Genealogy chit chat

I am really enjoying researching my family tree. Did my DNA test earlier this year. Recently had a very close match - it was a second cousin who had never known who his biological father was until now. Amazing stuff.

1500s is a long way back, well done! It helps if you have unusual surnames to work with doesn't it. I'm half Welsh, so lots of Jones's, Williams's, Davies's, etc.

I have been working on my genealogy for years and keep hitting dead ends. And I just got my DNA back yesterday, and what a surprise!

My mother, her parents, a several siblings immigrated in 1920 from Lebanon (then part of Turkey.) I know this, have the documents, marriage license, immigration records, church records, etc. But cannot get genealogy info from the middle East because you have to be a son of a son to access. (yes, very patriarchal).

Mr Father's parents came from Canada, and their parents came from Scotland in the late 19th century. I have all the documentation, and can trace back to Scotland to 1845.

But my DNA says I am 20% Iberian (Spain/Portugal). I am so confused!!

Back in mid-August, one of the Peas posted that the census records were open for free searching for a week. My paternal grandfather does not discuss his family. I met one of his brothers a few times as a child and had knowledge that he has a sister in a neighboring town. There were rumors of a last name change made by my grandfather and possibly something terrible happening to his dad that might be the reason for it. There were stories between my dad and his brothers that it might have been a suicide. My grandpa’s mom was alive much longer than anyone knew and only found out when grandpa told my grandma and my dad one morning that he’d be taking the day off (family business) to attend his mother’s funeral. No one knew she was still alive at that point. We’ve respected my grandpa’s silence and won’t push him to answer anything, but if I can quietly piece things together, I’m satisfied. It’s been a consistent topic with my brothers and cousins our whole adult lives.

Well, those census records gave me a bunch of answers. My family is from Minnesota and has been since coming over from Norway. I have lived near Chicago for the last 15 years. In the 1930 census, I was able to see my great-grandparents’ names along with the names of my grandpa and his 4 siblings. By the 1940 census, my great-grandfather’s name was gone from the census and my great-grandma had a different last name. I sent the info I found to my brothers via text and not long later my brother sent a link to my great-grandfather’s grave at Find A Grave. He died right after the 1930 census and just days before my grandpa turned 3.

I ordered a copy of my great-grandpa’s death certificate the morning after I found the info. I was able to wipe out the suicide rumor which made us all feel a little easier about digging around. He died at the VA hospital of Hodgkin’s. The VA hospital where he died is 35 miles from where I currently live! The death certificate arrived the morning I left for the long drive back to my hometown. I brought it back with me when I went to visit over Labor Day. My aunt (married to Dad’s brother) and cousins have seen it. My aunt thought I should show grandpa, but I just couldn’t. We were celebrating his 90th and I didn’t want to tarnish that in any way if he reacted badly to my digging around in the past. She thinks he’ll be ok with it because he’s been visiting his sister a few times a month since my grandma passed 10 years ago. He brought my aunt with him a couple times. But, he’s never told me about the visits so I’m not sure. We talk frequently so he’s had plenty of opportunities to bring it up, if he wanted to. Damn stoic old men and their buttoned lips.

I’m a couple generations back on both my great grandmother’sand great grandfather’s sides and into the Norwegian records. I’m slightly stuck, but think I can find some help through the Sons of Norway chapter near my hometown. I just haven’t gotten around to making those connections. I’m so much farther along than I was a month ago!

ETA: I did my DNA through Ancestry this summer. There was nothing shocking there. My reasons for that are looking to see if anything pings on my mother’s birth father. He and my grandma were never married. Grandma told me his name once and it was never spoken of after that. We will see if anything ever pops there.

My first thought, would be what the previous poster mentioned about older generations migrating from somewhere else.  And with doing know research about the actual likelihood, it wouldn't shock me that Middle Eastern people could have Iberian DNA considering their histories.  Way, way back the Phoenicians would have had movement back and forth.  I would also look to the Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula from 700-1400 and the eventual expulsion of the Muslims from the region.  You could have a group of ethnically Iberian ancestors who embraced Islam, and lived in an area under traditionally Arab rule, and could have moved to the area where you know your Mother's family came from when the Muslims were expelled.  If it was a larger group of people who relocated (as opposed to a single family), that DNA could have kept mingling throughout the area for the next 500 years.  So without focusing on your specific family, what do you know about that area of the Middle East, historically? 

Yes! My oldest son has been showing interest in learning about our family tree so I showed him how to use some of the more popular sites. One tree we pulled up showed some family members that are very-much-alive as deceased. They even had dates associated that they were using as verification that they died. A whole section of our tree was like someone intentionally screwed it all up. 

My mother's family is driving me crazy. I have info as far back as my great great grandparents, but that's as far as I can get. Burnt down courthouses and many people from the area with the same name have me at an impasse. It's also looking like my great grandmother was never married to my great grandfather. I don't think I'm getting any farther on that line.

I have one couple whose branches are so convoluted that I don't know where to turn any more.

They appear married on one census, with a son. At different places & times their children are listed, but the son, at least with that name, is never seen again. Nor is there any sign that he died.

Furthermore, this couple eventually divorced. And between them, there were 5 other spouses throughout the years. And other children. Some children I have worked out both parents, and others I am clueless. Plus, the woman changed her name more often than she changed her husbands! And then the children had multiple marriages and children, too. And they also use various different names.

And unfortunately, it's one of those cases where one siblings from one family marry siblings from another, so even though this couple is an aunt & uncle to me, not grandparents, I am related to both the man & the woman. So I have them both, plus all of their mixed up progeny, on two branches of my overall tree. It's a nightmare.

I am adopted and sent away for my DNA back in July. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I got my results quite quickly, and ended up hitting an almost jackpot. I have a copy of my post adoption birth certificate with my mothers married and maiden name, and the name of her husband. My DNA came back with a very close match to 2 people. The closest match ( I believe) is an Aunt. And most all of the matches are very French Canadian which surprised me. I made contact with the person who manages the aunts profile and they responded quickly saying they would assist my search, I sent additional dates and locations, and then they ceased communications. I think her brother (who is deceased) was my real birth father, and not the man named on my birth certificate. I have not been successful in finding anything on my birth mother yet. Very frustrating.