David Owen Thomas, From Wales To Virginia Blaenau Ffestiniog, Meirionnydd, Cymru, or Anglecized as Festiniog, Merioneth[shire], Wales, is a small town in north central Wales, located in the Snowdonia National Park. In the late 18th century slate was discovered in the area. The slate quarrying and mining industry that resulted brought many workers from northern … Read more
By Leighton D’AntoniAssistant Criminal District Attorney in Dallas County Forensic investigative genetic genealogy (abbreviated FIGG, IGG, or FGG) is a groundbreaking tool in the field of criminal investigations.[1] It is revolutionizing the way DNA evidence is utilized while giving law enforcement the confidence to solve previously unsolvable violent crimes. Reflecting this confidence and enthusiasm, one investigator … Read more
Greenville police have announced a break in the decades-old murder of an infant known as Julie Valentine. Chief Ken Miller said Brook Graham, 53, was charged with homicide by neglect after 5 p.m. Wednesday. Graham is being held without bond. Miller called the crime an “unfortunate and terrible murder of a defenseless infant,” and credited … Read more
Recently NBC had an article on their website called, “Why DNA tourism may be the big travel trend of 2019.” They begin the article with, “These are your cousins. You will probably spend the night with them,” but this can be misleading when discussing DNA tourism. The article discusses how the increased DNA testing at … Read more
Isn’t it funny how one insignificant thing can lead to something clever and resourceful? I received an email from Marc McDermott of the Genealogy Explained website regarding a link on my page to the Board for Certifications of Genealogists, Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS) that was broken. The BCG had redesigned their site a few months back, and for some reason … Read more
“[I]t will be beyond the skies when Jesse W. Steele, private, company G, Third Texas Infantry, kisses the lips of that ‘mother o’ mine,’ for Monday Morning at 11 o’clock he got his summons to appear before the Great General in the final court marshal.”[1] The newspaper article from the 13 February 1917 Houston Post describes how Jesse … Read more
Many of us take a DNA test to find our heritage, our family, and sometimes our potential health risks, but what happens when we discover the unexpected in the DNA results? I have been helping a client with locating her birth father through DNA testing. [1] Her mother had always said Joe was the birth father, and … Read more
I am going to say something that may come across as confrontational; we are not responsible for our forefather’s sins. History is History After watching several of the genealogy shows it amazes me that the people on them celebrate their ancestors who pushed the limits of the law and ideas of the time, whether it … Read more
The Elijah Edens Brick Wall Each family tree has a brick wall, and most of the time it is on one of the main paternal or maternal lines. For my family research that brick wall is Elijah Edens, born about 1810, probably in Virginia. In the more than 20 years I have been researching Elijah … Read more
Bad genealogy research appears to be popping its ugly head all around lately, in message boards, in conversations, online, and even in lectures. I was contacted by a distant cousin asking if I knew anything about a Martin Van Buren Edens who had served in the Union army. I looked in my tree and did … Read more