DNA True Story

Pearl Olma Showalter Frantz rejected her baby daughter shortly after birth (1935). She believed the hospital “mixed up the babies” and she took home “the wrong baby.” The daughter was raised by her mother (and father) but there was no affection. Eager to get the girl out of the home, she was married off (age fifteen) to an illiterate legally blind young man. The fifteen year old was ill-prepared for marriage and suffered an emotional breakdown. After a few months, the marriage was annulled. Decades later, when the woman received the results from her Ancestry DNA test, the very first “cousin” listed was a Showalter first-cousin. The woman never doubted her Showalter/Frantz ancestry; DNA confirmed it.

Recently, I wrote about the expense to participate in family history on MyHeritage. Here are a series of blog messages that direct the reader to “free” information. I hasten to say, “Research and publication by another individual; I’m just the ‘pipeline’ for information.”

Day 1: Family Search

Day 2: National Archives

Day 3: Seeking Michigan

Day 4: WikiTree

Day 5: West Virginia Division of Culture and History

Day 6: Central Michigan University Digital Collection

Day 7: Find A Grave

Day 8: Missouri Digital Heritage

Day 9: Winthrop Society

Day 10: American Ancestors

Day 11: Google Search

Day 12: Facebook pages and groups

Day 13: General Society of Mayflower Descendants

Day 14: Soule Kindred in America

Family Search offers free online United States and Canada Genealogy Research Seminar

Day 15: Black Sheep Ancestors

Google Search tips  for Better Results

Day 16: Germanna Foundation, First Colony and Second Colony

Meyersgaz Update Gives German Researchers New Search Tool Family History

Day 17: Wing Family of America

William Hunter Cavendish Revolutionary War Soldier

Selfishly, let me add my “free” websites: Digitized Library of Family History and Frantz Families–Kith & Kin. On my Digitized Library of Family History, I list many resources valuable to Brethren, Old German Baptist Brethren and Mennonite researchers.

Extremely useful: Cyndi’s List

Extremely pleasant morning; worked for several hours in my “yarden.” Confession: I had to wear a sweater for about an hour!!

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Time to spend less time on the computer and more time cleaning house??

You’ve heard of “progressive dinners”? This will be a “progressive message” (I’ll build on it in the future). MyHeritage was quick and thorough. Within hours receiving my report, I received links to individuals identified as family members. Good news: Just today (10 Oct 2017) I received notification regarding a mutual link to my great-great-grandfather, Noah David Showalter (1826-1908).

Bad news: In order to contact this “cousin,” I need to upgrade to a Premium account–for $6.88/month (billed annually). ~~ I’m already paying (dearly) for Ancestry.com; I don’t want to build another family tree on another website!! ~~ My AncestryDNA.com is another story that I will save for another blog.

That’s the way the Houston TV-meteorologist described our day.

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The “power problem” is decades-old power system here at CARE. That “problem” may have contributed to my burned out A/C motor?

Tuesday, Oct. 10. 2017: the “power problem” may have damaged my “old” laptop. It’s really sick and I’m shopping for another computer. Yes, I have the laptop purchased in March but it is dedicated to the scanning project and digitized library of family history. This old computer has thousands of pictures, hundreds of clip art, and many years blog messages.

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Put to work at CARE on October 8, 2013.

Rainy Saturday

Housekeeping

Lorraine’s a winner

Expect the unexpected.

Never a dull moment

For your amusement

First full day volunteering.

Menu

Silver linings; bright horizons.

…the October issue of Mennonite Family History. My article “Torn Between Two Worlds“ is on the inside cover (next to picture [simulated] of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to a Catholic Church door, 500 years ago). On pages 209-212, a very interesting article by cousin Dwayne Wrightsman titled Jacob Meyer and Michael Frantz, Leaders of the Little Swatara Congregation, but Were They also Brothers-in-law?. 

Another “cousin” owns and publishes Mennonite Family History. I’m blessed because cousin Lois Ann reached out to me requesting the story (Torn Between Two Worlds) after reading it on my blog. She urged me to be a “contributing editor.” I’ve been preparing several articles for future issues. Postscript to “Do Something Nice Today” may find its way into print?!

…let me (proudly) introduce you to my fifth great-uncle, Levi Coffin. He is identified as “President of the Underground Railroad.”  Here is just one, of many, articles about the Underground Railroad. Check this article, in Wikipedia, regarding Levi Coffin. Read Reminisces of Levi Coffin. (I read Reminisces… to my mother while she resided in a convalescent home. This is her ancestry. Furthermore, I enjoyed sharing Life and Travels of Addison Coffin [my third great-uncle].) 

There are bad apples in every barrel?! Indian Agent William G. Coffin is mentioned in The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War. It was my intention to quickly add his name to this message. Seriously, I spent hours searching for him on Ancestry.com. I was so frustrated because he had a role in history. I’m not exaggerating; I spent hours!! It was such a challenge I could not “walk away.” Finally, I turned to the 219 page booklet I published (in 1992) with my Coffin family lineage (which includes Paddock). On pages 151-153 of  Coffin Family Reunion & Our Island Ancestors, I found William Gaston Coffin. Armed with the correct name, there are many records available. My information came from Coffin Family Newsletter(s), 1985, 1987. It’s all there (all the dirty details), in Our Island Ancestors. William Gaston Coffin is my first cousin four times removed. ~~ My emphasis is directed to the good men named Coffin: Levi and Addison.

Here’s a peculiarity: William Gaston Coffin’s son, Elihu (1836-?1904?), is Lorraine’s second cousin three times removed through the Coffin family BUT great-grandniece to both of Elihu’s wives through Smith family.

Two hundred tasks (+/-) await my time and attention. However, I am researching on Ancestry.com and updating information in my database. Furthermore, I added some hyperlinks to yesterday’s blog message. Many, many years ago I learned the value of documenting sources for my family history. I religiously followed the professional way to list a source; the “habit” will follow me to my grave.

Were the names Ilo Fisher and Jess Monteith a figment of an old lady’s imagination? Did she really remember those names after twenty-seven years? Today, I added them to my ancestry family tree (and the links to the earlier blog message). The reader can double-check my recollection.