Heartland Genealogy

As with many other genealogists, I'm struggling with the upcoming loss of small matches from my Ancestry DNA match list. I have no idea how many of these matches I have but I'm guessing it is in the thousands. Since I will never have the time to work thru thousands upon thousands of matches to figure out how we connect, I'm hoping to use Ancestry's computer technology to help me. Thus, I'm concentrating on my ThruLines matches, including the "potential ancestors". I have done a lot of descendancy research which I believe is helping Ancestry's ThruLines technology connect me to DNA matches who have very small trees. Seeing the words 'No Tree' or 'Unlinked Tree' in my list of matches means I will scroll right past the match and will never take the time to figure out our relationship. Thus, I need my over 100,000 matches to have a searchable tree attached to their DNA test(s). Tree size doesn't matter - put in as m...

Have you seen Ancestry's recent news that they will be dropping smaller matches from our list of DNA matches? ( Ancestry to Remove DNA Matches Soon ) With over 100,000 matches on my list, I'm not sure I will miss most of those small matches. However, I decided to look at my ThruLines and Common Ancestors matches to see what the impact might be. Since I have four DNA tests to manage, including my mother, I decided to start with the 5th great grandparent ThruLines. My goal is to add color coding dots and notes for ALL of the matches for each match listed on ThruLines. As I've worked my way thru all of these 5th great grandparent ThruLines, I observed some matches with very small trees where the common ancestor was identified. After finishing the 5th great grandparent ThruLines, I then looked at 6-7 cM matches who have an identified common ancestors. Going thru that list, I again observed quite a few small trees showing up as having a common ancestor. ...

Recently Jason Lee posted a Facebook poll asking whether readers agree or disagree with the statement, "All ThruLines errors are because of errors in trees." As of today, 802 people agree with that statement, while I am in the minority of 120 people disagreeing. The reason, I disagree with the statement is that the ThruLines for my 2nd great grandfather, James Crawford. This ThruLines suggests that William Monroe as a child of James Crawford based on a DNA match with a known 3rd cousin once removed. Even though this match has a very small tree, she has enough in her tree that our trees should connect. Eugene Beggs, son of Walter Beggs and Ethel Anita Lighter is in both of our trees. My match's tree includes Eugene Beggs' father, Walter, but not his mother, Ethel Lighter. Thus, our common ancestors are Washington Marion Crawford and his wife, Mary Foster. Not only is ThruLines suggesting an incorrect connection on the Crawford line but al...

Have you heard about the new GedMatch Tier 1 tool to find common ancestors for DNA matches? If not, check out this Family Fanatics video about the tool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTHq2N7bing Somehow, I had heard about the tool and decided to try it. With only 14 results, I was a little disappointed. However, seeing James Crawford and Hannah Smith on my list of potential common ancestors was very exciting since these are brick walls on my Crawford line. Unfortunately, I was SO excited that I didn't do my homework first. I didn't watch the video. Nor, did I check out their gedcom files prior to contacting them. I received an immediate response from my Hannah Smith connection -- and Hannah Smith is NOT our common ancestor. I would have discovered that if I had taken the time to look at the gedcom file. My match's Hannah Smith lived in England. My Hannah Smith lived in Indiana. After browsing thru the Ancestry tree for this match, I'm not sure w...

One of my favorite Facebook groups is the Clan Crawford Association Ancestry & DNA Research Forum . If you are a Crawford researcher and NOT a member of this Facebook group, I strongly encourage you to ask to join the group. A lot of the discussion in this group is about DNA results - particularly yDNA. However, some of this discussion is about our Crawford brick walls and resources, including DNA, that we can use to help break down those brick walls. Recently, there was a discussion about yDNA tests with Virginia roots. In the list of these tests with Virginia roots is a test showing Alexander Crawford b1715-d1764 as the earliest known ancestor. Since this person is one of my yDNA matches, I was able to view the pedigree and see that this Alexander Crawford is the Alexander Crawford of Augusta County, VA who was married to Mary McPheeters. Recently, I was asked by an administrator of the Crawford project about the ancestry of Alexander Crawford. Do you know if Alexand...

