Have you, or would you like, or you don't want to know your genetic history?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Do you want to know who your great-great-great-great grandfather was? Where he came from? How about your genetic history-medical probabilities?
I'd like to. Yet, I think if you wanted it, you could be "related" to anybody? BUT I honestly fear what others will do with all that information about your genes. I duno, That's why I'm asking.
 

I have no great urge to delve into my genetic past, for the sake of trying to head off those conditions I may be genetically predisposed to, and I certainly do not want to give my genetic code to the powers that be, to do who knows what with! As far as diseases are concerned, I have listened to my body for over sixty-six years, now. If I haven't heard it tell me what it does well, and poorly, with, then knowing my genetic code will not make a great difference, one way or the other.
 
Too much info grabbing and phishing for me to forage into related internet sites

My rels told me I’m Irish
I have (had) red (now grey/white) hair
Temper to match
So, I believe them

A cousin got aggressive and traced things back further than I care to know

But, aside from being made up of Irish/German ancestry on my mother’s side
I’m told I have a bit of Mongol blood in me
And Tennessee Williams is supposed to be an Uncle down the line


Don't really care so much to know more

My lady's native American folks may come after me
Bad enough as it is
 
My DNA was tested a few years ago. There were a few surprising results, but for the most part, I'm mainly Irish/Scottish/English and that was not a surprise.
 
I have been into genealogy for quite a while now and have found mysteries that were solved, mysteries that just led to more mysteries, and a lot of relatives that I have enjoyed meeting. Some family lore has been proven, some set to rest.

I've been all over the country visiting new cousins. Some have cleared up questions for me; some I have cleared up questions for.

Some news was welcome; some wasn't. Genealogy is a cr@pshoot.......don't go into it unless you are prepared for what you might find.
 
fuzzybuddy, a few years ago I received an email from someone with my maiden name and from Scotland... he was looking for his family branch and wondered if I was part of it. After a few emails it was discovered we were part of the same family tree and I continued to search for more. My search was mainly the male line on my dad's side and only went back to 1725 Dumfries, Scotland and on to Ontario, Canada. Also found out my dad had a half brother which none of us knew about. Found out my dad's sister was married before getting married to the uncle I knew about. Now there is not anyone alive to ask the tricky questions.

My mom's side of the family I traced back to Pennsylvania early in America's history... there must be lots of stories there. Someday I will take the big step and take the ancestry test. I've had 3 surgeries so far... so that means my dna has already been checked out and I just don't know about it.
 
I know all I care to. My cousin is a genealogy nut and has traced our family back several generations. I have zero interest in what my "genetic DNA" might reveal.
 
Our family genealogy has been traced and documented back to 1637 in North America and that is TMI for me, I rarely look back beyond my great-grandparents.

I'm curious about any medical markers that might appear in my DNA but I'm fairly certain that my death certificate will read: Died of complications from diabetes.

I think that in the near future knowing what our DNA can tell us will be as common as knowing our blood type.
 
I, and other relatives, have tried in the past to trace our line, but we cannot get past my great grandfather. Before him, it is a mystery. I would be interested in knowig when my first relative came to America, but, alas, it is not to be.

The area of the country that the relatives we know about came to was sort of isolated in the south, and nobody much bothered with participating in the census or birth certificates or marriage certificates or things like that. My father, born in 1914, had no birth certificate, and when he went to work for the government in the late forties he had one helluva time gathering enough information to allow him to be hired and get clearances, even then. As I recall, he came up with a baptismal certificate and a couple of relatives with family Bibles and people who had known his parents and him when he was a child, but that was about it, except for high school and college records. Nowdays, that probably wouldn't prove you were a citizen even.
 
Zero interest from me.. However, last week we went to a see a comedy play which was based on DNA testing. Two 'Scottish sisters' who were a singing duo, bought each other DNA testing kits. One sister was part Greek and was convinced that their father was Prince Philip. The other turned out to have a totally different profile and it transpired that they were not sisters and not even Scottish. They were orphaned during a great storm in the 1950's and had been adopted by their 'Mother' who was a nurse at the time.

Sounds sad, but it was told in a very lighthearted and uplifting way.

This was part of the "Play, a pint and a pie" series of shows at the 300 seat Lemon Tree theatre. For your money, you have a beer, wine etc., a pie (meat or veggie) and watch a play. These are usually "3 handers" by local playwrights and last about 45-60 mins.
 
