mags, Author at Grandma's Genes

Swab-A-Thon a Success ‘Thanks Ottawa!’ says Grandma’s Genes

Grandma’s Genes held Ottawa’s first (World’s First) genetic genealogy Swab-A-Thon. The event, held at Bowman’s Bar and Grill on Saturday August 27^th, brought a diverse crowd. People came with questions about their origins, asking what they could learn from DNA testing? Genetic genealogist, and Grandma’s Genes co-founder, Marc Snelling opened the event. He spoke about the discoveries that can be made through DNA.

Marc spoke about how to learn more about your ethnic background. About how and where we fit into the human family tree. He also spoke about breaking a brick-wall in records, such as adoptions where no records are available, or finding unknown grandparent. Other reasons for DNA testing he covered included; leaving a legacy for your children and grandchildren, making new discoveries, and connecting with living cousins.

Grandma’s Genes co-founder Mags Gaulden spoke about DNA tests currently available to consumers. Autosomal tests (chromosomes 1-22, and X), are a test offered by ‘the Big 3’ testing companies, 23andMe, AncestryDNA and Family Tree DNA. 23andMe includes testing for DNA health markers, and idetifies paternal and maternal haplogroups, currently priced at $249 (CA). She also spoke about mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) a test of your direct maternal line and it’s associated halpogroup, and Y-DNA a test of the direct paternal lines. (tests offered by Family Tree DNA). She also spoke about The Genographic Project, a science-focused DNA project to document the human family tree and it’s haplogroups.

Mags Gaulden, Marc Snelling of Grandma's Genes at Swab-A-Thon — Grandma’s Genes co-founders Mags Gaulden and Marc Snelling answer attendees DNA questions at the Swab-A-Thon.

Mags and Marc spoke with Swab-A-Thon particpants about the value-added services Grandma’s Genes provides to customers who have purchased a DNA test from one of ‘The Big 3’. Some of the services offered by Grandma’s Genes include;

In-depth ethnic analysis, beyond simple percentages with results across multiple DNA testers,
Searching for birth families of adoptees, and uncovering the identity of unknown ancestors,
DNA mapping – identifying common ancestors shared with DNA cousins, through triangulation of DNA and genealogy across all company’s databases and public records,
Preparing genealogical reports for First Nations or American Indian Nations, and other lineage societies such as United Empire Loyalists, Daughters / Sons of the American Revolution.

Lesley Anderson from Ancestry.ca spoke to the crowd about the Ancestry database, over 2 million samples. The size of the DNA database together with millions of user-created family trees creates discoveries through Ancestry DNA Circles. Ancestry DNA Circles are an automated tool that discovers common ancestors shared between DNA matches.

Everyone who came had a different reason for being there. One adoptee sought to learn more about his birth parents. Two others wanted to learn more about what their DNA will tell them about their deep roots in their home countries, France and Algeria. Another wanted to know more about his maternal granparent. An ancestor the family says was in England while other lines were in Eastern Europe. Several others purchased tests as gifts for their relatives.

Free kits won by three!

Three free DNA kits were awarded. One from Grandma’s Genes., one by Family Tree DNA, and a third from Ancestry.ca. Geraldine won the FTDNA Family Finder kit offered by Grandma’s Genes. Vanessa won the Family Finder kit offered by Family Tree DNA. Lyle won the free AncestryDNA kit. Those who won prizes all purchased additional kits for testing themselves at both Family Tree DNA and AncestryDNA. They also purchased kits for other family members.

Another Swab-A-Thon?

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped create Ottawa’s first genetic genealogy Swab-A-Thon. Several participants were hopeful another Swab-A-Thon will be held. An event to bring their cousins and family members to, to learn more about DNA testing. Grandma’s Genes hopes to bring another Swab-A-Thon to the area in the future.

Source-A-Thon – October 1st & 2nd!

What is more important to Genealogy than sources?!

Well, I guess something else important would be finding a long lost, multimillionaire uncle and finding you are his only relative…

In the perfect world all Genealogies would be well sourced, but unfortunately this isn’t the case. We have all run across online genealogies that are just repeats, copy and pastes, of what someone else had thrown up based on what aunt Mabel told them back in the 70’s. I am not saying Aunt Mabel’s memory is fallible, but Aunt Mabel’s tale is only a tale until it is proven with sources. Until it’s sourced, this kind of information can be used as a clue to where you might look.

