Diahan Southard had the fun idea to celebrate the 25th anniversary of genetic genealogy by creating a free eBook with reflections from DNA leaders and luminaries. I feel honored to be included in this group. Diahan asked us to write about our experiences getting started with DNA and/or the impact it has had on our work. I wrote my story, but it was far too long! After condensing it for the book, I decided to share the full story here after the book came out. The book came out at RootsTech last week, and you can get your free copy here:
So Far: Genetic Genealogy – The First 25 years – 1999-2024
My Story
Before I started to use DNA evidence to solve research questions about ancestors, I thought I knew a lot about it. I was a family history enthusiast. I had been researching my ancestors since I was 16, in 2002. I studied history teaching at Brigham Young University, but after my kids were born, I quickly went back to my passion, family history. I went to many lectures and workshops and learned about DNA inheritance, beginning with RootsTech in 2016. I followed DNA experts’ advice to get the oldest generation in their family tested, and managed to have three of my four grandparents take the AncestryDNA test. I attended DNA classes at conferences and mentioned new DNA tools in my blog posts covering the RoostTech conference, but didn’t really use them. I was focused on documentary research.
Around 2017, I started working on my husband’s genealogy. My husband’s uncle, John, learned I liked family history research, and told me about a brick wall in the Dyer research – John Robert Dyer. Born about 1813 in Tennessee or North Carolina, his parents were unknown. Many researchers had added various parents for him in their family trees, but Uncle John knew better. Things didn’t match up correctly. John Robert Dyer lived most of his life in Hawkins County, Tennessee, a burned county. There was no indication of any association between him and any older Dyers. No wills or probate records mentioned John Robert Dyer as an heir. I spent several hours combing John Robert Dyer’s records from 1830-1880 finding no clues to an earlier Dyer connection. The records of his children didn’t lead to any breakthroughs.
Since this was my husband’s patrilineal line, I asked his father to take a Y-DNA test in March 2017 after an inspiring RootsTech conference with CeCe Moore as a keynote. The Y-DNA results were challenging to understand. There were no matches with the Dyer surname. The closest Y-37 matches were at a genetic distance of 2 or 3 with Irish sounding surnames. We also tested him at AncestryDNA. The autosomal DNA test results had many matches, which I didn’t really know what to do with, so I ignored them and got busy with other things. Despite having tested my grandparents, I had not actually dug into their results in any meaningful way, and I didn’t quite know what to do.
My use of DNA evidence for genealogy exploded in 2019, when I decided to pursue advanced genealogical education. My goal was to submit a portfolio to the Board for Certification of Genealogists in order to become a certified genealogist. I signed up for my first higher level genealogy education course, Intermediate Foundations, through the Salt Lake Institute of genealogy, as one of my first institute courses to help me prepare for certification.
About this time I began working on research projects for clients. As I worked on a challenging case, I realized I might want to use DNA evidence. I knew DNA evidence was the cutting edge of the genealogical methods, but I hadn’t actually used it yet. The project’s objective was to identify the father of a man, bearing a common surname in North Carolina, born around 1750. With so many men of the same name, it was difficult to trace the research subject back in time. The research subject happened to be on the client’s patrilineal line, so I asked him to take a Y-DNA test. While I waited for the results, I continued working on the Intermediate Foundations course.
One of the class sessions of SLIG Intermediate Foundations was about DNA evidence taught by Angie Bush. It was my first time hearing her speak, and I loved her lecture. Her lesson focused on efficient methods of using DNA to solve ancestral relationship questions based on her experience at Ancestry Pro Genealogists. I felt inspired to develop my skills using DNA evidence right then and dive back into the Dyer research project for the homework assignment.
The assignment was to make a DNA targeted testing plan. I thought it would be a good idea to test more descendants of John Robert Dyer and pursue the Y-SNP testing to further refine the subclade of our Dyer line. Angie advised me against SNP testing and to focus on finding autosomal DNA test-takers. She said this would get me a better bang for my buck and help me find the answer to my research question. I asked her if she recommended painting segments with DNA Painter. She said segments can be helpful, but that she’s had far more success clustering and grouping matches and building trees to find common ancestors. I took that advice and forged ahead!
