American researchers are familiar with the phrase “burned counties”, used to describe locations where records have been destroyed by fire, war, and similar causes. This presentation focuses on the Norwegian equivalent: a burned church. It will demonstrate how a variety of resources, but especially DNA matches, can be utilized to break through genealogical brick walls.

Tony will present a case study focusing on his Norwegian great grandmother and his successful 15-year effort to identify her parents. The presentation will identify resources, techniques, and best practices that you can use to resolve your own challenging genealogical mysteries.

Outline

Case Study: Finding a Family for Laura Larsdatter

Breaking Through YOUR Brick Wall

  • Start with conventional genealogical research
    • Create your tree
    • Investigate collateral lines
  • Utilize all known sources of information
    • Methodical search
    • Use a research log
  • Know the geography and history of the area
  • Utilize card catalogs
    • Widen criteria if no matches are found
    • Filter results to narrow scope
  • Utilize the Family Search Family Tree
  • Consider MyHeritage if researching European ancestors
  • Tips for using DNA
    • Choose the right company
      • Ancestry.com is a good first choice
      • MyHeritage.com – Good for European research
      • FamilyTreeDNA.com – Also does Y-DNA and Mitochondrial testing
      • 23andMe.com – Genealogy is not their focus
      • LivingDNA – Slow to develop resources
    • Identify DNA Matches of interest
      • Thrulines & Theory of Family Relativity Recommendations
      • Surnames
      • Geography
    • Cross-reference matches
      • Testing company tools
      • Family Tree software tools
    • Verify everything!
      • Look for anomalies
    • Add DNA matches of interest to your tree
      • Start with the living person and work backwards
    • Identify gaps and ask others to test for you
      • Relatives, but especially siblings
      • Consider desirability of other types of tests
        • Mitochondrial
        • Y-DNA
    • Focus on shared DNA matches
      • Add them to your tree
    • Reach out to Subject Matter Experts
      • Ancestry groups
      • FamilyTreeDNA groups
      • FamilySearch Research Wiki
      • Consider hiring a researcher
    • Other Tools
      • GEDMatch.com
      • DNAPainter.com
    • Keep looking!
      • New records are becoming available every day!

Resources

Ancestry.com  – https://www.ancestry.com/

Family Search – https://www.familysearch.org/en/

MyHeritave.com – https://www.myheritage.com/

FamilyTreeDNA.com – https://www.familytreedna.com/

LivingDNA.com – https://livingdna.com/

DNAPainter.com – https://dnapainter.com/

GEDMatch.com – https://www.gedmatch.com/

Laura Larsdatter webpage (provides more details about my research) – https://www.rayson.us/aehanson/genealogy/paternal/laura-larsdatters-parents/

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