Not just for ourselves, but for unknowable future generations

The structure of the DNA double helix

The number of current Ancestry.com customers may now approach 15+ million, and perhaps a similar number are inactive or deceased former DNA or Family Tree customers – where their formally active accounts have now lapsed.  But even these inactive public family trees remain available for current and trial customer genealogical research. Ancestry.com management claims over 10 million customers have taken an Ancestry DNA ethnicity test.  These folks have current active profiles in Ancestry's growing DNA database. Test takers are all eligible and invited to create trial Ancestry family trees.  Ancestry.com may be the largest family tree search application, but there are a half dozen or more other firms providing these lineage/DNA services. Other competent DNA firms include FamilyTree DNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe, Living DNA, etc.

Writing for MIT Technology Review, author Antonio Regalado claims “...More people took genetic ancestry [tests] last year [2017] than in all previous years combined.” Perhaps surprising to some, on Facebook alone, there are a significant number of public and closed groups dedicated to the genealogical interests of members, many of these dedicated to the research of specific surnames or geographical locations like Early New England or French Canadian. The aggregate number of people in pursuit of personal lineage data may easily top 25 million. The Internet has provided the means to do quicker genealogical research, but there remains an amazing number who still research the old fashion way by visits to historical societies, churches, public record facilities, cemeteries, and the like. 

A good share of individual genealogical researchers do it not just for themselves, but for others with similar interests and for their unknowable generations perhaps in two or more future centuries.  So I'm not sure what point those folks who fail to comprehend ancestral pursuits are making -- I for one don't understand them. Caring more for deceased ancestors than for the living seems a patently absurd argument the uninterested sometimes make. Take a look at this 1906 poem authored by the professional engineer, family historian, and breeder of trotting and show horses Mr. Walter Butler Palmer (1868-1932). His thoughtful poem provides a clue by correctly illustrating some of the motivation felt by those actively engaged in genealogical research.

Dear Ancestor

"Your tombstone stands among the rest
Neglected and alone
The name and date are chiseled out
On polished marble stone
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn

You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born
Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh and blood and bone
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own

Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so
I wonder how you lived and loved
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot
And come to visit you."

-Walter Butler Palmer

Note:  The image presented at the top of this post is a public domain photo by NASA found by a simple Internet search.

"The Anderson Plot" -- Oak Hill Cemetery

Resetting the grave monuments of maternal Great-Great-Grandparents James and Caroline Anderson

Information on completion of monument work at Oak Hill Cemetery, West German Street, Herkimer, Herkimer County, New York, USA. The Anderson Plot is recorded in cemetery record as Section NC0648; whereas, the plot is physically located near centered in the old part of the cemetery. Take the center road northwesterly from the administration building toward the rear of the cemetery, this access road basically runs perpendicular to West German Street, Herkimer, NY. Then take a left side fork in the road about 250 yards from the administration building. Note the reddish-brown gravestone in the photo background -- this is the grave of Peter Anderson and his wives, Peter the son of James and Caroline (Kiernan) Anderson. Peter Anderson's gravestone really stands out as visitors pass the Anderson Plot. Note that Caroline's given name is spelled Carolina, probably misspelled as inscribed on her monument. The cemetery staff refers to this area as the Crandall plot – there are several Crandall graves in this more properly named cemetery Anderson Section (since Caroline and James Anderson are the parents or parents-in-law of most souls interred here).  Daughter Minnie Anderson married Charles Henry Crandall, all Crandall interments descend from this couple. It is the Crandall branch of the family that populates a significant portion of the Anderson Plot, along with the large Gilbert branch and Shore branch that grew from the marriage of other Anderson daughters Selina (and her husband William Gilbert) and Elizabeth (and her husband Herbert Shore).