When researching a surname, do you ever encounter a 'famous' individual who seems to illogically appear in a lot of trees? With colonial CRAWFORD research, we have two such individuals. One is Col. William Crawford who was burned at the stake in the area that became Ohio. The other is Alexander Crawford and his wife Mary McPheeters Crawford who were killed by Indians in 1764. In my research, I have had to sort out my line from the line of Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford. For a long time, I just assumed that Alexander's line was 'not my line'. However, with yDNA it appears that my line might have a common ancestor with the line of Alexander Crawford. My James Crawford line has been placed in the R1b-01B group while a descendant of Alexander Crawford has been placed in the R1b-01F group. Even though we aren't closely related, it appears like we do have a common ancestor. Since this suggested relationship is dependent on both of our trees bei...

Have you wondered how complete your family tree is? Until today, I hadn't really considered what kind of 'grade' my tree would receive. I was aware of 'holes' in my tree but wasn't overly concerned about those holes. Then today, Blaine Bettinger posted a poll asking us how confident we would be figuring out 6th cousin DNA matches. As Blaine pointed out, in order to figure out these DNA matches, we have to have a complete tree going back to our 5th great grandparents. Thus, the poll asked participants to use the 'Tree Completeness' tool on DNAPainter and report the findings. Knowing I have holes in my tree, but thinking I had over 50% of my tree complete, I decided to participate. I had previously uploaded a GEDCOM file of ancestors to DNA Painter, so I just had to locate the 'Tree Completeness' link in the upper left corner of the page displaying my tree. When I clicked on that button, I was surprised that I only have identified...

Do you use siblings and their descendants to help you locate information on one of your ancestors? Over the years, I've found that following these siblings and their families has led me to information I would never have found by just tracking my ancestoral lines. Thus, I have decide to re-study Nelson G. Crawford's sister, Polly and her family. Nelson and Polly are the only children that I've been able to verify as children of my brick wall ancestor, James Crawford. James Crawford's will actually identifies one of Polly's children in his will: Martha Jane Stoner. James Crawford will naming Martha Jane Stoner Even though Martha Stoner is identified in James' will, tracking her descendants has proven difficult. I believe Martha married Jonathan Sheffer in 1862 in Preble County, Ohio. Marriage record Jonathan Sheffer and Martha Stoner (Stover) An 1870 census record for a household of Jonathan Shaffer in Preble County, Ohio includes four chi...

Have you ever gone back thru some old research to discover that you've missed some details that might help break thru a brick wall? Well, I decided to review my research of Polly Crawford and her family. Polly is the sister of my ancestor, Nelson G. Crawford. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of research for Polly and her family. I decided to begin my review by looking at marriage records from Preble County, Ohio to see what I could learn about Polly and her children. In looking thru my notes, I discovered that I had pulled records for Crawford, Duggins, and Sellers surnames from Ancestry's database Marriage Records Vol. I 1808-1830 and Vol. II 1831-1840  for Preble County, Ohio. In looking thru this data, I recognized names for children of several known residents of Preble County Ohio: James and Sally Crawford (my ancestor, James and Martha Crawford, Nathan Sellers, and William and Sarah (Crawford) Sellers. However, there were several Crawford and Sell...

Garrard County, Kentucky, Courthouse, Bond for marriage of James Crawford and Sally Duggins, #101, James Crawford, 12 September 1799; County Clerk, Garrard County, Kentucky, Lancaster, KY. This is to certyfy that I am willing to join in marriage with James Crawford given under my hand this day duly [signed] Know all men by these presents that we James Crawford and James Sellers are heto and firmly bound unto James Garrard Esq. Governor of Kentucky in the just and full sum of Fifty pound currant money to which payment will and truly to be made we bind our selves our heirs & jointly and severally firmly by these presents [sealed] and dated this 12 day of Sept. 1799 The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas there is a marriage shortly into to be solemnized between the above bound James Crawford and Sally Duggins for which a license has issued now if there be no lawful cause to obstruct the sd marriage then the above obligation so be void Else to r...