Texas Migration Patterns and DNA Connect Lucinda Wright Rinker to Her Father

Last week, we were fortunate to host Cathy Duncan for an enlightening webinar on her genealogical research combining Texas migration patterns and DNA analysis. Cathy, a member of our Research Like a Pro study group, shared her journey to connect Lucinda Wright Rinker to her father using a methodical approach that integrates traditional and genetic genealogy methods. This blog post summarizes the key insights from her presentation.

This blog post was written by Claude Sonnet 3.5 under my direction from my notes and an AI summary of the webinar.

 Uncovering Lucinda Wright Rinker’s Family Through Traditional Research

Cathy began her research journey with a hypothesis that Silas Wright was Lucinda Wright Rinker’s father, based on census records and matching birth information. However, she quickly realized that direct evidence of this relationship was lacking. As she deepened her investigation, Cathy discovered apprenticeship records for Lucinda’s children, Vallie and Oscar, which provided an indirect connection between the Rinkers and Silas Wright’s family.

These records revealed that Oscar was staying with Mrs. Gale, who Cathy identified as likely being Silas Wright’s oldest daughter. Further supporting evidence came from a letter written by A.F. Rinker, Lucinda’s husband, which offered additional details about the children’s whereabouts and mentioned Lucinda’s family connections.

Cathy’s research also uncovered court records from Erath County describing Lucinda as a “pauper and a lunatic,” with her brother-in-law William Gale tasked with her care. This contextual information helped paint a picture of the family’s circumstances and social connections, though the exact reason why the Wright family didn’t keep Vallie and Oscar remains unclear.

 Methodical DNA Analysis: Organization and Visualization

One of the most impressive aspects of Cathy’s research was her systematic approach to organizing and analyzing DNA results. She implemented a color-coding system for categorizing DNA matches—light green for Rinker and Good surnames, and dark green for Wright and Vancannon surnames. This visual system helped her quickly identify patterns among her matches.

Cathy utilized multiple tools for DNA analysis visualization, including Draw.io and Google Sheets, to create diagrams showing relationships between tested individuals. She demonstrated how these diagrams helped her trace genetic connections across generations and identify specific relationships.

 

For more efficient data management, Cathy employed Airtable to create a research log with multiple views that could be filtered by person, county, or year. This allowed her to maintain comprehensive records of her findings and citations while making the information accessible for different analytical purposes.

From Hypothesis to Conclusion: The Power of Indirect Evidence

Particularly fascinating was Cathy’s analysis of DNA match outliers and their implications for her research question. She noted that one second cousin named Layla shared only 50 centimorgans, which falls within the possible range but is very low—more than twice the standard deviation from the mean. By contrast, another relative’s DNA results shared an amount within one standard deviation of the average for a second cousin, providing reassurance about certain generational connections.

Through careful analysis of multiple DNA matches and consideration of standard deviations in genetic relationships, Cathy was able to build a case for Lucinda being Silas Wright’s biological daughter. She also explored alternative hypotheses, including the possibility that Lucinda might have been Silas’s biological niece, demonstrating the importance of considering multiple scenarios when interpreting genetic evidence.

Cathy emphasized that her conclusion wasn’t based on a single piece of evidence but rather a carefully constructed case built from multiple sources of indirect evidence—both documentary and genetic—that together create a compelling narrative of the relationship.

Research Process and Methodology Insights

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Cathy’s presentation was her transparency about her research process. She shared her experience of systematically verifying parent-child links in public trees on Ancestry for each DNA match, checking the validity of every connection in their pedigrees. This verification process is critical for ensuring that DNA matches are properly attributed to the correct ancestral lines.

Cathy also discussed her approach to locality research, noting that the Rinkers and Wrights were part of the migration into Texas after the Civil War. This historical context added dimension to her family story and helped explain migration patterns that influenced where records might be found.

For those interested in asylum records research, Cathy suggested using books, Google, and resources like the Portal to Texas History. She also explained how she located court minutes on guardianship through internal indexing on FamilySearch, highlighting the importance of understanding how different record collections are organized.

Finally, Cathy emphasized the value of peer review in finalizing research, acknowledging that while she felt she had abundant evidence, having other experienced genealogists review her work strengthened her conclusions.

Cathy’s presentation exemplified the Research Like a Pro process, demonstrating how beginners can successfully incorporate DNA evidence into their genealogical research without needing to be experts. Her methodical approach, clear organization, and willingness to explore multiple hypotheses serve as an excellent model for anyone looking to solve their own family history mysteries.

Watch the Webinar and Coupon Code

If you want to learn more about using DNA in your research and watch Cathy’s full presentation, you can register for our Research Like a Pro 2025 Webinar Series. We’ve created a special coupon code for readers of this blog post who would like to register for the Research Like a Pro Webinar Series. Use the coupon code texaswebinar to receive $10 off the registration cost. The code expires on March 31, 2025.

Your registration includes access to this recording, Cathy’s two research reports based on this case, and ten future presentations and the accompanying research reports from experienced genealogists. The following images show a preview of the great content you’ll read in Cathy’s research reports.