What if there were a group of volunteers in the Genealogical community that worked continuously, tirelessly on sourcing a global family tree? And what if these Volunteers threw a party and invited you?

If you don’t already know about WikiTree and it’s Sourcers? Then you get an opportunity to know them and join in the fun at WikiTree’s Source-A-Thon, the weekend of Octber 1st, 2016. How can you help? You don’t have a tree on WikiTree? Hmm. There are no trees on WikiTree, just one tree. One Profile per person for anyone who lived from 0AD to now. Just one Tree.

You can start buy looking to see if you have an ancestor or living cousin on WikiTree. Your Grandma’s are there (Mags Gaulden / Marc Snelling). I stumbled on WikiTre, literally, while talking to a distant cousin about our shared ancestor, Esli Hunt, Sr. I was over the moon when I discovered Esli’s profile because other cousins – those living, breathing ones had already added all of his siblings – The Hunt 14 – to WikiTree. I had a great time adding my research to the research that was already posted.

About the Source-A-Thon from WikiTree’s G2G (Genealogist to Genealogist) Forum:

As a fun way to tackle the intimidating Unsourced Profiles category, we’re envisioning a “Source-a-Thon” weekend. A bunch of us would all work together to add sources over a two or three day period.

With Family History Month coming up in October, it could be the weekend of October 1-2.

We’re thinking we’ll make it a competition. Not a really competitive thing. I imagine most of us would just be participating for fun or as a challenge, like the way people participate in marathons. There could be a target for everyone, e.g. 100 profiles removed [from] the Unsourced category. – Chris Whitten

Why are there an intimidating number of unsourced profiles? WikiTree is for the serious genealogist as well as the family historian and the new family history keepers. Anyone and everyone can import a GEDCOM from another program and move it over to WikiTree. Because WikiTree is so open, it get uploads from other sites who do not require or work on making their numerous trees sourced. WikiTree is the only Global Family Tree with one of it’s main points of focus being that our big ole shared tree should be sourced.

WikiTree Sourcerer — WikiTrees Sourcerer Badge

Not a part of the World Family Tree – WikiTree – just join the family (it’s free) at www.WikiTree.com. You can put on your Sourcers hat and do some sourcin’.

The Stastistics

For Numbers on Unsourced as to sourced profiles? Wikitree currently includes 11,996,179 profiles edited by 353,768 genealogists from around the world. The majority of the profiles on WikiTree are sourced. Of the 240,786 unsourced profiles, 24,304 profiles have been sourced in the last year of the WikiTree Sourcerers challenge which leaves 216,482. If about 2/3’s of WikiTree’s profiles manager were to source one profile during the Source-A-Thon there would be 0 unsourced profiles on WikiTree…well until the next GEDCOM upload!

Oh Those Busy Little WikiTreers! Find Shared DNA Haplogroups In WikiTree’s Limbs

Oh those busy little WikiTreers!

They have found a way to use the information input by WikiTreer Volunteers, WikiTreers, to show a listing of others on WikiTree, who have done YDNA and/or mtDNA testing and their shared Haplogroups. Here is the G2G (WikiTree Genealogist to Genealogist Forum) Post from Peter Roberts about it.

This is no small task. considering getting volunteers to agree to and work collaborative on anything. Just Imagine trying to wrangle 348,649 people to do anything together. Now imagine getting 348,649 family historians, genealogists, genetic genealogists, history geeks, geneaDORKS (this title inspired by Thomas MacEntee), together to work on something so useful! It happens everyday on WikiTree.

So what does this new little tweak to the big ole shared tree mean to me?

wikitreehapsearch

I’ll tell ya. I followed the link to the Y-DNA list. When the page opened I clicked into my browsers “Find” function and searched my Dad’s, and many, many of western europes Haplogroup, R-M269 and up popped all the people on WikiTree who share that Haplogrpup with my Dad. I used my browsers find feature again and looked for my Surname – Gaulden. The list shoed my Dad and other spelling variants of Gaulden with “gaulden” as its root. I searched the other spelling variants, Gaulding, Golden, Goulding, Gauldin and others and found people on WikiTree that I didn’t know about who share my Dad’s DNA. NICE!

wikitreemtsearch

So I did it again on the mtDNA list, with my mtDNA Haplogroup, and found only 12 people who match my specific Haplogroup, H1b1-T16362C. Not an incredibly common Haplogroup so only 12. But, 12! once again I didn’t know anything about the majority of these haplogroup matches on WikiTree until today!