Diana, Robin, and Nicole at the FamilySearch Library, 2020
I worked with my colleague, Robin Wirthlin, for more guidance on my Dyer case. She had begun writing blog posts about DNA for our blog. Robin studied molecular biology in college and used autosomal DNA evidence to figure out an adoptee’s parents a few years before, so she had real experience. I showed her the AncestryDNA match list of my father-in-law, and she created a Lucidchart diagram for me called “Dyer Research.” We had a zoom call discussing close Dyer matches and how to diagram their descent from the common ancestors. She showed me how to confirm the Dyer line back to John Robert Dyer, complimenting my previous work tracing the Dyer line with documents. Seeing the matches, their descent from common ancestors, and the amounts of shared DNA all in one diagram was amazing!
Diagramming relationships with DNA matches struck a chord with me, and suddenly everything made sense. If I could find matches who descend from a hypothesized ancestor, it would be evidence supporting the relationship!
Applying my newfound knowledge of diagramming DNA matches, I made a Lucidchart diagram for my client case. By combining autosomal DNA and Y-DNA results, I discovered my client with the common surname had a misattributed parentage event in his line about three generations back. His biological surname, discovered in his Y-DNA match list, was actually pretty uncommon! I remember showing my parents the work I had done on this case, which resulted in a large diagram with over 20 atDNA and Y-DNA matches. I was so excited!
When I finished the client report, I started adding every Dyer DNA match I could find to my diagram. I uploaded my father-in-law’s DNA results to more databases and asked more Dyers to test. As I worked on the Dyer research question, I found many matches that seemed to be related on John Robert Dyer’s wife’s line – Barsheba Tharp. We didn’t know her parents either, so I switched my research objective. I reviewed the Tharp matches and found an overwhelming number of matches descending from a man named Lewis Tharp who lived in Hawkins County, Tennessee, the same county where John Robert Dyer and Barsheba Tharp lived. Lewis Tharp moved to Washington County, Arkansas, with his second wife, which was also a burned county. Despite the lack of documentary records, I was able to write a proof argument the next year showing indirect documentary evidence and DNA evidence that Lewis Tharp was the father of Barsheba Tharp.
I took the All DNA Advanced Evidence Analysis practicum at SLIG and found that I could solve DNA cases and write reports about them. I worked on an adoptee case from a cousin in my father-in-law’s match list. My experience was growing and I was thoroughly in love with using DNA evidence. Printing and studying every DNA article in the NGSQ helped me understand various ways DNA evidence could be used. Continuing to study in many genealogy and DNA institute courses, especially by Karen Stanbary and Paul Woodbury, broadened my understanding.
Meeting Standards Using DNA Evidence – Research Strategies with Karen Stanbary, SLIG Course, January 2020
My Tharp proof argument became a work sample in the book we wrote with Robin Wirthlin, Research Like a Pro with DNA. Collaborating on the book with my mother, Diana Elder, AG, and Robin Wirthlin, now an AG as well, was a rewarding experience. My understanding and use of DNA deepened as we conducted the Research Like a Pro with DNA study groups. Reading so many DNA reports from our study group opened my eyes to the breadth of application for DNA evidence. Realizing that Google Sheets wasn’t a good enough tool for tracking DNA matches, correspondence, and research, I tried out the idea of using Airtable for a DNA research log in 2020 as part of our RLP with DNA study group. This tool has been instrumental in helping keep my DNA evidence organized over the past four years!
DNA evidence has become a fundamental tool in my genealogical research, especially for tackling complex cases. Angie’s advice about clustering matches and building family trees has been a game-changer. These strategies have not only helped me solve various client cases but also provided new hypotheses to investigate in others. Recently, a Dyer Big-Y DNA match appeared in my father-in-law’s match list, helping me to dive into understanding Big-Y test results. Applying DNA test results to my own and clients’ cases has been the most helpful way to understand how DNA can be used to help solve research questions.
Adding DNA analysis to my toolkit has significantly enhanced my research capabilities. It’s exciting to think about how this approach will continue to revolutionize genealogy and help unravel even more family histories in the future.
I have learned from so many DNA and genealogy leaders and luminaries along the way, not all of whom had time to write a story for the book. I’m grateful for all those who have taught me, and honored to be included in the 25th anniversary of genetic genealogy book.
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Thanks for the note!