Part 8 The wonderful thing about DNA!
I'm still waiting for the day that these two known siblings try looking for family. It may be any day or may never be but I'll welcome them with open arms.
When I first learned of them I thought to myself that they wouldn't be able to find me if they do try looking for family especially since my adoption records are still sealed. But then I was introduced to DNA testing.
I started an Ancestry tree with all of my new known Ancestors and did my own research of great Ancestors and beyond. I still at the time, didn't have a lot of information on my maternal side. But I had my paternal side researched several generations back. I discovered some new distant cousins along the way. We compared Ancestors and helped each other along the way to figure out our interesting line.
I had also seen and read about DNA testing and wanted to try it but waited awhile to order a kit. I like to think about some purchases before I make them especially higher dollar purchases. I had it on my list of items I wanted though and was planning on making the purchase of a kit, when one of my distant cousins (a fifth cousin to be exact) messaged me and asked that I take the test. He was hoping that all of us could take a test to help determine and verify that we had the correct Ancestors figured out. So I told him that I was planning on purchasing one that next week anyway and would be more than happy to help out.
I also had in mind that by purchasing this DNA kit that I would definitely find out who my biological father was. I never really felt like it could be anyone else other than the one who claimed I wasn't his which was my older siblings father. But then there was the chance that it could be someone else. I would know for sure when I received my results. So I was somewhat nervous.
About a month later my results were in and I received an email letting me know. I excitedly opened up my Ancestry results. I saw my ethnicity results. I had several ethnicity's. Then I scrolled down to my cousin matches. I was only showing second cousins and beyond. I noticed that the first match was a maternal match because I recognized some of the Ancestors she had listed. I also discovered later once I messaged her, that it was a first cousin that I had already spoken with prior to Ancestry and through email. The reason that Ancestry was showing her as my second cousin was because our centimorgans were a little low for first cousins but that is because she and I share the same grandfather but not grandmother. But our grandmother's were cousins. Which I'll be talking more about our Amazing Ancestors later in this story.
So, after confirming that the first cousin match on my DNA list was a maternal cousin, I anxiously and nervously scrolled to the next cousin match on my list which at the time was showing as a second cousin match as well. I looked at his tree and low and behold he had some Ancestors that I recognized as well but this time it was on my paternal side. He was showing the same Ancestors that were connected to my biological father. The same father to my siblings. That was all the verification that I needed to know that indeed my older siblings and I were definitely full siblings.
Since that day when I sent in my DNA sample to be tested, I have had lots of other cousins that have tested with a lot of them being my father's nieces, nephews including great and second great, plus some of his cousins. And they all have matched up to the amount of CM's that the testing company uses to estimate your cousin level. Even my fifth cousin who asked me to take a DNA test was showing exactly like we had already assumed to be. Since then my sister sent in her DNA sample and her results verified that she and I are full siblings.
I've learned a lot about DNA since then. And have read many stories of people who have found family and are still looking. I was very fortunate in how quickly I found my family. I didn't need a DNA test to find them or to really verify that they were indeed my family. But it's been fun finding new cousins and being able to even help other cousins find their families. And now I'm patiently waiting for my younger siblings to find us if that is what they desire.
This is part 8 of many parts. Please stay tuned for more...
When I first learned of them I thought to myself that they wouldn't be able to find me if they do try looking for family especially since my adoption records are still sealed. But then I was introduced to DNA testing.
I started an Ancestry tree with all of my new known Ancestors and did my own research of great Ancestors and beyond. I still at the time, didn't have a lot of information on my maternal side. But I had my paternal side researched several generations back. I discovered some new distant cousins along the way. We compared Ancestors and helped each other along the way to figure out our interesting line.
I had also seen and read about DNA testing and wanted to try it but waited awhile to order a kit. I like to think about some purchases before I make them especially higher dollar purchases. I had it on my list of items I wanted though and was planning on making the purchase of a kit, when one of my distant cousins (a fifth cousin to be exact) messaged me and asked that I take the test. He was hoping that all of us could take a test to help determine and verify that we had the correct Ancestors figured out. So I told him that I was planning on purchasing one that next week anyway and would be more than happy to help out.
I also had in mind that by purchasing this DNA kit that I would definitely find out who my biological father was. I never really felt like it could be anyone else other than the one who claimed I wasn't his which was my older siblings father. But then there was the chance that it could be someone else. I would know for sure when I received my results. So I was somewhat nervous.
About a month later my results were in and I received an email letting me know. I excitedly opened up my Ancestry results. I saw my ethnicity results. I had several ethnicity's. Then I scrolled down to my cousin matches. I was only showing second cousins and beyond. I noticed that the first match was a maternal match because I recognized some of the Ancestors she had listed. I also discovered later once I messaged her, that it was a first cousin that I had already spoken with prior to Ancestry and through email. The reason that Ancestry was showing her as my second cousin was because our centimorgans were a little low for first cousins but that is because she and I share the same grandfather but not grandmother. But our grandmother's were cousins. Which I'll be talking more about our Amazing Ancestors later in this story.
So, after confirming that the first cousin match on my DNA list was a maternal cousin, I anxiously and nervously scrolled to the next cousin match on my list which at the time was showing as a second cousin match as well. I looked at his tree and low and behold he had some Ancestors that I recognized as well but this time it was on my paternal side. He was showing the same Ancestors that were connected to my biological father. The same father to my siblings. That was all the verification that I needed to know that indeed my older siblings and I were definitely full siblings.
Since that day when I sent in my DNA sample to be tested, I have had lots of other cousins that have tested with a lot of them being my father's nieces, nephews including great and second great, plus some of his cousins. And they all have matched up to the amount of CM's that the testing company uses to estimate your cousin level. Even my fifth cousin who asked me to take a DNA test was showing exactly like we had already assumed to be. Since then my sister sent in her DNA sample and her results verified that she and I are full siblings.
I've learned a lot about DNA since then. And have read many stories of people who have found family and are still looking. I was very fortunate in how quickly I found my family. I didn't need a DNA test to find them or to really verify that they were indeed my family. But it's been fun finding new cousins and being able to even help other cousins find their families. And now I'm patiently waiting for my younger siblings to find us if that is what they desire.
This is part 8 of many parts. Please stay tuned for more...
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