In our previous blog posts in this series, we have been learning all about how to research our Pennsylvania German ancestors by discovering the paper trail they have left behind. What about DNA? How useful will it be in helping us with these colonial ancestors? Even though (for most test-takers) colonial ancestors will be beyond the typical 5-6 generations that autosomal DNA is useful, using DNA with your colonial German ancestors may be a key […]
Have you noticed that some of your family lines have many DNA matches and others very little? My dad is seven-eighths 19th-century German, one-sixteenth Pennsylvania German (18th century) and one-sixteenth colonial American/British. I’ve noticed that my dad has many matches on his Pennsylvania German side. However, there are only a few matches on my dad’s 19th-century German ancestor lines. As much as we want our match list to tell us about our ancestors, we have […]
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the Texas land grant system. This is the first part in a series of Texas land grant episodes based on Diana’s blog post series. We talk about the history of Texas from the Spanish period to the Mexican period and beyond. This particular episode focuses on the Spanish period and the lasting influence they had on Texas’s unique land grant system. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is […]
X-DNA has a unique inheritance pattern, and knowing about it can sometimes help you figure out the ancestors you share with a DNA match. Men inherit a Y chromosome from their father, and an X chromosome from their mother. It is easy to imagine that an X chromosome remains unchanged just like a Y chromosome does when it is passed from father to son, but this is not the case with X-DNA. Here is a […]
A few years ago Diana wrote about a youth activity she created with a Mission: Possible Theme. I recently adapted this idea so the missions could all be completed using the Family Tree app on a smartphone. This was a really successful activity and I’m excited to share my adaptation along with all the materials you will need to carry out the activity with your own youth group or family. Youth and leaders alike […]
The last four posts in this series covered some very important record types for researching Pennsylvania German ancestors: initial land purchases from the Penns, subsequent land transactions, probate records, and church records. As I stated earlier, because Pennsylvania Germans were, after all, Pennsylvanians, additional Pennsylvania record types will also be valuable to your research. I will briefly mention a few of those records here, with information specific to researching Pennsylvania Germans. Tax Records Tax records […]
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about what Nicole learned at the SLIG course, DNA Dreamers in Action: Writing Proof Arguments in January. Karen Stanbary coordinated the course and was assisted by Tom Jones, Nancy Peters, and Scott Wilds. The course was a chance to practice writing a DNA proof argument while learning essential skills. Peer review was included as part of the course as well. Join Diana and Nicole as they discuss […]
Pennsylvania did not require the registration of births, marriages, or deaths until 1906. Births, marriages, and deaths were recorded by Pennsylvania counties from 1851-1855, and then again beginning in 1893 and continuing until 1905. County marriage records began again as early as 1885. The late starting dates for state and county records means that vital records will not be found for our early Pennsylvania German ancestors. Church records act as a valuable substitute. Church records […]
Have you wondered how to create a citation from microfilm reels that you ordered from an archive or library? A Research Like a Pro with DNA Study Group member asked the following question. I had sent for microfilm records from the Library of Virginia (LVA) through their inter-library lending program and printed out pages and pages of these vital records. I kept all of the documentation, correspondence with the lending library I used, and documentation […]
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s SLIG course – Becoming an Accredited Genealogist: The Why, What, and How. She coordinated the course along with Lisa Stokes and shares all the details about how they came up with the course and how it went. Join us to learn some great study techniques you can try for yourself as you prepare to become a better researcher or seek a credential. Transcript Nicole (1s): […]
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