This is a giant jigsaw puzzle, in which some of the pieces are hidden. You may know an ancestor and their parents and then reach a dead end. It is helpful to focus on the parents, their siblings, the children of their siblings and track the migration. By researching these other “pieces” you may discover additional documents which assist in putting together a better picture of the exact piece you are missing. The best example I have for this is in researching a tree where there is little information on the family due to a divorce which occurred, and subsequent remarriages. In focusing on the parent’s and their siblings, building out their lines a discovery was made. That discovery was a male child who took the last name of the second step father after reaching the age of 18. Up until that discovery the “assumption” had been that he had died without children. This discovery opened the door and allowed the sharing of information with the DNA connections who had a completely different last name than the family member I was researching. Subsequent discussions, identified that this male child changed his name again after his second marriage; he married again and had at least one child with a different surname than that of his grandparents.
Month: June 2018
Border Crossings From Mexico to the U.S.
When researching family members who arrived in the U.S. from Mexico, you might find their name and their information card, online. Be sure to look at this card very closely. Click on the right arrow and look at the back of the card. There is valuable information, especially if you are researching the family. Often times, they listed who they were going to visit in the U.S., their address, and the relationship of the person. This can help you find brother’s, sister’s, aunt’s and uncles. When you add these people to your tree as relatives, it changes your search results. Then, go in and start searching for their relatives. You will be amazed at how it increases the information you can gather. Look at the wealth of information on the front and back of the card below.
The National Archives
The National Archives has a tremendous amount of information. You can create an account and order online or you can submit an order through the mail. Create an account and browse the records available at the National Archives.
If you are interested in finding Alien Case Files go to the National Archives Catalog and search for the case you are looking for then follow the instructions on how to request the record.
I am ordering an Alien Case file for a client today. It should include:
- Alien Registration number
- Last Name
- First Name
- Alias
- Date of Birth
- Sex
- Date of Entry
- Country of Birth
- Father’s Name
- Mother’s Name
- Naturalization Date
- Naturalization Court
- Naturalization Location
More information on A-Files.
Research Dead-End Tips
Today I spent a great amount of time working on a family tree. There were several dead-ends. 
When I get to a dead-end (when I can’t seem to find the parents of an individual) I expand my focus. The way to break through and continue building your tree involves branching out. Go back to the information you have. Return to the census images and look at the names. Look for brothers, sister, neighbors etc. Often times, if you begin researching the line through another relative, you can break through. When I could not find the parent of a direct ancestor I looked for the parent of my ancestor’s sibling. The person I was researching today was listed in one census as the “brother-in-law” as the relation to the head of the household. This clearly gave me the name of my individual’s sister and her age/birth information. I added her to the tree and then began looking for her parents….Bingo!
GEDMatch
There are many companies providing DNA autosomal testing services. Regardless of which company you use, your DNA results on their site are only compared to others who tested with the same company. Gedmatch allows users to add DNA results from most companies to a central location. This allows users to compare their DNA to users who have tested with other companies. Gedmatch has many excellent tools. Some are free and others are low cost. If you are looking for DNA matches and want to “fish in a bigger pond,” Gedmatch is for you. They offer details on how to upload your DNA, specific to the company you tested with. To learn more go to: Gedmatch
Building a Family Tree on Ancestry
For me, Ancestry.com has been the best DNA website for researching situations involving an unknown parent. Each of the DNA testing sites have their own benefits, and I use most of them for various purposes, but for researching an unknown, Ancestry’s features are far superior to the others.
It is important to understand the basic steps necessary to get the most out of your Ancestry experience. If you have submitted a DNA test to Ancestry.com and are awaiting the results, there are a few things you can do to prepare. For those interested in researching, I highly recommend a subscription to Ancestry. If your family was mainly in the United States (for several generations) you don’t necessarily need access to other countries. As you get more involved in your research and begin to use Fold 3 for military records, or Ancestry.com account.
Begin constructing your family tree. You need to have 2-3 people in your tree before you can save it. Once you have named it, save it. You can make it a public tree (view-able by others) or a private tree. Click on trees, create and manage trees, manage tree, and then click privacy settings. Next, select yourself as the home person in your tree. To do this, toggle back to tree settings (at the top) and select who you are. This is very important! You can use initials or your name. If using your name, it will be kept private because all information on living people is private.
When researching the people in your tree, be careful using the hints provided by Ancestry. Take a close look at and verify the information. Bad habits are hard to break. Taking someone else’s research as true can be a costly mistake down the road. Read and verify everything! Set a goal to have 4-5 generations, well documented, in your tree. By the time your DNA is complete, you will have a solid foundation for researching.
Linking Your Ancestry DNA to Your Tree
Family Tree DNA
Family Tree DNA offers many different DNA testing options. If you have autosomal DNA from another agency, you can upload your results to FTDNA for free. After you upload your results, you can access their Family Finder database for only $19.00. This will give you information on your autosomal matches. My preference has been to test with Ancestry and then upload results to FTDNA for autosomal DNA. This allows you to “fish in another pond” while searching for DNA matches for an insignificant fee.
Family Tree DNA is a great site for ordering Y-DNA. Remember, this gene is passed down from father to son so the donor must be a male. This tool is very helpful for determining the origin of the surname. Unfortunately, if you are like me, your surname might not be what you think it is. This might be due to a name change in the past or, as in my case, a non-paternal event.
If you plan on ordering the Y-DNA test, you will have to decide what level you want to test at. I recommend testing at the 67 level to begin with, unless you want to spend the higher amount to do the “Big-Y” test. FTDNA allows you to retest at different levels without having to resubmit a saliva sample.
When your results are in, go in and look at the various surnames associated with your DNA. In my case, O’Byrne was the common name. I joined the O’Byrne surname project (see below) and confirmed that I descend from the O’Byrne Clan out of Leinster, Ireland.
FTDNA offers many “projects.” You can submit DNA to one of the projects and your DNA is compared to other members in the project. Most surname projects track the origin of the surnames. For instance, there were many men with the last name Curtis who came to America from various places. By placing DNA in the Curtis Surname Project on FTDNA, it is possible to learn which Curtis a particular person from. These projects are not limited to surnames. They have many options to choose from such as: Ashkenazi Jews, inhabitants of various regions at various times, descendants from a particular area, etc.
DNA Testing Information
If you are considering DNA testing and are unsure which company to test with or which test to take, it will be helpful for you to identify the purpose of your testing.
Y-DNA: If you are male or you wish to know more about your family surname, you might be interested in Y-DNA. Unfortunately, only a man (father or son) carries the y-chromosome. If you are woman and are interested, ask a brother or uncle if they are interested in learning more about their origin.
mtDNA: This type of DNA is passed down to both male and female children from their mother. It contains DNA information about the female relatives, above the mother. (The mother, her mother, her mother’s mother etc.)
Autosomal DNA: This type of DNA is what most ancestry websites use to help individuals discover cousins. It includes matches on both the maternal and paternal sides of the family and will show relatives dating back five to eight generations.