Posts in Category ‘General Genealogy’

conversation with DNA cousin Tamu Ngina

Navigating through your many DNA matches can feel like a monumental task. Give pause when needed, but do not stop collaborating. The power in DNA testing for genetic genealogy is found within your DNA matches. Sometimes the connections are solidified from the jump. Sometimes you wait for others to join the party in order to triangulate. And sometimes knowing another person out there sharing a biological genetic link and being able to acknowledge your shared kinship is all the success you get.
 
This week I was fortunate enough to share a conversation with Tamu Ngina on her YouTube channel. Tamu is a DNA cousin I connected with in January 2017 and our precise connection is still unknown. However, we have narrowed down the possibilities. I’m related to Tamu through her father and she appears to connect to me through my maternal grandmother’s father’s side of my family. Check out our conversation on genealogy, our Ancestry DNA experience, identity and more.
 
Thank you for letting me babble Tamu Ngina – Holistic Artist.

52 ancestors in 52 weeks

Well here I am getting started at the end of the week, but none the less I am starting out on my very own 52ancestors journey. So many noteworthy things occurred after my previous blog post in June 2017, but you never heard about them here because I dropped the ball. And I am deeply sorry about that. My hope is that with this 52ancestors series I will share with you some of my research finds as they are hot off the press and of course there will be some from the archives as well, but the point is that they will be shared here.

The theme for this week was simply to start and as with all themes to interpret the theme as you wish. So for this first post I’d like to step backwards to one of those highlights in 2017 that I missed blogging about in real-time.

Nigeria.
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2017 MLK Day of Service – Youth Genealogy Program

C.A.R. Circle

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish as fools.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Indeed.

On Monday, January 16, 2017 the ChiChi-Okobee Society Children of the American Revolution hosted a half-day youth genealogy program at the Children’s Garden and Art Center. This program was made possible by a State College of Florida MLK Day of Service grant which I applied for on behalf of the Sarasota area C.A.R.

mlk2005_nolineHow about I quickly bring things up to speed before dishing out the details on the program. Shortly after joining the DAR last June I decided to to assist on the C.A.R. committee. It seemed like a common sense kind of idea considering I have two small children who I am working on getting into the C.A.R. as well. After a few months time one of my fellow Daughters shared with me a couple of grant opportunities that might be of interest. In October I applied for the MLK Day of Service grant. Just a few days before Thanksgiving I heard that my application for funding had been approved.

From that point forward until the day of the program, I worked tirelessly to develop and bring a youth based genealogy event to my community. And that in a nutshell was how the event came about and one of the many, many reasons I’ve been absent here.

Back to the C.A.R. For those who are not familiar:

C.A.R. is the nation’s oldest, largest patriotic youth organization offering membership to anyone under the ages of 21 who is lineally descended from someone who provided military or civil service or gave material aid or support to the cause of independence during the American Revolution.

C.A.R was chartered by the United States Congress in 1895, and is organized for the training of the young people in true patriotism and love of country.

Although the C.A.R. is only open to children with direct ancestral ties to the Revolution the Youth Genealogy Program was framed to assist children of any background with discovering tools and resources they may not have been previously aware of. Our C.A.R. society recognizes that no matter where your ancestry takes you knowing your lineage is important.
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fletchers of perquimans county, north carolina

Working Fletcher family DNA tree based off my research. Research is ongoing.

Working Fletcher family DNA tree based off my research. Research is ongoing.


If you have found your way to this blog and you have connections to the Fletcher family that once lived in Perquimans County, North Carolina I hope that you’ll stick around because I’m pretty sure we’re cousins. The only problem is I can’t quite tell you how or who connects us, but I will do my best to pave the way. A good many DNA clues have lead me to this hypothesis and in order to explain I’m going to have to start from the beginning.
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joining daughters of the american revolution

Standing in front of the Sara De Soto Chapter sign

Standing in front of the Sara De Soto Chapter sign

Sound the horns and throw the confetti for I am pleased to announce that I have been accepted into the Daughters of the American Revolution. For those who are unfamiliar, Daughters of the American Revolution or DAR for short is a lineage society open to any woman over the age of 18 who can prove direct lineage to a patriot who either fought or provided aid during the Revolutionary War. It is one of the oldest women’s organizations that has its core focus in three main areas: Preservation of our national history; Patriotism and love of country; Education because knowledge is key. After such a lengthy application process and exercise of the spirit of my genealogical endeavors it is such a privilege to finally be apart of this organization.

In this blog I want to share with you my reflections prior to seeking membership, my reasons for deciding to pursue membership, the application process plus how DNA assisted in my application and a word about my Revolutionary War patriot ancestor. Buckle up, because you are in for an adventure.
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