Special price at 23andMe

Now is the time to order. For $99 you get the full 23andMe offering for both health and genealogy, and contribute to research as well. Go to 23andMe.

Breakthrough in Human Genome Studies

The New York Times' lead story today is about the incredible advances just announced in the study of human disease and traits. The story can be found here. Another excellent story is in Discover magazine. The discovery of "switches" in what was once considered "junk DNA" that control how cells, organs and other tissues behave may finally lead to understanding the complexities of cancer, depression, high blood pressure and many other health issues that are difficult to predict and treat.

New Video Channel

I was thrilled to find a new video channel sponsored by Family Tree DNA, my favorite company for DNA testing for genealogical purposes. There are several videos that explain and describe many aspects of DNA testing: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU-e1BqfubuSdFPHauQwZmlg&feature=plcp

Enjoy!

Great Research Aid

I have to share with all of you a very exciting resource. Go to http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/ for free access to this collection. You can, for example, search all the archives available in any city you choose. Or you can search on a name and see where that name is found in records held by all the archives in the system. Remember, all archives do not necessarily belong to Worldcat, but many do and you may not be aware of some that are in your own backyard, or in areas where your ancestors lived. I certainly did not know of many that turned up in a simple search of a single surname.

Happy ancestor hunting!

Brand new DNA test!

Exciting News from Family Tree DNA and National Geographic Today!

Read all about what new information you can learn about yourself and relatives. Visit https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/ and follow these bloggers to keep up to date with developments as they happen:

www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com

http://dna-explained.com/2012/07/25/national-geographic-geno-2-0-announcement-the-human-story/

http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/07/national-geographic-announces-new-dna.html

Genealogy on TV

"Finding your Roots" will launch on March 25. The following is a quote from the website http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/:

About the Series

The basic drive to discover who we are and where we come from is at the core of the new 10-part PBS series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the 12th series from Professor Gates, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Filmed on location across the United States, the series premieres nationally Sundays, March 25 – May 20 at 8 pm ET on PBS (check local listings).

Tipple or Teeple family -- Mystery #3

A man named Johann Peter Diewel (Diepel, Diebel, Dipel) and one named Johannes Diewel (Diebel, Tibel, Teeple) came to New York in 1710 with the Palatine movement. The first family moved north to the Hudson Valley; the second stayed in the New York City and then went to New Jersey. Were they related and, if so, how?

We are seeking male descendants of these men to compare their Y-DNA. Can you help?

Family Tree DNA and MyHeritage

Family Tree DNA continues to expand its global leadership in the field of genetic genealogy, most recently partnering with MyHeritage, a worldwide leader with 62 million members. This builds upon its association with the National Geographic/Genographic Project, its purchase of DNA Heritage and its ever-growing database that is the largest of its kind in the world.

If you're looking for reading material that's interesting and informative, check out Megan Smolenyak's new books: Hey, America, Your Roots are Showing and Who do You Think You Are? at Megan's website: Honoring Our Ancestors.

Megan is an expert in both genealogy and DNA, especially as it pertains to genealogy.

Samuel Worden b. 1745 -- Mystery #2

Samuel was probably born in Stonington, CT (or perhaps in Westchester County, NY), a son of Daniel> Samuel II> Dr. Samuel> Peter II> Peter I b. abt 1576 in Lancashire, England. Very little is known of him except that he had at least three sons, John, William and Edward, and probably also had Jesse P. b. 1772, Leonard b. 1776 and Ebenezer b. abt 1780. Jesse P. left Westchester County and is found in Dutchess County but soon moves on to Michigan with his wife Elizabeth Warren. Leonard settled in the Town of Clinton in Dutchess County where he married Amy Montross. No trace has been found of Ebenezer, although an Ebenezer b. 1809 is found in Ulster County, NY.

Clues, anyone?

Have you tested with 23andMe?

If so, you can upload your test results to Family Tree DNA to vastly expand your matching possibilities. There are restrictions, so visit my favorite DNA blog: Your Genetic Genealogist for details.

More genealogy on TV

"Who Do You Think You Are?" is back at NBC on Friday evenings.

Henry Gates is readying a new show, "Finding Your Roots", to be aired on public TV starting in March. Check out this video tonight: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2012/02/04/gupta-henry-louis-gates.cnn.

Henry Tigges born 1846/1847 Prussia -- Mystery #1

Where in Prussia? And who were his parents?

He immigrated to America in 1866 and is first found married to Augusta Ernestine Stark b. 17 Oct 1853 in Stargard, Prussia (probably the one now found in Poland). Their only child, Mary (Maria), was b. 27 Dec 1875 in New York City. The family later moved to Oregon. Henry and his daughter returned to the east coast after Augusta died 15 Jan 1890. Henry remarried in New Jersey and died in 1904.