ISOGG Newsletter June 2009

Vol. 2 No. 6 Jun 2009

From the Director - What are you missing?: DNA meetings and conferences
     This past weekend was the Southern California Genealogical Society's 40th Jamboree; an annual conference bringing together speakers, vendors and genealogists from around the world. For the past four years, Jamboree has provided the largest venue for genetic genealogy west of the Mississippi if not on the entire North American continent. SCGS has been a frontrunner and should serve as a model to follow for other societies in educating members about using DNA for genealogical purposes. SCGS hosts quarterly DNA Interest Group meetings, administers its own DNA project and has more articles on DNA in its journal, "The Searcher" than in any other genealogy society publication. If you did not attend this year's Jamboree, then you missed two DNA speeches by Bennett Greenspan, the President of Family Tree DNA, and other DNA talks given by Cheri Mello, Tony Burroughs, and 23andMe's Joanna Mountain. Blogger Stephen Danko shared his DNA successes during the Son of Blogger summit, and there were drawings for free DNA test kits along with discounted DNA test prices at well.
     While it may not be fiscally or geographically possible for you to attend Jamboree, you should try to attend any genetic genealogy speeches or meetings in your area. Not only are these talks and meetings educational and informative, but can also provide the opportunity for you to ask questions directly and network with others in the genetic genealogy community.
     And if you are a DNA Project Administrator with Family Tree DNA, you should plan to attend the next International Conference on Genetic Genealogy slated for early Fall 2010 and traditionally located in Houston, Texas. This conference offers a variety of speakers and topics for all levels of genetic genealogy from beginning to advanced. Outside of the United States, ISOGG volunteers have held DNA meetings, talks, and have hosted booths in the Bahamas, Brasil, Canada, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Wales to name a few. There may be an ISOGG Regional Coordinator or Speaker near you so check our listing for contact info. No matter where you reside, if there is not a speaker or meeting in your area, contact us at isogg@msn.com and we can contact our membership to see about setting something up.

-Katherine Borges
ISOGG Director

Kelly Sisters FGS Results Update
by William R. Hurst

     In 2003, William 'Bill" Hurst first posted about his use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing to verify a theory that two women with the surname of Kelly were sisters. The testing proved successful as the descendants tested from each woman matched. Bill has compiled a webpage and was interviewed on RootsTelevision regarding the story and the following is the most recent installment in this ongoing success story:
     "I have received the Full Genomic Sequence (FGS) results for my two cousins descended from Catherine Kelly Lindsey and Martha Kelly Runyon. They matched perfectly with HVR; they still match perfectly with the FGS. Ancestral H1. This would be my father's mtDNA.
     But the major new result is that since their mother was Elizabeth Cummins Kelly, I had found and tested a descendant of Rachel Cummins Hurst (not my line) who came from Loudoun County, VA. Rachel Cummins Hurst's father was Joseph Cummins, wife unknown. He moved with his daughters and William Hurst from Loudoun County to SW Virginia sometime between the Hurst-Cummins marriage and the 1810 Montgomery County census. This descendant differed on 16183C. But now the FGS has her exactly the same as the above. Family Tree DNA actually lists them as exact FGS matches, disregarding the 16183C, which is a very iffy mutation not always used in trees. Since Rachel's husband was another William Hurst in Wythe County, VA, along with my William, both of whom had sons named William; I had to research that family. First to separate them from my line, but later, to prove the Y-DNA connections. Now I have 850 new cousins. Next time somebody says mtDNA can't help in finding relatives, I beg to differ. I've also added two generations to my maternal line.
     There are three other exact FGS matches. The one from Norway is certainly too far back. But another has southwest Virginia paternal ancestors, at least. I don't think he has much on the maternal line. The connection could be from there, or back to Northern VA. Haven't heard from the third one.
     None of this would have happened if my cousin Joe hadn't written my aunt in 1983 that he thought the Kellys were probably sisters (which wouldn't have happened if my great-grandfather hadn't married first cousins), if I hadn't been sent my grandmother's genealogy book with a Cummins listed as her great grandmother, and if Rachel Cummins hadn't married someone named William Hurst."

For more DNA success stories or to submit yours, visit:
http://www.isogg.org/successstories.htm

Whats NEW in ISOGG

DNA in the News

Rockford man uses DNA testing, Internet searches to find his birth father
- mlive.com - 21 Jun 2009
DNA could illuminate Islam’s lineage
- The National - 18 Jun 2009
Bideford Mayor's DNA plan to prove Founding Fathers' theory
- North Devon Gazette - 17 Jun 2009
New 'Molecular Clock' Aids Dating Of Human Migration History
- Science Daily - 4 Jun 2009

For more articles:
http://www.isogg.org/newsarchives.htm

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