Springfield, MA USA
dave@oldbones.info

Category: DNA

Family Research - Classes - Workshops - Consultation

RootsTech 2021 – Here I Come!

Considering that RootsTec 2020 was so phenomenally successful (and no surprise), I’ve already decided that RootsTech 2021 is where I need to be next February 3-6 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is a genealogist’s Nirvana! The largest, most well attended convention of family history researchers, vendors of genealogical products and software and a place…
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Happy Ending or Happy Beginning – A DNA Success Story

Debra knew from a very early age that she was adopted. Her mother and father provided an incredibly  loving environment where she could grow and thrive. And that’s exactly what she did! While it may sound unusual, when she was 3 years old her Mom sat her down and gently explained that some mothers were…
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Genealogy Conferences – NERGC and OGS

Here are some updates on genealogy conferences and my personal involvement with at least two of them. First, a little report on the NERGC conference held in Manchester, New Hampshire back in April. NERGC is the acronym for the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium. It’s a whole lot easier to just pronounce it “NERK!” An…
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Genealogy Conferences – Another Level of Self-Eduation

I’ve talked about conferences many times. At Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society as well as Connecticut Society of Genealogisists we’ve had presentations about why you would want to attend a conference. My shortcut answer is this: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Regardless of how long any of us have been researching our own families…
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A Powerful Challenge for Adoptees to Overcome

Recently, I’ve been involved with a few clients who are themselves adopted or have a family member in their recent past who had been adopted. Thus, I feel compelled to bring a few interesting facts to everyone’s attention. Once again I’ll be discussing a particular use of the results of DNA testing. The focus, though,…
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DNA Deals Galore

With acknowledgment to Thomas MacEntee of Genealogy Bargains, I would l ike to share the excellent “deals” on the most popular DNA testing kits from the top testing companies that he was able to put together. FamilyTreeDNA is advertising their “Family Finder” kit for $49 reflecting a $30 savings. Click here to take advantage of…
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DNA Testing Advice

A friend who is also a client was asked some questions about DNA by her friend. She referred that friend to me who didn’t have time for a telephone conversation for a brief consult as we had mutually conflicting schedules.  She asked for a simple email to help her make some decisions. Well, that’s not…
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DNA Testing – But Which Test and Which Company?

Many people ask me about DNA testing. My first response is to try to determine why they want to test. Looking for cousins? Looking for medical information? Looking for ancestral origins? There’s actually a test for each a fact that surprises some people and may complicate the decision making process. Taking the wrong test can…
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NERGC? What’s a NERGC?

“Using the Tools of Today & Tomorrow to Understand the Past” The New England Regional Genealogical Consortium produces a conference every other year. Each NERGC conference is held in a city somewhere in New England. Past conferences have been in Hartford, Connecticut, Manchester, New Hampshire, Providence, Rhode Island, and this year, Springfield, Massachusetts. The event…
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Saved in El Salvador – A Brave Adoption Story – A Brave DNA Story

One of the many people I’ve met while mentoring researchers at the Chicopee Library’s Genealogy Department is a 76 year old woman who has never married but has an adopted daughter. Taking on a 10 year old daughter while single is in and of itself a large challenge. But that’s just the surface of the…
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