Currently we have:
- 4 Loewen/Franz kits at the lab waiting for a sale
- 1 Loewen/Franz kit that never got delivered was re-ordered this morning
- 1 Falk/Klassen kit mailed back to the lab on 4/20/16
- 2 Petkau/Klassen kits still outstanding
- 1 Falk/Guenther & Schpansky/Warkentin kit in the mail back to the lab around 4/8/16
- 1 Falk/Klassen kit still outstanding
- 1 Falk/Kroeker kit still outstanding
Yesterday FTDNA announced a sale for DNA Day, so I ordered the Family Finder test for the outstanding Falk/Kroeker kit. I'll have enough to order the Family Finder test for the Falk/Klassen kit on it's way back to the lab before the end of the sale, so I'll order that one on Tuesday. :) Both of those tests will help narrow down what DNA came from Susanna Falk and what probably didn't. Really excited about those, and very glad I got them on sale before Christmas!
Friday, April 22, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Joy comes in the morning! :P
Called FTDNA first thing this morning. The kit that was designated for the relative who later refused to test is now going to my grandmother's first cousin. I spoke to her this morning, and she agreed to test, so I called the lab and got the replacement test sent to her. I also got in touch with one of my great-aunts who was supposed to have received her kit back in January. As I suspected, she never received it, so I called the lab back and got a new test sent to her. :)
So, three out of the four fits from yesterday's post have been taken care of. Now I just need to get in touch with two of my great-uncles and see if the first intends to test, and the second has received his test.
So, three out of the four fits from yesterday's post have been taken care of. Now I just need to get in touch with two of my great-uncles and see if the first intends to test, and the second has received his test.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Ugh.... Not the update I wanted to write....
Apparently FTDNA charged my card for two DNA tests on January 3, and then two more on January 22nd. I did order all four... except it looks like FTDNA never mailed them! I know two of them were for sure never delivered. Now at least one of the four testers has changed her mind and decided not to test. I'm waiting to hear from FTDNA what my options are for that test.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Another "not quite immediate family member" is going to test!
Just got off the phone with the grandmother of a high school classmate. Her husband (J) is my grandmother's third cousin, four different ways, through Heinrich Schapansky, #946301 and Jacob Falk, #213384, both twice.
J's DNA will help us sort out the FALK DNA that my grandmother and her first cousin share from the KLASSEN DNA that Grandma and her first cousin will share with the KLASSEN matches mentioned in previous posts. However... it's still not going to give us pretty little clean cut answers, because J and Grandma's top 23andme match (K) are also third cousins through Heinrich Schapansky and Jacob Falk. What this will tell us is the places where J, K, and Grandma's family all match, we know would come from the FALK/SCHAPANSKY shared lines, and NOT the KLASSEN lines that K and Grandma share.
J's DNA will help us sort out the FALK DNA that my grandmother and her first cousin share from the KLASSEN DNA that Grandma and her first cousin will share with the KLASSEN matches mentioned in previous posts. However... it's still not going to give us pretty little clean cut answers, because J and Grandma's top 23andme match (K) are also third cousins through Heinrich Schapansky and Jacob Falk. What this will tell us is the places where J, K, and Grandma's family all match, we know would come from the FALK/SCHAPANSKY shared lines, and NOT the KLASSEN lines that K and Grandma share.
First "might be a KLASSEN relative" has agreed to test!
This is BIG. I've been working on our KLASSEN brick wall for quite awhile, and kind of sort of getting a fuzzy picture of our KLASSEN ancestors.
Right now all I have as proof (well, not me, but my great-aunt) is a family picture of my great-great-grandmother, Susanna with her siblings & their spouses, and Susanna's parents. One of the women is labeled as the sister of Susanna's first husband, Peter, the man whose family we're looking for. This woman married Suanna's brother, Jakob David Falk. Her name is Katharina KLASSEN.
So, now we have strong pictorial evidence to suggest that Peter and Katharina were brother and sister.
With some help from the "Mennonite Genealogy & History" group, in addition to the GRANDMA database, I was able to track down some descendants of Katharina KLASSEN. It took a few days to exchange Facebook messages and friend requests, but I just received word this morning that Katharina's grandson has agreed to test for me! If Katharina is indeed Peter's sister, this man would be a second cousin to my grandmother, and the DNA should show that. It's not going to be a super clean-cut process to prove the relationship, but we can also use the DNA from Grandma's top 23andme match to help. Grandma's top 23andme match, and the man who has agreed to test for me are double first cousins, so they should share lots of DNA. From there, it comes down to questions of where Grandma (and her siblings and first cousin) match the two KLASSEN matches, and whether those two matches match each other on those places.
