Genealogy

Flipping through photo albums, restringing 8mm film rolls, or even popping in a VHS tape can be a fun way to learn the record of your family history. However, what do you do when the projector dies — or the film rips? or any other multitude of problems that can come from aging media platforms?

For now, it’s an empty ranch house directly behind the library, but professional genealogist Laura Chaplin envisions it full of family members, students fulfilling assignments and others interested in historical facts perusing the shelves and poring over old documents.

Every week, Ellen Greytak checks DNA profiles in a genealogy database. She’s not searching for long-lost relatives. She’s out to find family members of unknown assailants in rape and murder cases.

DNA Kits — Having your DNA tested can help uncover your ethnicity, distant relatives and even health information that can be useful. There are many kits to choose from but they each give similar results. Include a guide to understanding their results and they will proclaim you ‘gifter- extraordinaire’.

Why the bug bit me is unknown. Some say that one great-grandmother had an inkling for it, so maybe I got more of her DNA. As I reflect on some of the highlights, great discoveries — especially the accidental ones, as well as the low points of my research — I thought it might be fun to share. Remembering similar things in your research journey might cause some of your kin to understand your passion.

This year, millions of genealogy DNA kits will be given as Christmas presents. But before you spit in the tube and send it off, know that DNA is only part of the story. Thousands of years of marriages, moves, properties and births go into every family tree.

New to genealogy? Secrets of Tracing Your Ancestors is a great book to start off with. It helps you learn the basic mechanics, skills, and tactics required to be a successful genealogist. Quillen guides you through pretty much every scenario you'll encounter as a beginner, with lots of personal anecdotes and tried-and-true resources to help you along your quest.

I believe we all have a desire to understand our heritage. Genealogy is a thriving area of study for enthusiasts and hobbyists. It’s actually the second most popular hobby in the United States after gardening. Since the introduction of the Internet, there has been a tremendous growth in the genealogy industry. Using a variety of websites such as Familysearch.org, Fold3.com, Newspapers.com, Myheritage.com, Findmypast.com, and Ancestry.com, genealogists are able to access federal census records, vital records, newspapers, and more. African American genealogy is especially challenging because many records of African Americans are listed by their first name without a surname or by the name of the enslaved individuals. However, with some work and dedication, an African American genealogist can reconstruct the past and understand their ancestors’ lives, even as enslaved individuals. Using court documents, tax lists, federal and state census records, as well as plantation documents and church

Genealogy "W. Daniel Quillen's Secrets of Tracing Your Ancestors shows those new to the hobby how to begin their genealogy, while showing seasoned family historians some new tricks. Covering the basics such as organization, the best genealogical websites and how to do family group sheets, Quillen approaches his subject with passion and a touch of humor. The book also looks at features of advanced genealogy such as using professionals and writing your personal history. Most chapters feature additional resources pointing readers toward other resources."

Search Engine - Genealogy: Frank Kanae : Frank Kanae, maternal grandfather to Kalani Mondoy's mother. Mondoy has been researching his family's Hawaiian heritage since 1989....

Search Engine - Genealogy: How taking a home genetics test could help catch a... : Specialists are using public-access DNA databases to track down violent criminals such as the notorious Golden State Killer. But the techniq...

Specialists are using public-access DNA databases to track down violent criminals such as the notorious Golden State Killer. But the technique raises a host of legal and ethical questions DNA sleuth CeCe Moore recalls the moment that the pieces came together, in May, in the hunt for her first suspected killer – the man now thought to be responsible for the brutal 1987 murders of a young Canadian couple on a trip to Seattle. While Moore is used to uncovering secrets – she’s helped hundreds of adult adoptees to identify their biological parents – finding someone who might be guilty of murder was shocking. “It is hard to even put into words. It was a very surreal feeling,” she says. Moore, a genetic genealogist known in the US as an expert on the PBS television series Finding Your Roots, runs DNA Detectives, a Facebook group of 100,000-plus members, which helps people find their biological parents. sourse

Frank Kanae, maternal grandfather to Kalani Mondoy's mother. Mondoy has been researching his family's Hawaiian heritage since 1989. This photo is from the Honolulu Advertiser from April 2, 1908. Kanae was a well-known boxer in Hawaii.