12/8/2023 0 Comments Cousin gold findingsCordial, fun and gave us a chance to get to know each other. It went the way I described at the beginning of this story. So, over 30 years later, my first cousin informs me about her DNA test and introduces me to our newfound distant cousin, Mary. Some of the photos are incredible family portraits and it just drives me crazy knowing that they are likely related to me, but I have no idea if or how. They are all from this family – in fact there are a couple of Max as a younger man.īut who are they? My parents died in the late 1980s, and my surviving aunts and uncles do not know who those other people are. In addition, there are probably another 100 or so loose photos I have from the early 1900s. Nearly 100 photos, and there are only the names of a couple people written down. The other reason this interested me, was because I had inherited 2 photo albums from the late 1800s. I had a talk with my dad about what we were thinking and when I asked him, he replied “yes, Max was a very honorable man”. However, before we did, I wanted to know for sure if this man was a good man. His reputation had such an impact on me that, when my wife and I were expecting our first child, since we both like the name “Max”, we wanted to name him after my great-uncle, with his surname as my son’s middle name. Many stories exist about him – some true, and some undoubtedly legends. Never really wealthy, though apparently made enough to keep on going. While he did come back and visit once or twice, he lived out his years there. He left Iowa as a young man, made his way through what are now the Dakotas and Montana, and eventually – after several years – ended up in the Alaskan Klondike with a stake in a gold mine. He was an amazing man – one of legendary status in the family. Max was a brother to my great-grandmother. I had grown up hearing about one of my dad’s granduncles from that family – Uncle Max (or, as my dad and other family pronounced it – Mox). The last name was one that, while known to us as an ancestor, our side of the family had completely lost contact with that branch nearly 75 years ago. She too had opted in for the “DNA Relative Finder”, and out of it came the name of a distant cousin. Recently, a first cousin of mine went through this DNA process. But, if you are fortunate enough to have some matches and you make the connection, what next? After you share some pleasantries and get to know each other a bit, what can you do to keep the relationship going? Or, if you are like me and hungry for information about your ancestors, what can you do to learn more about your people? Never before in human history could that be done so easily and affordably. ![]() In fact, it is incredibly amazing that such a thing can be done. As 23andMe calls it, you used their “DNA Relative Finder” where you “opt-in to connect and message with people who share DNA with you.” And Bingo!! A distant cousin is found! You message her, she messages back, and have a great moment as you share things about each other and what perhaps is known about your common ancestors. ![]() With that, you opted to find out who some of these cousins might be. ![]() For those of us with a passion for researching and building out our family’s history, one of the huge benefits is finding distant cousins with whom you share great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, and on and on. There are many reasons why people might want to do this. ![]() Who shares your DNA? For around $100, people, by the millions, are finding out.
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