The results are in!

Things have been a bit crazy for me, so I’ve been way behind in making this post. Like I last posted, my DNA results started to process on April 8th. I was expecting to wait 6-8, as I was advised, for the results, but instead had to wait less than a month. 2 weeks and 2 days to be exact – April 24th.

Family Tree: AncestryDNA Ethnicity Estimate

My results are pretty much spot on what I thought they would be. I already knew that I had ancestors from England, Russia/Poland, Ireland and Sweden. The only actual surprise was that I didn’t get a percentage for Ireland itself. I know I have 2 direct ancestors (both male great-great-something grandfathers) that came from Ireland, but since you only get 50% DNA from each parent, it probably reduced itself enough that I get nothing. If there’s ever the chance (and by that I mean financially) to get one or both of my siblings tested, I’d love to have take the test so I can compare our percentages.

I currently have 216 pages of matches (and I believe there is 50 names per page). I have one 3rd cousin match, about 4 pages of 4th cousins (one of which I already knew about… hi Kimberlee!) and the rest are distant cousins (5-8th cousin ranges). Of all those matches, only 2 have a shared ancestor hint with me. One is the cousin I already knew about and even though AncestryDNA says she is a 4th cousin, we are actually 2nd cousins (we have the same great-grandfather) and the other is a 5-8th cousin match. I have not contacted this match, but based on what info is shown, we share 7th great-grandparents.

I’m still trying to figure out how to sort the results (like if they are from my mother or father’s side) and what to say to them, etc. So more updates on that as it get’s started.

AncestryDNA: It’s Processing!

Family Tree: AncestryDNA Processing

I sent my DNA sample off in the mail exactly a week ago and I got an email today saying the lab has received my sample. Now I just have to wait the 6-8 weeks for the results. My patience is going to go nuts waiting.

AncestryDNA & House Party

I’m so excited! I was picked to host an AncestryDNA Family History House Party!

AncestryDNA Family History Party

The party isn’t until the beginning of June, but this one has some activities to do beforehand. Within the next week or two, I’ll be receiving a DNA test kit from Ancestry.com in the mail. Once I send in the test it takes approximately 6-8 weeks to receive the results. Which puts us right around the beginning of June.

I just got picked a few days ago, so I have no idea what kind of theme I’m going to do, what foods to make, etc. My mom’s birthday is a few days before the scheduled party date, so I’m considering combining the 2 to make it easier for everyone to get together.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun – A Fearless Females Prompt

Genealogy is Fun

Post prompt is from Randy at Genea-Musings.

1) Read Lisa Alzo’s blog post Back for a Fourth Year: Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month on her blog, The Accidental Genealogist. [The post is from last year, but Lisa’s using the same list this year.]

2) Choose one of her daily blog prompts from the list (you could choose the March 8th prompt or choose another), and write about it.

3) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a Facebook post or a Google+ post.

I chose the prompt from March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

My Family Tree: family fun in 1951

This photo contains not just one, but 5 female ancestors. There is a 6th women in the photo, but she is related to me by marriage while the rest are all blood related.

The people in the photo are (from left to right, top to bottom):
Harriet (Goodman) Rice, Benjamin Silverstein, Muriel (Forman) Silverstein, Phillip Silverstein, Sarah Silverstein, Rose Silverstone, Ella (Silverstein) Goodman, Mollie (Goodman) Silverstein and Jim Silverstone.

Harriet, 19, is a 1st cousin.
Benjamin, 60, is my maternal great-grandfather.
Muriel, 23, is my grandmother (Bubbie) that just passed away the other week.
Phillip, 26, is Muriel’s husband and my grandfather (Zeidi).
Sarah is Phillip’s biological sister.
Rose is the sister-in-law of Phillip.
Ella is Phillip’s half-sister and my grand-aunt.
Mollie is my paternal great-grandmother and the wife of Benjamin.
Jim is Phillip’s half-brother, my grand-uncle and the husband of Rose.

The photo is dated July 22, 1951. She’s not in the photo, but my mom was almost 2 months old at the time. It appeared to be a hot summer day in Detroit based on what some people were wearing. I selected this photo because everyone in it seems to be having a great time. They all look very happy and almost like someone told a joke just before the photo was taken.

Extra tibit: Mollie’s maiden name was Goodman and Ella married a man with the last name Goodman, but those 2 lines of Goodman families were not previously related to each other. Or if they are I have not discovered it yet.

She’s gone

This is a post I was hoping I wasn’t going to have to make for quite a while. My maternal grandmother, my Bubbie (Yiddish for grandmother), passed away this past Tuesday, February 25th at 5:05pm EST. 🙁

Her health had been rapidly declining the last month of her life. She used to love to talk on the phone, but in the last few week’s of her life she didn’t want to talk and would not answer her phone. Either a nurse at the health care/hospice she was at or a friend that was there visiting her would hold the phone up to her ear when my mom called to say hello. I was able to speak with her toward’s the end of January (one of the last times she was talking) and then last Sunday I spoke to her, told her I loved her and missed her. I knew I wouldn’t get a response, but I wanted to tell her before she left us. We didn’t know how long it was going to be (from the time her health started declining) and I’m really glad I was able to have someone there to help me talk to her one last time. I’m also thankful that she passed away in her sleep, that she went peacefully and that she is now with her husband, my Zeidi (Yiddish for grandfather).

mom_bubbie09272010
My mom and her mom (my Bubbie) – September 2011
Julie and grandparents
Me with my Bubbie & Zeidi – sometime in 1981

 She lived in Michigan (lived there her entire life), so my mom flew back East on Thursday. The funeral is tomorrow. It’s being live streamed over the internet for those who can’t be there in person. My mom’s cousin (they were born in the same year so they grew up really close) still lives in Michigan and is going to be holding the Shiva tomorrow and Monday. My mom flies back home on Wednesday.

I’ve also created a memorial page for her. Just click below.

RIP Bubbie. I love you.

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