(Cross posted to Azores, Madeira, IslandRoutes) Janine Cloud, who works at Family Tree DNA, said, "DNA testing has opened a lot of doors. Some of those doors are closets."
We like to use DNA testing to confirm our paper trail and find new cousins. We like to help others too. It's a great tool. However, sometimes it uncovers things we don't know about - those skeletons in the closet. If you have a skeleton in the closet you don't know about, don't DNA test. If you were ever stationed overseas and had a girlfriend there and lost contact and don't know what condition you left her in, and you don't want to know, don't DNA test. Most of us don't know about the skeletons or we weren't with a woman overseas. We just go about our genealogy and do DNA testing. Bill Griffeth, of "The Closing Bell" (a New York Stock Exchange show on American television) was one of our speakers. He got into genealogy in 2003 along with his cousin. They took trips across the United States together researching their common Griffeth line. About 3 years ago, his cousin took a DNA test. He asked Bill to do the same. When Bill finally got around to it, he didn't match his cousin. He wasn't even in the same haplogroup. (NOTE: The only science in this book has to do with YDNA testing. There's not much science in it at all. You only need to understand that the men in the story took a YDNA test (traces their father's father's father's line only - the Griffeth line). And that haplogroups place you on the tree of mankind). Bill had the DNA company (FTDNA) retest. Then he bought another test through National Genographic (he didn't realize FTDNA processes those tests too). All the same result. Then he had his only brother, who is 16 years older, do a DNA test. The brother matched the cousin. Bill was able to sit down with his 90-something year old mother and talk to her. It was difficult for her to tell him everything. So some of it he had to leave alone. He did research on who his biological father was, who he calls "Gene Wyman" in the story (Gene because of he's genetically related, Wyman because it's the Y-chromosome passed through men). His father is deceased and Bill has some half siblings out there. It was a very interesting story. I finished the book before I landed. I just read straight through it. If you are interested in someone's DNA journey, see if your public library has it (or if you can download it on one of your readers). "A Stranger in my Genes," by Bill Griffeth, published by the New England Historic and Genealogical Society. Cheri Cheri Mello Listowner, Azores-Gen Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores.