Grandma’s found some new clues to her family history/mysteries. Off I go to climb around the limbs of WikiTree to try and find some new cousins! Whee Doggie!

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Underwater Cemetery

I have roots in Upstate South Carolina. Deep roots. Not as deep as the bottom of Lake Jocassee in Oconee County, but deep none the less.

Yesterday a good friend posted an article by Robin Jarvis, Most People Have No Idea There’s An Underwater Graveyard, about the underwater Cemetery of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church on Facebook. I know about the Cemetery and I know about other building(s) and things burried under the 7,500-acre (30 km²), 300-foot (91 m) deep reservoir. _^Wikipedia

When this project to build a dam and flood this beautiful valley was first beginning my grandmother was very vocal about what this would do to the valley and all of the wonderful things, natural and man-made that would be lost. I don’t think she protested or chained herself to Chapman’s Covered Bridge or to a rock at the base of falls, but she was upset by the washing away of her childhood romping places and the displacement of her friends and family from the area. She used to say this or that happened here or there and then end the statement with, “but that was before they built Jocasee”.

Another blog post states,”The Cherokee name Jocassee means “Place of the Lost One,” and what a fitting description that is for the South Carolina lake that bears its name…” -Appalachian History, Stories, quotes and anecdotes. Duke Power Flood the Uplands of SC, Posted by Dave Tabler, February 5, 2015

So here are some of the things that were lost to the need for power…

The Confluence and portions of the Keowee River.

Chapman’s Covered Bridge.
“One of the most popular covered bridges in South Carolina linked Pickens and Oconee Counties. Chapman’s bridge over the Keowee River was moved to the site of the Oconee Nuclear Power Plant to make way for Lake Keowee. Several young boys built a fire on its floor one evening and burned it up.” Histoic Oconee County, South Carolina, Prather’s covered Bridge, Paul M. Kankula, 12-Jan-2003, SC GenWeb

The Attakulla Lodge
“The hotel’s owner fought the Lake Jocassee development and was able to keep the Duke Power Company from demolishing his structure. It was the only structure still intact when the water poured in back in 1973. _{^{The Inquisitr}} A former resident has done a dive to the Lodge and brought back a light fixture as a keepsake.

Images of what lies beneath Jocasee’s water which include sunken ships as well.

I had a sail boat I had left for a friend in my driveway when left to I move to Canada – it was stolen in the few hours it took my friend to come pick it up. She told me later of a sail boat floundering on Jocassee and sinking in a storm. The description of the Sailboat in the incident matched my Sail Boat perfectly. It would be there on the bottom too.

The Cemetery.
In the Find A Grave post for the Cemetery it states, “Some of the bodies in the cemetery were moved before the dam was completed that created the lake, but others still remain below the lake.”

The FAG post also states that there are 23 interments. The Post includes burials in the old location, “Church and cemetery was originally in a different location – now covered by water. When Lake Jocassee was built, the church and most of the cemetery graves were moved to their present location.” _{SC GenWeb Mount Carmel Baptist #1 ChurchCemetery, Oconee County, SC , aka Devil’s Fork State Park, Version 1.0, 1-Jul-2007}and burials in the new location.

The Movie Deleiverence, released in 1972, has a scene which is supposed to be “shot at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church cemetery” _WikiPedia – You Tube Video of the Scene. This may or not be true as quite a few posts I found said that this scene was actually shot at a location overlooking the valley – possibly where heavy equipment was stored for the Dam Construction.

The names of the burials in old and new total:

