Wednesday, June 8, 2016

More on DNA

Genealogists are using DNA tests even more to find family and ethnicity. There are basically 3 big DNA testing companies; if there are others, I can't remember them. Ancestry (autosomal only), FamilyTreeDNA and 23AndMe are the three.
I have done an autosomal DNA test on Ancestry.com and have blogged about those results here: http://geniebeth.blogspot.com/2013/10/new-ancestry-dna-results-with-better.html
Now I have uploaded my raw DNA to FamilyTreeDNA and received their results.
Also I have ordered a maternal DNA test and am now waiting for those to be processed.

How does Ancestry compare to FamilyTreeDNA? Similar but not the same.

 
Ancestry DNA

FamilyTreeDNA

Both agree I'm 100% European. Both agree I'm strongly Scandinavian. 
The percent of Scandinavian differ: Ancestry says 48% and FamilyTree says 60%. 
The percent of British Isles is the same: 27%. Ancestry just broke it up into Great Britian and Ireland. Therefore the other European results are different to balance out the Scandinavian difference. 

You might refer to my first blog post, but tracing my ancestors back doesn't agree with this. Denmark is my only Scandinavian, and it SHOULD be closer to 1/4 or 25%. I thought I was close to 50% German, and that hardly shows at all. 

I have research this a little and probably need to more, but what I've read seems like people moved and DNA carries down a bit differently, so there are some reasons for this. 
I also think these companies are working on refining their analysis of DNA with more results and improvements in the science. 



Sunday, June 5, 2016

Ancestor of a month: Edith A. Hanks Foster

Well time does fly by. So lately I sit down to TRY to blog about an ancestor, and then I think, I have pictures of them, where are they? So then an hour goes by as I look for the pictures and scan them if needed, and then back to my mommy duties and my blog doesn't get written.
So yes, I didn't put what month this ancestor is for because well, I'm SO much behind. In my spreadsheet, I have her down as my April ancestor, and yes it's the beginning of June.

Edith Adel Hanks was born December 31, 1875 in Beaver Dam, Dodge county, Wisconsin to Charles William "Carl" Hanks and Martha E. Fields.
By the 1880 census when Edith was 4, they are living in Madison County, Nebraska. They moved when she was 4 years old and her family took a homestead south of Tilden. Her father farmed, and she grew up with 1 brother and 3 sisters.
In 1892, her older sister Mable dies before she turns 20.
In 1900, the family is still living in Madison County, Nebraska.
On February 22, 1904 she marries Charles Alexander Foster in Tilden, Madison County, Nebraska. Charles was about 2 weeks older than Edith.
To this union four daughters were born: Berniece in June 1905, Mable in May 1908, Viola in April 1910 and Genestia in November 1912.
The first two daughters were born in Tilden, but in 1909 the family moves to Sidney, Cheyenne County, Nebraska where the last two daughters are born. They lived 3 miles south of Sidney until 1948 when they moved to a home on Osage Street in town.
Charles farmed for quite a while, and their daughters went to school. Mable and Viola became teachers and graduated as the top two in their class.
Edith Foster was a faithful member of the Methodist church for many years; she also was a charter member of the Helping Hand Club of the South Divide.
Then a rough time comes to the family in February and March 1951. Charles dies February 27, then her son-in-law dies about 2 weeks later, and then Edith passes away suddenly at her home Wednesday March 21, 1951. Services were held March 24, 1951 at First Methodist Church in Sidney with burial in Greenwood Cemetery.

 Edith

Edith & Charles Foster about 1950

Along with these photos, I have Edith's obituary, marriage license, census records, and funeral card. Edith is my paternal great-grandmother.