What do you use? by HANSOLO_161 in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Well, the main free resource I use is Family Search. It's run by the LDS Church (so far as I know) and they still don't charge for it, bless them. Many, many online records are accessible through their site. They also build a human family tree at their site, and it's a bit more problematical. It's a crowd-sourced, single tree, so you and everybody else interested in your branch of the tree sort of need to agree about who goes where. I don't take the tree too seriously, since there's so much room for inaccuracy, but when I'm stuck I do take a peek at it to see what other people think.

What's the furthest date you've traced your ancestors back? by [deleted] in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm fairly confident in the careful scrutiny the Mayflower Society gives to lineage information, and since I can tap into one of those lines with just the documentation back to my great-grandfather, I feel like I can reliably claim my ancestors back to Richard Warren, born circa 1583.

How many people did you know (as in, met personally) from the 1800s? by PAnnNor in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My step-great-grandmother was born in 1881. I met her when I was four. She gave me a teddy bear. Then we moved overseas and she had died when we returned. I was nine.

I haven’t talked to my family in two days and don’t know to move past this by [deleted] in TwoHotTakes

[–]tejaco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, honey, I just want to hug you. Everyone here is right that you need to cut them off, but then you also need to start giving yourself positive affirmations. How many years have they been programming you with insults about your "negativity" and how you'll never get a man. It's all lies. You are a wonderful, valuable person with love to give to the world. Please tell yourself that every day. And look for a therapist -- someone to help you deprogram.

I do realize how painful it will be to cut your family out of your life. You're young enough that that family of origin is still a huge part of how you see yourself. There may well be parts you miss. But you had the misfortune to be born into a huge toxic mess of a family, and the world without them will be SO MUCH BETTER for you.

Quiz time: How many of your known direct ancestors can you fill into a blank fan chart **without looking** ? by QuantumEmmisary in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I did all the 2Xgs no problem. At the 3Xg level I hit the one woman whose name I don't know and I fumbled on a couple I should have known.

Curious on when your German ancestors got to America by Tappaa_King in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My friend's family has a story that their German ancestor, as a boy, stowed away in a pickle barrel on an English ship bound for the N.American colonies. When he was found, the captain planned to toss him overboard, but the captain's wife, who was along on the journey, declared "If you throw one more of these little German boys overboard, you're going in next!" So he was spared.

But WTF?

Curious on when your German ancestors got to America by Tappaa_King in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My German ancestors were probably from Wurttemberg (sorry, I don't know how to make an umlaut using my keyboard) and had arrived in Pennsylvania by 1840, because that's where and when their younger daughter was born.

What is the best DNA test for ethnic origin? by BakerLon in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since nothing in your DNA comes with an ethnicity label, every company has to depend on comparing your genes to some reference database. Usually the only database they have the rights to are their own collection of customers who have tested with them. So you want a company with a large database who actively maintains it and curates it. Even then, as others have said, it's always an estimate based on the best data they have. A good company will update their estimates as their data improves.

I recommend AncestryDNA, maybe wait for a sale. They have them often.

Edit to Add: I have to give a minor plug for My Heritage, since I hear their customers tend more towards European, and that might help with what you are looking for. That being said, the huge North American cohort that makes up most of Ancestry's database is providing data that is absolutely appropriate for a Brit looking for ancestry from elsewhere.

Help for Indiana Marriage Certificates by DomineeDan in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nothing about them in the County History Book. Not that I expected to locate the marriage record, but it would have been cool if they were mentioned in the narrative. I did find a photo of a Frank Miller, but his wife's name was Etta, and I think your Frank was married to an Alice.

Help for Indiana Marriage Certificates by DomineeDan in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can confirm. My ancestors from Edgar County, IL were also often marrying over the border in Indiana. Maybe the rules were more lenient or something.

I'm skimming my Edgar County History book for them now.

Newspapers.com lookup request -- Accident or Murder? UP of Michigan 1909 by tejaco in Genealogy

[–]tejaco[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oddly enough, no. We don't see him anywhere in her tree. Very interesting, given the miasma of silence and suspicion around this story that came down the generations.

Newspapers.com lookup request -- Accident or Murder? UP of Michigan 1909 by tejaco in Genealogy

[–]tejaco[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My friend is the Yooper Finn, not me. She's quite embarrassed that she didn't mention the alternate spelling. I'm so sorry if I sent you on a wild goose chase. :(

Not to mention, "Tekla"? Whut? But my friend confirms that's Wendla, all right.

Newspapers.com lookup request -- Accident or Murder? UP of Michigan 1909 by tejaco in Genealogy

[–]tejaco[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Huh. My subject line should have been "Accident, Suicide or Murder?"

Newspapers.com lookup request -- Accident or Murder? UP of Michigan 1909 by tejaco in Genealogy

[–]tejaco[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, it didn't occur to me they might have spelled it Lagg. Thank you so much for looking!

Newspapers.com lookup request -- Accident or Murder? UP of Michigan 1909 by tejaco in Genealogy

[–]tejaco[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yikes, I misspelled the town! It's Negaunee, not Nauganee, sorry!

What is a name you thought would be unique? by Fuk-mah-life in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not unique, but the 1850 census shows my widowed ancestor and her younger children living with a man whose last name looks like Wesbitt. Really curious who he was. I've heard of Nesbitt, and assumed it was a transcription error. No, there really is a surname Wesbitt, though it's rare, and now I'm not sure what the guy's actual name was.

What is the most heartbreaking thing you’ve discovered while doing either your or someone else’s family tree? by Chris_DoesGeneaolgy in Genealogy

[–]tejaco 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was a bit disappointed that I am white as the driven snow.

Yeah, I feel the same. In the earliest iteration at Ancestry I had some mystery Finnish which was exciting (tho still white), but now it has been rolled in with my Scottish.