Ancestry

Ancestry

Family Tree & DNA

Picture Courtesy of Google.com 

Everyone has a lineage. Whether it's Grandparents, Parents and passed down to your own children It's a never-ending tree of growth. I have two sons, they have two different fathers so they are considered the apples, right? Well I was talking with my Biological Paternal Aunt today and discovered many fascinating things! I had messaged her on Facebook about ancestry. My adoptive family pretty much ends at Great-Grandparents before I need a membership to access records internationally, from Germany, Poland, and Italy to be exact. I discovered that my Biological Paternal Aunt does family research and creates family trees for a living. Family has always been a fascination to me. My Biological Maternal Grand-Father was big into genealogy and the Family Tree scene as well but unfortunately he passed away before I had the pleasure to meet him and have a chat about our line. I learned from my Aunt that we are related to Abraham Lincoln through the common ancestor Lawrence Richardson. We are the 5th cousins 7 times removed which I found amazing! My Aunt even did a DNA test on Ancestry.com and here are her results...

Picture Courtesy of Aunt Yvette V.

No wonder I am obsessed with England. I have European blood running through my veins! Okay well since this is my aunt's results and not mine you have to cut the percentages in half. My Biological Mother's ethnicity backgrounds are unknown (for now) I am planning to take my own DNA test when I can get the money and there's a sale. I will post those results when it happens :)

I learned that there's actually a book called GENERATIONS: A Thousand-Year Family History

about the Sanders family which is my Great Grand-Mother Delores Sanders' family. My Aunt has done so much that I need to catch up on in my personal family tree.

Isn't it fun to learn your background; what and who made you the person you are today? For all you know your ancestors could have done amazing things to shape America and could have came from all over the world. Maybe your Great Great Grandmother fought for civil rights, Maybe they came from a little town in Scandinavia. Maybe you're somehow related to one of our great historic Presidents. It really is rewarding to discover your past. Maybe your hobbies ran in the family or you're as hard-working as your Great Great Great uncle.

I remember about four years ago there was a show on television called "Who Do You Think You Are?" that was on TLC. It was a show promoting Ancestry.com who took Celebrities on a path to self discovery. I saw Matthew Broderick and Julia Roberts learn things about their history and so many others. Now the show is Finding Your Roots on PBS which I have never seen before but just might start watching. It's all very inspiring to become a detective and find your own way through your family and touch base with relatives you may not communicate with very often. My Aunt is going to run a search on my Maternal Birth Family for me with the resources she has available. I'm excited to see what she uncovers. All I know of my Birth Maternal Family is that we somehow are related to the Hatfield's or The McCoy's or perhaps both! There was a "hillbilly" feud between the two clans.

So if you ever get curious about your Family History turn to Ancestry or MyHeritage and begin a family tree. The more you already know the better outcome you will get without a membership. If you want a membership MyHeritage.com is cheaper but you can only do one tree per account. On Ancestry you can explore multiple trees which is better suited if you're adopted and want to explore the history of both your adopted and birth families. Either way a membership is needed to explore the federal records on any person you add to the tree. BUMMER I know. Happy Discovery!

*Note* I was not paid or solicited to mention the above parties this post is purely on my own experiences with each of the posted parties.