Tuesday, January 7, 2014

DNA has always interested me, but I didn't know that much about it. Most of what I read was related to Y Dna, which is passed down from father to son. After becoming obsessed with the PBS program "Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." and watching the "23andMe" commercials over and over again asking if I knew how much Neanderthal I was, I decided to take the plunge. I prepared myself in advance for what I might find out. Scott and I sent our our precious DNA (spit) through the mail. Then, the long wait began for our Autosomal DNA results. As the weeks went by, the more excited I became. I filled out our 23andMe family trees and answered oodles of health related surveys. Finally, the big day arrived! After six weeks of waiting, I found out that I am 100% European and 3.1 percent of my DNA is Neanderthal. Wow! I am in the 96th percentile among European users!




Scott and I both had nearly 1000 DNA cousins.  Some even as close as 2nd and 3rd degree.  Now came the part of figuring out how I was related to so many people.  Fun, fun, fun!  




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Saturday, January 4, 2014


My grandparents Harold Adolf Britton and Marion Clara Jones on their wedding day



I had never thought much, really, about who I am, where I came from and the people before me that helped mold me, my parents and my grandparents into the people we have become, and became, until a family mystery that Scott (my significant other) and I were told peaked our interest.

As I researched Scott's family, I was intrigued by what I was finding.  Scott and I cyber traveled to Minnesota, Canada and Leicestershire, England.  A 100 year old mystery was being solved and around every corner was another surprise.  We are now in contact with relatives from England, California and Minnesota that we had no idea existed, nor did we know Scott's great grandfather had 3 siblings that all had children, grand children and, of course great grand children, and so on.  This peaked my interest in finding out more about my own family.

So my journey began...

I knew my paternal grandparents were Danish, Welsh and Scot Irish.  My Gramma Britton told me stories about being related to Daniel Boone, Pennsylvania Dutch and Quakers on my Scot Irish grampa's side (I think there was a little bit of German thrown in there too).  Her mother's family came from Denmark and her father's family came from Wales.  That about sum's it up.  She also told me that my great Aunt Jean had done a lot of research and was a Daughter of the American Revolution.  The stories always sparked my interest and I loved hearing them again and again.

I only knew on my maternal side, that my mother is half German and half Swedish and grew up in Wisconsin. This has been a bit more difficult to trace.  Until DNA, that is...  I now am in contact with a German 5th cousin, who helped me connect my family to hers/ours.  Another cousin from Stockholm, Sweden is helping me with my Swedish side.

Follow me through Montana, North Dakota, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and on to England, Denmark, Wales, Ireland, Germany and many other countries.  Through murder, slavery, the Civil War, the American Revolution, a hanging, kings and queens and more.