5. X DNA

I am understanding DNA better after a year.  Here are two resources that I am excited about.

•      One neat resource by Ann Turner is her text list of numbers that show which ancestors a person can have that might have x dna   Ahentafel X list .  This helps prove why my Pocahontas DNA wouldn't show up... I need more uncles and great uncles to  share dna for my mother's paternal lines.

•      Another neat software program is Charting Companion  http://progenygenealogy.com/Products/Family-Tree-Charts    I love the x dna fan chart program that prints out on 8' x11" paper!  I also have saved the pdf and emailed it to cousins to try to get them to "SPIT" dna for me.     

• I am amazed at how my sister, brother, mom and dad  have different dna  results.  Get everyone tested especially if you only have men... get a female  and visa versa!

• I am not happy with Ancestry.com's changes with their "security" due to lawsuits.  I am an administrator of several family members.  I am the only one who is doing the genealogy and the information matters to me more than to others.  I worry that their new changes may not help people who are technological or genealogically challenged people share their info to their family administrator.

4. Absolute beginner guide by Jared Smith

http://smithplanet.com/stuff/gedmatch.htm

I have been contacting new cousins and hope you are finding this blog helpful.  

Join blogs and read their updates.  

3. 2016 Three new books and charts

I just got  my copy of The Family Tree Guide to DNA testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine Bettinger.   What a great beginning-novice book. ebook is available though having a hard copy is really good to see as you research.

I ordered group sheets and ancestor charts.  They have archival charts and  quick delivery https://sgenealogy.com/cart/

At Jamboree 2016 I bought 2 books by James M. Beidler:  The Family Tree Genealogy German Genealogy guide and Trace your German Roots Online.  I went to two of his sessions at Jamboree. More interesting resources are at  http://www.shopfamilytree.com/

2. Here is a list of my favorite DNA resources

facebook.com                 GEDmatch genealogy and Ancestry Group   (request to join)

http://lisalouisecooke.com/   Lisa Louise Cooke

http://www.isogg.org/   International Society of Genetic Genealogy  (Check out their getting                                                                    started wiki)

https://www.gedmatch.com     GEDmatch     (gives you exact chromosome, cm and snp in both                                                                 picture bars and numbers)

https://www.facebook.com/SouthernCaliforniaGenealogyJamboree/   Jamboree 2017 on FB

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/category/dna    Ancestry DNA Blog

https://segmentology.org/2015/06/11/why-upload-to-gedmatch-or-ftdna/    Jim Bartlett treasure trove

http://blog.kittycooper.com/tag/gedmatch    Kitty Cooper   buy her a glass of wine!

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2012/08/12/gedmatch-a-dna-geeks-dream-site/
 Legal Genealogist

http://www.cyndislist.com/dna/analysis/
         Cyndi's List

http://gliesians.com/cousins-confidence-calculator.faces   Cousin  Confidence Mapper


just a few links, ha!

1. How I got started with Ancestry DNA

My friend encouraged me to get tested  so I sent in my Ancestry DNA kit.  Then I asked my parents and mother in law for spit for Christmas. Then my husband sent in his, My sister and brother were next!  Am I getting confused?  You bet!

I got an email through a cousin at Ancestry asking me for my Gedmatch number.  She gave me instructions and I did it.

• I made a DNA folder on my computer to put all these files in.
• I downloaded my DNA zipfile from Ancestry.  
• I downloaded my Ancestry tree and kept it zipped.
• I made a special email address for gedmatch security and correspondence.
• I signed into gedmatch.com (free) 
• I uploaded my DNA file and they send you a Gedmatch number.
• I paid $10 to get upgraded resources on GEDmatch 
• I uploaded my gedcom and paired it  with my  Gedmatch number.
•  I repeated this with the other names that I am an Ancestry admin for.
• I experimented with 1-1 matches, 1-many match and many others.
• I sent a few emails and received a few emails and see how gedmatch people are very interested in research while many of my Ancestry contacts are not responding.

At Gedmatch I saw lots of spreadsheets but didn't really understand  the "Why" behind the spreadsheets.  This was a huge learning curve, but I persisted.

I went to the SCGS Jamboree DNA conference in Burbank CA in June 2016.   http://genealogyjamboree.com/2016/about.html     I found out why the spreadsheets is because there is so much data, many people that you need help organizing.  At the DNA conference, I was told to make a spreadsheet for each person, keep track of correspondence, add notes to the spreadsheets that they have.

I decided to use 4x6" index cards for each person that I am interested in.  I put the Ancestry number in the upper right,   Name, Email, connection (Gedmatch/Ancestry etc),  Family tree name & number, common surnames  and descendency on the back,

I intend to put the info on the spreadsheets but I like having an index card summary as I email.  I also need to make surname lists to send to my new DNA cousins.

At one of my conference sessions they said to make a form letter to help with correspondence.

And this is just the beginning!