or repost the images, it's how those who came before us are able to live on. I believe genealogy is about sharing. 

I also found part of a bible from the early 1800's published in Louisiana. The condition is abysmal, but what I really want to know is how did this come to be in the family? Who held this bible? Why was it special enough it was saved all these years, even in such poor condition? I also found Confederate money from Louisiana tucked away in an old wallet. I've found no ties to the state in my research thus far, and yet, I have 2 items from the location and no clue how or why. Sadly, these are questions I will never have a complete answer to. I may find clues to the location as I research, but I will never know the story behind the items or who they belonged to.

My dad had a wonderful career working for a defense contractor. It afforded him the opportunity to travel the world. He saw places most people only dream of. As we sort through the small items tucked away in drawers and boxes, we're discovering trinkets from his travels. While he often shared memories of his travels with us, there are just so many items we never knew existed. I wish I had even the smallest stories to go along with them. And I've discovered wonderful photos of his time in the Navy during WWII. Seeing my father and mother on a beach, enjoying life as a young couple before they were married has been eye-opening. We (or at least I do) tend to think of our parents as we've always known them, but seeing them young and vibrant is an entirely different perspective.

For those of you who still have older relatives living, take the time to talk to them. Hear their stories. Ask questions. Let them get the far away look as they tell you all about their past. Laugh and cry with them. Embrace what they have to offer you. Write it down, or record it. Don't find yourself in my position where you have so much untold family history in your hands.

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
Original tintype photos of Eliza Elvira Kuhn are in my possession

I Do 90% of My Research on Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com  is by far my favorite of the bigger genealogy sites. With the ability to build a tree, using an intuitive and easy to navigate interface, it's where I keep my main family tree. Combined with extensive record sets and user submitted data for research around the globe, plus DNA testing/matches/tools, the majority of my research can be done in one location. I'm not saying I don't use other sites, I definitely do! I actually have subscriptions to several other sites as well. But Ancestry.com is the closest to a "one stop shop" as I can get, so I spend more time on this site than any other. If I had to pick just one site to have a membership, it would definitely be Ancestry.com.

Building a tree on Ancestry.com is simple. You have the ability to upload your own photos and stories or link to those submitted by other users. You can search for and save records from the Ancestry record collections, edit citations and add as many facts as you want (including custom facts). You can also save links to external websites and add sources of your own. Always keep copyright in mind and don't upload anything you don't have permission to when adding your own images, stories and sources. When in doubt, link to the information instead. Ancestry.com will help by building a story of each person's life and showing helpful insights into the time period they lived and the records pertaining to them. You can keep private notes, include comments for other users, add tagging (for easy filtering) and of course, the algorithms will keep the little green leaf hints coming! You can also easily invite and share your tree family and friends (and limit what those guests to your tree have access to do). Ancestry.com provides all the basic tools you need to easily manage your tree (or as many trees as you may want to create) and they regularly update and add new features and record sets.

I personally find the World Explorer membership to be a great value. With access to US and International records (a must if you want to trace your heritage to other countries), as well as a basic subscription to Newspapers.com and Fold3 (also owned by Ancestry.com) it's a good deal for the serious family researcher. But there are other lower priced, or even free options available (with limitations on which record sets can be viewed) for those who may not be able to financially afford the "deluxe" membership. You can absolutely use Ancestry.com with the free membership, but it may require a lot of research on other sites in combination with the free record sets at Ancestry.com (and not every record is available for free no matter how many sites you search.) Memberships to the site go on sale often, and you can even let your membership expire and rejoin using a sale/gift price. (I personally don't do this as there are huge costs associated with maintaining such an all-encompassing site, and I feel I get a good value for my membership. But for some, cost is a significant factor and this method is an option).

You'll find Ancestry.com DNA tests on sale regularly to help jumpstart your research. While Ancestry.com does not allow uploads of raw DNA results from other sites, you can download your raw DNA file from Ancestry and upload to any number of other sites to find additional DNA matches. DNA tools on Ancestry.com are expanding, and with the largest database of testers, it's definitely the place to start if you're interested in DNA matches. Serious DNA testers can also manage results for DNA tests of other family members with ease (if they give permission). You receive not only DNA matches, but ethnicity results, and potential ancestors (but do your research, these are curated from other member trees and may not be 100% accurate). For additional fees, you can also receive traits information based on your DNA.

There are tons of valuable links and educational information on the site as well. I'll detail some of those options in a future post.

