A Quick Answer

Tonight I wanted to share just some basic updates to my research progress this week. My style of research may be different from others but it works for me. I tend to work on one set of ancestors for a while and then jump to another one, so that I may be working on four to five ancestors at one given time. I like to work on one for a little while and then move to another. I find when I come back around to the first one I often find something I may have overlooked the first time around.
This week I have been working on finding more information about Charles Eaton SMITH. I have sent for a copy of the Will of one William SMITH who I believe to be Charles father. I will update once that document arrives via mail.
I have been looking through my DNA cousin matches and there are several names that appear over and over that I cannot account for. I have one grandmother (shes a 2nd Great Grandmother to be exact that I know nothing about. So it could be that those names connect to her in some way. As you progress back through your family tree with each generations the amount of grandparents you have doubles, so you can imagine my dilemma, I likely will find several grandparents in her line.
Tonight I was doing some research after having triangulated some matches on Gedmatch website and those names popped up once again. Apparently somewhere I have some ancestors with the surnames: QUICK, CHILDERS, REED, TAYLOR, DIXON and quite a few others. I just have a sneaking feeling that these tie into either my elusive grandmother Lucinda SMITH (maiden name unknown) or my SMITH line.
That is the funny thing about autosomal DNA testing. Sometimes I get the impression that folks really do not understand what it is that they are getting into when they have their DNA tested. They expect microwave answers and its not that easy. It takes a lot of work on your part. Over 80% of my matches do not have family trees posted back beyond their great grandparents and most if they do, do not have every one listed. Most of the time I have to take whatever names, dates and locations they have and recreate their family tree in order to locate my connection. Sometimes I get lucky and can find a recent obituary or an entry on Find a Grave that will give me a head start.
If I were new to genealogy I would be totally lost with all these terms and definitions surrounding DNA and genealogy in general. I can certainly see where some folks may get frustrated and just quit all together. Its a lot of hard work, but the efforts are so worth it in the end.
For instance just on the site 23andMe I have 1055 Cousins listed. Two of them list the surname: QUICK, 16 list the surname REED, 20 list the surname TAYLOR, 7 list the surname DIXON, 4 list the surname STANLEY, 52 list the surname SMITH and I could go on and on but you get the idea. Half of these folks like I stated above do not have a family tree to share and therefore I am left to have to take what little info they give me and recreate their tree which takes time,before I can even begin to figure out how they may match to me. This for me, has become a full time job. Until next time, happy hunting!