New Video Released on Using the Lazarus Project To Break Down Brick Walls

On August 13th, Kelli Bergheimer did a presentation for the Southwest Ohio DNA Interest Group.
As a group, we frequently discuss some of the tools that are part of Gedmatch.com. Although many of the tools are free, other tools are available with a Tier 1 membership at a cost of $10.00 per month.

One such tool is called the "Lazarus" tool. This tool allows you to use the DNA of relatives of a given ancestor, such as a grandparent, to construct a kit for that untested person. Kelli explains how this can be a "work in progress" until 1500 cM of DNA have been collected. This new kit can then be used to find additional matches within the Gedmatch database. It is a fascinating tool, and Kelli discussed several techniques for identifying potential matches that can be used in creating a new kit.

The video presentation is now available on the this link, on the HCGS site, or on YouTube. Be sure to check it out.

Submitted by Kathy Reed
dna.interest@hcgsohio.org

The Secrets Revealed by DNA - SWOHDNA Meeting

Who:  Natalie Boyer
What: The Secrets Revealed by DNA
Where: MidPointe Library West Chester
When: Tuesday, April 9th, 2019
Time: 7:00 - 8:45 pm
Directions: MidPointe Library West Chester

Background:

Autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and Mitochondrial DNA all have family secrets hidden in their results from testing.  You just have to know where to search for the clues that might lead to some amazing discoveries! 

In Natalie Boyer’s presentation, she reveals stories of unexpected ethnicity results, surprising paternal results and how DNA proved a relationship 8 generations back.  There are surprising stories around every corner and twists to most everyone’s DNA results.  Find out how she used these results to break down brick walls and help other’s reveal their true parental path. 

Bio:

Natalie is an avid genealogist who has been searching her roots for 40 years.  At the age of 10, she would spend hours at the local library combing through books and microfilm in search of just one more ancestor and then maybe, just maybe, one more after that.  Her husband, Rick, equates genealogy to the online gaming industry where every generation you go back is another level achieved.

Her love of genealogy and family history grew even more when online records began to surface.  When her husband renewed her subscription to Ancestry.com about 6 years ago, she developed a love of genetic genealogy and has been on a quest to break down brick walls and unravel mysteries long hidden in the past, both for herself and others.

Professionally, she works at Procter and Gamble but dreams of the day when she can retire and focus her attention on genealogy and genetic genealogy. 

Submitted by: Natalie BoyerMidPointe Library West Chester

Webinars -- A New Member Benefit

Many members of the Hamilton County Genealogical Society do not live in Hamilton County.
The Board is constantly discussing ways to better serve our out-of-town members. To that end, the Board recently approved the purchase of GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar software. Over time, we hope to present several webinars on a variety of topics.

The Southwest Ohio Regional DNA Interest Group (SWOHDNA) used GoToMeeting to record a video on how to use Gedmatch to identify possible cousins. This past week we used the webinar software to record a presentation on the use of DNA to identify the biological family of an adoptee. Fourteen people from as far away as Houston signed up to watch the presentation “live.”

You can find this webinar by clicking on this link: https://vimeo.com/214124083 If you choose to watch this one, try to watch it to the end. You aren't going to believe how this story evolves! It falls into the "truth is stranger than fiction" category.

We’d love to hear from your suggestions for future webinar topics and whether or not you find them valuable. Email Kathy Reed, Program Director at programs@hcgsohio.org or click on "comments" below to post your input.

Submitted by Kathy Reed
Program Director

Jewish Genetic Genealogy

Jewish Interest Group

Presentation Announcement

by Rick Cauthen

Israel Pickholtz

The Hamilton County Genealogical Society is extremely excited to announce that author, Israel Pickholtz, who resides in Jerusalem, Israel, will be presenting “Jewish Genetic Genealogy – A Study in Endogamy.” Mr. Pickholtz is the author of the book entitled “Endogamy: One Family, One People.” This book explores the topic of Jewish genetic genealogy and how it relates to the topic of endogamy.

            

Endogamy, for those readers who are not familiar with the term, simply means marrying mainly with in the tribe. In other words, Jews married and consequently reproduced only within the limits of the local community. As many of the fans of Jewish genealogy already know, Eastern European Jews spent their lives living in small little villages refer to as shtetls. Thus Jews reproduced within a very tight gene pool. When reviewing your DNA results in terms of countries of origin, when you spot European Jewish, you found a very accurate feature of your genetic history. This is unique for Jews of Eastern European descent. This is all the result of endogamy since the Jewish bloodlines have been kept very finite.

This presentation will take place on Thursday, August 4, 2016 at the public library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Main Library, third floor. The presentation will begin at 12:00PM to 2:00PM. The library is located at 800 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. Please make plans and mark your calendars now to join us for what promises to be a very exciting presentation.

DNA video now on website

Many people were unable to come to our program on January 25 due to bad weather and road conditions. However, a video of Part 1, Using DNA to Enhance Your Genealogy, is now available on our website. Thanks go to Kathy Reed, HCGS Program Director, and to John Tholking, HCGS Digital Resources Committee member, for recording this program. Enjoy!

Update: Part 2, Using DNA to Enhance Your Genealogy is now available. The second part discusses the three main companies that currently accept DNA samples for genealogical purposes:
Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA, and 23andMe.

Submitted by Jenny Davis

DNA and Genealogy at the OGS Conference

Note: This post is a copy of a post written for the OGS Conference Blog. 

You can visit the Conference Blog at http://ogs.org/blog.

Have you considered using DNA to support your genealogical research? Have you had success? Are you overwhelmed by the science? Afraid of possible revelations about your health? I can answer yes to all of these questions. However, it's something that I think will become an increasingly useful tool in our genealogical toolbox -- and something I want to understand better.

In keeping with the theme of this conference, the planners included a track on DNA and genealogy.

Colleen Fitzpatrick is leading half of the sessions in this track. As I was not familiar with her, I was led to do a little research. Colleen is the author of Genetic Genealogy and DNA and Genealogy, two best-sellers in genetic genealogy. Despite her expertise, she lists her talks as appropriate for "all levels."  Her talks are "appropriate for you whether you are having trouble spelling DNA or are an old hand at genetic genealogy." She has been involved in the ID of an unknown child on the Titanic, and work related  to Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln. To quote her bio, she has done "extensive professional work on DNA identification with the military, law enforcement, the Center for Human Identification, Harvard University, and many other well-known organizations."

Ugo Allesandro Perego is presenting two sessions. I was able to find a link to his site. A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. He, too, has an extensive resume. Nora Galvin will discuss DNA testing for genealogical purposes, the testing process, what the results look like and what they mean.

There will also be a DNA Roundtable sponsored by Family Tree DNA. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, learn which DNA test to take, decide how many markers to test and determine how to best utilize the results.

All for the price of one conference admission!  Hope to see you there.

Submitted by:
Kathy Reed

Comments? I encourage you to leave a question or comment. I will do my best to find the answer.