If you have to pick just one site to join, make it Ancestry.com. You aren't likely to be disappointed! Just remember, it's still up to you to do your research. Hints are just that, hints. Not every hint is accurate. Do your due diligence when researching. From personal experience, don't just attach every hint or you'll  end up with a tree full of errors. I can't imagine a scenario where I wouldn't use Ancestry.com. It's the leader in genealogy websites for a reason. If you don't have an account yet, go sign up for free and check out the various available resources. You have nothing to lose, and a lot of family history information to gain.

Your Personal Research Assistant

 

Have you ever wished you had your very own personal research assistant? Someone (or in this case something) to help you find the holes in your tree and suggest ways to fill them? Well, you can! And for a price that you won't believe!? 

GenSmarts is downloadable software for Windows, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to help you find missing information in your tree. Then, it suggests online, offline, free and paid records you may wish to review to find the information. For online suggestions, it links to the suggested databases to help you search quickly and efficiently. For offline suggestions, specific locations and information are provided to make an in-person search simple and effective. GenSmarts supports research in the US, Canada, and the UK. It links to the top genealogy websites and libraries (both free and paid).

The program works with over a dozen popular genealogy programs. GenSmarts reads your current database to create research suggestions, but does not change your data. Since it works with your genealogy software, there's no constant export of GEDCOMs to update your search suggestions. (Note: If you use only an online tree, such as Ancestry.com, you would have to export GEDCOMs for use with the program. It could be done, but it would be a little more effort than linking it to supported desktop software). It's easy to install and use. It's a vital research tool I've been using for the past few years, and I wouldn't be without it.

Support for the program is phenomenal! When FamilySearch changed their search method awhile back, I found I could no longer utilize the search suggestions in GenSmarts. I submitted an email detailing the issue and received a prompt response with an anticipated resolution date, The program was updated in a matter of days to support the new search. I couldn't have asked for a better support experience. Kudos to the developer, Underwood Innovations, LLC for unparalleled customer support.

And here's the best part - the price is only $24.95! There are no recurring charges or fees to use the program. Updates to the purchased version are free (although optional future major upgrades may have a nominal charge). A lot goes into the development of a program like GenSmarts. The price is a bargain compared to what you'd pay for a genealogy professional's assistance. I can't tell you GenSmarts will break down all your brick walls, and of course it provides only suggestions, you still have to do the research. But I can tell you from my own personal experience, I would not be without this program. It is an absolute must in your genealogy toolbox. With a limited free trial version available, there's no reason not to give it a try!

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Susanna Homsher the Sounds of Civil War

Susanna Homsher, my paternal second great-grandmother, was born September 1, 1839 to David Homsher and Susan Homsher (née Huber) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was one of 9 children. Her parents are shown in Mennonite church records, and it's likely she was raised in the Mennonite faith. On September 23, 1858 she married Tobias David Swinehart in New Providence, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. David was a laborer and huckster (person who sells small items). Together, they had 10 children, 5 girls and 5 boys. Daughters: Ella, Adda, Anna, Emily Elnora, Mabel Ellen and sons: Harry, Galen, Abraham, Ira, Wilbur. Census records show in 1870 she and David were still living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania but by 1880 they had moved to Wayne, Ohio where David was a farmer. Census records also show she was able to read and write. She died on July 25, 1938 in Moreland, Wayne, Ohio at the ripe old age of 98. Susanna is buried in the Moreland Cemetery in Franklin Township, Wayne, Ohio.

Following are memories of Susanna Homsher, as relayed to me by my father. Although she was in her 80's and 90's when he knew her, and she passed away when he was about 13, he still had pleasant memories of his great-grandmother. She lived with her daughter Emily Swinehart (James), my father's grandmother, for several years. My father spent many summers living with his grandparents, so he knew Susanna well.

She told stories about how she could hear the guns and cannons at the Battle of Gettysburg, during the Civil War. At the time, she would have been in her early 20's and married for just a few short years. Based on census records of 1860-1870, it's highly unlikely what she heard was Gettysburg. Records show she was born and lived in Lancaster County (about 60 miles from Gettysburg). Experts say the noise from cannons, while loud, dissipates very quickly in the atmosphere. It would be unusual for it to carry any great distance, even during such an epic battle. Lancaster County does have a rich Civil War history though, and it is quite likely she heard the sounds of war. She may well have believed it was Gettysburg, or perhaps she was living in or visiting an area closer to the fighting and no documentation was created or remains...or maybe like many other family stories handed down through the ages, she just wanted to be a part of history. Whatever the truth may be, her story (true or not) is still a part of my family history.