Cash, Allice Crowe. b. Apr. 27, 1870, d. Jun. 30, 1947
Cash, Charles Horris, b. May 16, 1935, d. Apr. 7, 2000
Cash, Dorothy Underwood, b. Dec. 18, 1931, d. Nov. 2, 2014
Cash, James Thomas “Tom”, b. Sep. 13, 1861, d. Jul. 12, 1940
Cash, l. Russell, b. Dec. 11, 1919 d. Sep. 10, 2008
Crowe, Louie Anderson, b. unknown, d. Aug. 1, 1953
Deaton, Michael Joe, b. Sep. 5, 1955, d. Sep. 30, 1997
Galloway, Minnie, b. Feb. 7, 1911, d. Apr. 30, 2000
Hamilton, Doris Yvonne, b. Nov. 27, 1934, d. Nov. 13, 1936
Hinkle, Silas Dover, b. Feb. 20, 1838 d. Sep. 2, 1918 (Gravestone is prominent in Video of Dive above)
Hinkle, Winifred “Winnie”, b. Mar., 1858, d. Jun. 5, 1917
Patterson, James, b. Oct. 16, 1839, d. May 6, 1917
Patterson, Narsisie Janie Cardner, b. May 22, 1834, d. Sep. 20, 1908
Rackley, Elizabeth “Liz”, b. 1790 d. Jun., 1870
Rackley, Martha Licena Bowen, b. 1850, d. Feb. 10, 1892
Rackley, Thomas William, b. 1790, d. unknown
Rackley, Pvt William “Willy”, Sr., b. 1820 d. unknown
Ramey, Carrie Virginia Deaton, b. Aug. 15, 1925 d., Oct. 10, 1987
Sain, Bobbie James, b. Aug. 6, 1931, d. Oct. 19, 2010
Sain, Vallie Mae Cash, b. Jun. 26, 1937 d. unknown
Talley, Joseph Dyar, b. Oct. 10, 1884, d. Sep. 5, 1941
Whitmire, Alson Lafayette “(Hig), b. May 2, 1854, d. Dec. 9, 1935
Whitmire, Lucy Jane Thomas, b. Dec. 11, 1864, d. Jan. 2, 1916 _{Find A Grave}

The Genealogical Nightmare

This morning, after the dog got me up at 6:30 to go for his business, I crawled back into my bed hoping for another hour and a half of sleep. Which the universe gave to me grudgingly and with a kick in the bum for not just staying up to be the early worm…

On Facebook I am a part of a group for my natives (as in I was born and spent most of my childhood there) of my home city of Greenville, South Carolina. Over the past few days there has been discussions about Chick Springs, an old resort area with great historical significance to the area. But, if you ask many about the old spring house most will tell you they know nothing about it. Continue reading “The Genealogical Nightmare”

I Am So Sorry Dad – We’re Pending.

This could end up being very humorous or a nightmare.

I was excited to hear the great news that FTDNA (FamilyTree DNA) has added a phasing ability to their matches results. Just Great! I love it! I am all over it!

I jumped into my DNA matches before I even finished reading the email. I like the new layout with the tabs navigation – makes things very easy to see in a “nutshell”. You won’t be able to be eligible to use this feature, be able to click on the tabs, until you get yourself linked to another match who is in your tree. The “tree” refers to the GEDCOM/Tree you uploaded to FamilyTree DNA. Continue reading “I Am So Sorry Dad – We’re Pending.”

Cluster Genealogy Part 3 – I have Maine on My Wall.

Back to CW and his family…

CW has a One Name Study already on the go on WikiTree. Which has come in so very handy. He has it structured in part by early W’s – everywhere he had already found them.

To further my own research of his brickwall I have to study ALL of the early W’s in Maine. I Continue reading “Cluster Genealogy Part 3 – I have Maine on My Wall.”

WikiTree and Family Search

Life is such an annoying thing, the way it always gets in the way of enjoying genealogy – my/our primary purpose in life, right? I have so many real life things to do today but instead I am here posting a blog about a speaking engagement I have for tomorrow on one of my favorite subjects…you guessed it, GENEALOGY!

Shameless plug:

Voices from the Dust – Ottawa’s Rootstech

Continue reading “WikiTree and Family Search”

I know I am the only one who does this.

I am the only genealogist who has a sense of family, who feels an ancestor’s pain when I type a date into my Genealogy program of choice (WikiTree). I am the only one who, when reading about some horrific event in an ancestors life, feel it in the pit of my stomach. I am the only one who feels pride when I read that someone was mentioned in the hallowed halls of Congress upon her death.

I know I am the only one. Continue reading “I know I am the only one who does this.”

OGS 2016 Toronto

Wow! Going to a Genealogy Conference sure does make ones furnace burn bright with the fires of impetus, drive and determination!

Grandma’s Genes is at the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016 in Toronto this weekend (June 2016). We participated in a workshop on running a genealogy business where we learned great strategies for moving Grandma’s Genes into the stratosphere of our niche market (Genetic Genealogy – General, Adoption and First Nations Peoples). It’s Amazing to have this kind of a workshop available to us this weekend and furthers our desire to offer insights and resources to our clients and to the genealogical community as a whole. Continue reading “OGS 2016 Toronto”