I am a direct descendent of the most powerful Clan in Scotland, and also directly descendent of the physicians of Ulster ( Ireland) who cared for the King of Ulster


I would like to know more,
 
I have no interest in knowing any more than what I know right now.

I know that my mom, dad, both sets of grandparents four 1/2 sisters, one 1/2 brother and myself were all born in Kentucky.....that's enough for me.
 
I don't know how direct, but my family were well known as border 'Reivers' - basically 'outlaws' who raided along the Scottish / English border. My clan was interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they were (or learned to be) left handed. This gave them a tactical advantage when sword fighting. They also built their strongholds "left handed" so that they could defend them more easily. Also interesting is the family motto, "Sero sed Serio" - "Late but in earnest". Apparently in any conflict they waited to see who was winning before deciding who to support!
 
Capt Lightning said:
I don't know how direct, but my family were well known as border 'Reivers' - basically 'outlaws' who raided along the Scottish / English border. My clan was interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they were (or learned to be) left handed. This gave them a tactical advantage when sword fighting. They also built their strongholds "left handed" so that they could defend them more easily. Also interesting is the family motto, "Sero sed Serio" - "Late but in earnest". Apparently in any conflict they waited to see who was winning before deciding who to support![/QUOTE]


Just like the French and Italians !! :lofl:
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I know a lot about our family history
A couple famous relatives,Sam Adams,cousin of Pres John Adams,Benedict Arnold,Col Nathaniel Rochester,city in NYS named after him Sue
 
Have you, or would you like, or you don't want to know your genetic history?

I'm moderately interested in my specific family tree and may someday compile what I can find for the benefit of my kids and grandkids. As for genetic makeup - no. Somehow that strikes me as being a rather racist pursuit.
 
Butterfly said:
I, and other relatives, have tried in the past to trace our line, but we cannot get past my great grandfather. Before him, it is a mystery. I would be interested in knowig when my first relative came to America, but, alas, it is not to be.

The area of the country that the relatives we know about came to was sort of isolated in the south, and nobody much bothered with participating in the census or birth certificates or marriage certificates or things like that. My father, born in 1914, had no birth certificate, and when he went to work for the government in the late forties he had one helluva time gathering enough information to allow him to be hired and get clearances, even then. As I recall, he came up with a baptismal certificate and a couple of relatives with family Bibles and people who had known his parents and him when he was a child, but that was about it, except for high school and college records. Nowdays, that probably wouldn't prove you were a citizen even.
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One of the biggest problems in family research is the problem with the spelling of names.

When people got off the boat at Ellis Island, the authorities would ask their names. "Wojiekowskiwilowitzistan". "How is that spelled?" "Spelled?" "Welcome to America, Mr. Williams." If the paper you left Ellis Island with said your name was Williams, your name WAS Williams. Four generations later, your descendants were stumped. "How can I be Polish? Our family name is Williams!!" Same thing with census takers and the like. A lot of people had no idea how to spell their names and it was up to the census taker to figure it out and they often were barely literate themselves.

And names were changed to protect the innocent AND the guilty. One of my ancestors got out of Scotland in the nick of time, apparently on the verge of being hung for some offense. He changed his name, pronto.
 
I have been dna tested and discovered my mom waaay overstated her Irish heritage. I should have been at least 50% Irish according to her but am only 14%. Not that it's devastating, but it is interesting to know. I would have liked to get her dna tested, but she is no longer with us. I didn't find any real surprises in my results, but what I didn't expect is that the results keep changing. They said the more people they get tested, the more updated their database and the more the results change.
 
Always amazes me that people who would scream bloody murder if the govt. wanted a DNA database would gladly give their dna to strangers. How do you know if the govt. doesn't own these sites? Just wondering. :(
 
squatting dog said:
Always amazes me that people who would scream bloody murder if the govt. wanted a DNA database would gladly give their dna to strangers. How do you know if the govt. doesn't own these sites? Just wondering. :(
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The government, in the guise of national police data base tenders, has already used the for-pay DNA sites to solve cold cases. Do your own research.
 
I won't do it because I don't want to be found by some folks who may be DNA matched, and I don't know who they are. The thing is, it's not even your choice. And they own your report. Otherwise I would like to do it just to prove to some relatives that I'm not an illegitimate child of my mom's. And my dad is really my dad.
 
I have no interest in my genetic history, certainly not enough to send out my personal DNA to a stranger for storage or record keeping.
 

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