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My father recalled Susanna enjoyed doing needle work, such as embroidery or cross-stitch. She may have been color blind, or her eyesight was simply failing as she aged, but she'd mix up the colors while working and the results were often very interesting and amusing to see. She was also hard of hearing in her later years and used a "hearing horn", more commonly known as an "ear trumpet". She most likely suffered from dementia and would regularly hide her false teeth in her shoes at night! 

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear about Susanna from someone who actually knew her and could share her later life eccentricities. I'm glad her oddities won't be completely lost to time. And maybe it's just me...and this isn't the most flattering thing I could say...but doesn't she look a little like an old Harry Potter? That's right...scroll up and look at that photo again. Do you see it?

dababyskaggs89 originally shared the image of Susanna Homsher on Ancestry.com on 31 May 2015.
Ear horn image by Frederick Dekkers - mechanical reproduction of 2D image, Public Domain

The Value in Other Member Trees

A lot of people don't find any value in hints from other member trees and ignore them completely. I totally agree not all trees are well researched. Nothing is as frustrating as a tree with no sources at all, or where the only record is a to other member trees hints. But some people do research well, and those trees can be valuable sources of information. 

Consider the tree with only other member trees as records. On Ancestry.com, you can delve down to see the individual member trees the hint came from. If one of those member trees has a record for other member trees, you can continue to "dive down" a few times and you just might find some nugget in one of those other trees. I've had times where I look thru 4-5 levels of member tree hints and then suddenly find an elusive record.

MyHeritage family tree hints aren't as informative and I personally find them extremely frustrating and a lot less valuable. But to be fair, I have found photos in trees on MyHeritage I haven't been able to locate anywhere else. MyHeritage family trees are generally not terribly helpful in my research experience, but when my back is up against a brick wall, I'm willing to look at them. 

I've also noticed well researched trees tend to pop up in my Ancestry.com hints more often. Over time, I get familiar with the names of those trees. I have about 15 I see on a regular basis. 4-5 of those I've referenced enough (and found them to be accurate) to consider them trusted sources of information. I will occasionally add a record and reference the other member tree directly as a trusted source. The others are simply research tools. In general, member trees help me verify family members I already know such as parents, siblings, children, and other spouses. Kind of like a "double check" of what I've found. 

I personally don't research the families of people who married into my family, but I do make notes of their family members in the event I ever want to look further, or find a reason to add them to my tree later. By copying and saving the family members from other member trees to my notes, it saves me a lot of time culling the information on my own. Should I decide to add those people later, I would definitely go back and look for additional proof. I don't worry about copying this information because it's only for my notes and on Ancestry.com notes are not public.

Most often, on Ancestry.com, the first tree in the member hint has the most resources and is likely the most reliable (but don't trust blindly)! Always be skeptical of new names and only add people to your tree if you've found some other supporting documentation to back them up beyond a member tree. Just because they saved a hint doesn't make it accurate. Be sure to review any records and make the determination for yourself. I've started and scrapped a lot of trees because I trusted what I found in other member trees, only to realize later it was a huge blunder. Do your own research is a very wise piece of advice, one I wish I'd heeded sooner.

I NEVER save the facts associated with these types of hints on Ancestry.com,. I simply attach the record without selecting any of the checkboxes, and I NEVER use the hints to add new people to my tree. All I'm doing is saving the hint so I can go back to those other user trees if I need to. Ancestry.com has a couple other record collections I treat the same way. The relatively newly acquired Geneanet Community Trees, and the North America Family Histories come to mind. I don't necessarily trust the information, but if it verifies what I've already confirmed, I do attach the hints as reference without saving any new facts. As for MyHeritage family trees, I don't attach those. I use them as nothing more than a springboard for more research.

I totally understand why some users don't want to place any stock in other member trees. It's a very personal choice. There are as many opinions on this as there are on the public vs. private tree debate. I choose to approach with caution and use as a reference. If I ever want to refer to these records in the future, I have them available on the person page and I don't have to remember to go check Undecided or Ignored hints. What works for me may not work for you, and that's totally ok! You may choose not to use these hints at all, but if you do, please take the time to consider exactly what you're saving to your tree and remember how quickly information (accurate or not) can populate across other member trees.

Image by Patrisia Novianti from Pixabay

Bite Size Daily Genealogy Tips

Are you looking for an easy way to find new tips, inspiration or suggestions on how to reframe your genealogical thinking?

Genealogy Tip of the Day posts a bite size genealogy tip every day! Posts generally take a minute or less to read and can be about anything from potentially new research paths, reminders to get the most from particular types of records, or provide suggestions on different ways of thinking about your genealogical challenges. 

