Thursday, March 27, 2014

My DNA MIA Ancestors

Pedigree Chart recording DNA matches and possible matches

I was playing with some new to me tools and decided to put together a pedigree chart to see if I could mark off my mother's ancestors where we have been able to make DNA connections. You can click on it to enlarge. I have some mysteries to work through and thought this might help focus my efforts. 

Of her thirty-two 3rd great-grandparents we have likely matches with nine. I am loathe to consider these iron-clad since so many seem to include multiple relationships, but I do feel the checked kin have DNA matches that reflect the paper trails. The question marks are works in progress. Much of this information comes from DNA graciously donated by mother's sister (mother and her other siblings died before DNA testing took off) with smaller bits coming from members of my generation. It seems she inherited more of her grandfather RJ Williams' and great-grandmothers' Eleanor Holt and Sallie Killion DNA than others, for we have many Williams, James, Holt, Killion/Killian and Fulbright matches. 

The lack of Conway, Mulkey and Duncan matches surprised me. Clearly my aunt didn't inherit equal portions from all her ancestors and equally clearly the matches depend on who else is testing. But I believe I will pay more attention to these lines, as well as the ever mysterious Sawyer line, when investigating the hundreds of matches that don't seem to make any sense. I begin to wonder if all my paper trails are genetically accurate.