They all do it: holiday sales for DNA tests. While more people testing helps those of us who have already tested, taking a test without giving a thought to the drama that could result is not necessarily advised. There’s a chance that someone taking a test will discover family facts of which they were not aware and that could create a little bit of modern-day family drama. Not everyone wants that drama and not everyone wants to know those details. A DNA test could indicate half-siblings that were unknown or a previously unknown child or grandchild of a sibling of a parent or grandparent. Not everyone will react the same way to this news. Respect the wishes of someone who does not wish to test. It’s their right […]
I recently was looking for a christening record in a rural Nebraska church and after finding it, I browsed the other confirmation records for about a twenty year period in the late 19th century. Every entry had the place of birth and baptism for the person being confirmed. The church was in an area that had been open for settlement for perhaps ten or so years. Virtually all the young adults being confirmed had been born “back east” or “across the pond.” Viewing those records gave me insight into the migratory patterns of early settlers in the area–or at least those who were members of the church in question. That insight would never have been obtained if I had simply looked at the one record of interest and […]
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