I've noticed some posts are occasionally "recycled", but I don't find this to be an issue. Not every idea is pertinent at the time we first read it. Some tips don't resonate until we're at a different part of our research journey. While the daily tips are totally free, for those who are interested, there's a Genealogy Tip of the Day book for sale if you prefer a different format (though you may miss new suggestions as they're posted if you aren't also following the free daily tips).

Genealogical research can take a lot of time. Following all the latest blog posts could take hours a day. Perhaps, like me, you have no extra time to jump on the genealogical podcast bandwagon, preferring good old fashioned words on a page instead. Lots of blogs aggregate some of the best posts they discover each week, but few (in fact none of the 80+ blogs I follow) include Genealogy Tip of the Day. Just because these tips are boiled down to the essential ingredients for quick reading doesn't make them any less valuable.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

How My Journey Began

For as long as I can remember, my paternal Aunt has been the keeper of family information on my dad's side of the family. She's collected and published regular updates to the existing James-Gilmore Family History, affectionately known as the "Red Book". Over the years, it's grown to quite a collection of names (and thankfully, almost all information has proven to be correct). I remember when Ancestry.com first became a "thing" I eagerly set up an account and tried to find records about my paternal grandparents....with no luck. The site was new and simply didn't have a large record collection yet. Discouraged, I gave up and promptly forgot all about researching my family's past for decades.

Years later, about 2013, my mother was contacted by one of her family members working on her paternal side of the family. She was regaled with a story of Native American ancestry in her paternal line. According to the lore, two brothers from France came to America. One married a full blooded Cherokee. They had a son, who married a 1/2 blooded Cherokee wife. Their son (Abijah, my 2nd great grandfather) was 1/2 Cherokee...and so the story went. It made sense to my mother. Her father had jet black hair and an olive complexion. And she had dark hair, even into her later years. The story morphed to include how back in the 1920's marrying someone who was part Native American was considered taboo. Supposedly, my grandmother knew, but swore my grandfather to secrecy, and she would divorce him if he ever told anyone. It was a family secret not even their children were told. At the time, I had no idea just how common and pervasive this type of family story about Native American ancestry was (and continues to be). 

I desperately wanted to be part Native American. How cool would that be?! For years, I searched (and searched... and searched) trying to find the elusive Native American connection. I found others looking for Abijah. Several Ancestry.com user trees perpetuated the story (one even had a link to a famous Cherokee chief as an ancestor). I personally have never located anything more than his name on the death certificate of one of his sons. At the time, I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue DNA testing, but eventually realized it was going to be necessary to put the question to rest once and for all. When my Ancestry.com results came back, there wasn't one speck of Native American in me (or my brother, or my maternal cousins who had tested), nor was there any French DNA on my maternal line. My small percentage of DNA from France was solely from my paternal line. The story was finally proven false! (To be fair, ethnicity results are always changing on all the sites I've uploaded to. Maybe there will be a change in the future, but for now, I believe the story was just that - nothing more than a story.)  Abijah is still a brick wall I continue to try to break through. Though I've found nothing more on his existence, he certainly existed, I just have to find the proof.

Over the years, I've started (and scrapped) probably 20 trees. I made all the typical mistakes (especially trusting other people's trees and blindly accepting hints because the name was right) leading to inaccuracies I could never fully clean up. In January 2020, I deleted all my trees and restarted from scratch. I'm researching all family members related by DNA to my offspring. I record every scrap of information from each record and have discovered some interesting stories (ones I can actually prove). I'm proud to make my tree public on Ancestry.com and hope it helps others in some small way. While the basis for my journey turned out to be nothing more than a myth, my love for genealogy has grown into an obsession. For me, it's not about collecting names, it's about bringing people to life. 

Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay

A Tree With No Name?

You might be wondering why I chose "A Tree With No Name" for this blog. The more I research, and as I identify more new ancestors, I realized there really wasn't a simple (and catchy) title for a bushy tree growing in so many directions at once. Plus, there are those who have no clue where they come from and can't assign a meaningful name to their own tree yet. My hope is this blog touches everyone who reads it in some way, from the family researcher with years of experience to those struggling to find a place to start.

Of course, on various genealogy sites, I do name my tree. It's an accurate representation of where I started my research, but on its own, it doesn't pay tribute to the many names now residing in the branches of my tree, or those yet to come. "A Tree With No Name" is meant to honor those memorialized in family trees everywhere...and the ones yet to be discovered. My goal is simple - to share resources, opinions and tips for the journey finding family.

And let's face it, how hard is it to remember "A Tree With No Name"?

Image by RegalShave from Pixabay