Project specifics:

BEFORE

This image by Great-Great-Grandson DJ Paul, dated from about 2011, clearly shows both monuments listing about twenty degrees left; whereas, both monuments are slowly further slipping on their pedestal a couple inches to the left.  A gravestone foundation exists under each pedestal, perhaps sinking 20-to-24 inches into the graves.  No attempt was made to level the original foundations. Monuments had each listed another couple inches left before this restoration work began in early June 2018.    

AFTER

This image by DJ Paul, dated 20 Jun 2018, shows the Anderson gravesite finished product.  The monument pedestals were first leveled using a pea gravel bedding, placing the gravel base between the sunken original foundation and the pedestal.  A form was configured to engage each pedestal and 1/2 inch rebar reinforcements were added front, back, sides, and center.  The concrete collar is four-to-six inches thick and clearly engages both monument pedestals.  The monuments were each persuaded an inch+ to the right to be more centered on their respective pedestals.  Monuments were cleaned using water and a soft brush only.

    

Don't Rush To Purchase A Scottish Kilt Wardrobe

Ancestry.com DNA "Ethnicity Estimates" Are Misleading; but, might be good for business. 

This post is meant to help new family genealogists with DNA result queries. No question Ancestry.com TV ads, etc. go far to compound “newbie” genealogist confusion with their ethnicity estimate percentage calculations. That guy who switched to wearing Scottish kilts based on his Scottish Ancestry single figure DNA estimates, or that overweight black woman who evidently starts wearing African head-ware based on her African DNA estimate really slay me – a great disservice here by Ancestry DNA management. Nothing is certain in an Ancestry ethnicity estimate! The single figure percentage presented in Ancestry's "Ethnicity Estimate" is developed from a probable calculated range... it is an uncertain and somewhat likely ESTIMATE!  

For example, my personal Ancestry DNA geographical area "Scandinavia" is estimated at 9%, developed from an Ancestry.com algorithm where my personal DNA actual range from Scandinavia is 0%-21%; whereas, my "Ireland" estimate at 26% is developed from a 15%-36% possible DNA range. All single figure estimates are developed from a range that can be viewed in your Ancestry DNA Ethnicity Estimate by clicking "View Your Genetic Estimate" button -- "Show 3 more Regions" -- then click the specific region to view the full range of possibility. Additionally, in this expanded view, one can easily see that "Great Britain" for example – actually expands possible DNA sources beyond Great Britain to include most of France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, and The Netherlands. All Ancestry DNA specific geographical areas can be expanded in this way to include far greater surrounding lands than suggested by their single area estimate.

Also, when working back in your ancestry a half-dozen generations or more, the "DNA match" presented by these autosomal DNA ethnicity tests confirm little about your actual ancestry. These numbers as related to individuals in your distant past are not "DNA Verification" of true family connection -- such matches simply state there is a limited probability of DNA connection. At best, the Ancestry DNA geographic region can create a warm feeling that your genealogical paper research is on the right track. But perhaps this possible DNA region match actually originates from distant sources presently unknown to the tested person. Here again, an Ancestry.com TV ad where a fifty-something woman claims discovery of her previously unknown 26% Native-American ancestry is highly suspect. How can this be?  First, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, this single figure geographic estimate percentage is likely developed from a far wider 10%-to-40% range of statistical probability. The most Christian answer is this new-found Native American lady was adopted and never knew her actual blood-related ancestors identity.  Or, a less Christian possibility... it might be one or more of her distant ancestors is actually Native American, where her paper ancestor(s) were not responsible for planting her pre-birth seeds. 

Oh, right... forgot... my bad... forgive me... all our distant ancestors were each pure as the fresh driven northern snows... nothing to see here... no funny business of a sexual nature ever happened in past times. Don't tell this to a parish priest with a locate Catholic Church in Herkimer, NY who refuses involvement in family genealogy research, this due to his experience where in a few past cases some hurtful nasty information about a researcher's actual documented ancestry was found written in his historical church records.         

Note: The kilted Scottish guy image displayed at the top of this post is based on an edited Internet-based image captured by simple Google search and displayed here in accordance with "free use" copyright provisions for non-profit educational purposes only.