Lots of questions still to be asked and answered.
Right now all I have as proof (well, not me, but my great-aunt) is a family picture of my great-great-grandmother, Susanna with her siblings & their spouses, and Susanna's parents. One of the women is labeled as the sister of Susanna's first husband, Peter, the man whose family we're looking for. This woman married Suanna's brother, Jakob David Falk. Her name is Katharina KLASSEN.
So, now we have strong pictorial evidence to suggest that Peter and Katharina were brother and sister.
With some help from the "Mennonite Genealogy & History" group, in addition to the GRANDMA database, I was able to track down some descendants of Katharina KLASSEN. It took a few days to exchange Facebook messages and friend requests, but I just received word this morning that Katharina's grandson has agreed to test for me! If Katharina is indeed Peter's sister, this man would be a second cousin to my grandmother, and the DNA should show that. It's not going to be a super clean-cut process to prove the relationship, but we can also use the DNA from Grandma's top 23andme match to help. Grandma's top 23andme match, and the man who has agreed to test for me are double first cousins, so they should share lots of DNA. From there, it comes down to questions of where Grandma (and her siblings and first cousin) match the two KLASSEN matches, and whether those two matches match each other on those places.
Lots of questions still to be asked and answered.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Did I find a KLASSEN sibling?
I've been working on my Grandma Loewen's 23andme matches for about a year and a half. Her second highest match responded to my messages, and we've been in sporadic communication. She has VERY strong KLASSEN ties, including a KLASSEN brick wall at the same generation we do.
Anyway, I was finally able to get in touch with Grandma's top match (other than Mom and me), and from their response, it was apparent to me that they were likely to be the aunt of Grandma's second highest match, because they gave me the name of the person the profile belonged to, and it was the same name as Grandma's second highest match's grandmother.
I got back in touch with Grandma's second highest match to see if she knew about this person who was likely to be her grandmother. She confirmed that she tested both her grandparents, and that her aunt has the log-in information for both accounts. Her aunt is not well right now, and was not very receptive to working with me.
So, I asked the second highest match if she's sharing with her grandmother's account, and if she is, if she could compare Grandma Loewen with her grandmother's DNA and then let me know where they match. It's likely that her grandmother and my grandmother are 2nd cousins, which means that our grandmothers' grandfathers are likely to be brothers!
I'm actually pretty excited about this because that would mean that I found one of Peter Klassen's siblings. I have a name for one of his sisters as well, thanks to a picture I saw at Christmas time that one of my great-aunts has.
Anyway, I was finally able to get in touch with Grandma's top match (other than Mom and me), and from their response, it was apparent to me that they were likely to be the aunt of Grandma's second highest match, because they gave me the name of the person the profile belonged to, and it was the same name as Grandma's second highest match's grandmother.
I got back in touch with Grandma's second highest match to see if she knew about this person who was likely to be her grandmother. She confirmed that she tested both her grandparents, and that her aunt has the log-in information for both accounts. Her aunt is not well right now, and was not very receptive to working with me.
So, I asked the second highest match if she's sharing with her grandmother's account, and if she is, if she could compare Grandma Loewen with her grandmother's DNA and then let me know where they match. It's likely that her grandmother and my grandmother are 2nd cousins, which means that our grandmothers' grandfathers are likely to be brothers!
I'm actually pretty excited about this because that would mean that I found one of Peter Klassen's siblings. I have a name for one of his sisters as well, thanks to a picture I saw at Christmas time that one of my great-aunts has.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Updates!
UPDATES:
- December 8 LOEWEN/FRANZ swab #3--Arrived at the lab on January 21. I haven't ordered the test yet, but when I have enough, it will be the first one that I order.
- December 8 LOEWEN/FRANZ swab #3--Arrived at the lab on January 21. I haven't ordered the test yet, but when I have enough, it will be the first one that I order.
- February 8 LOEWEN/FRANZ swabs #6 and #7--Ordered this morning!
- USPS raised their prices, so FTDNA had to as well. Round-trip shipping is now $12.95.
- USPS raised their prices, so FTDNA had to as well. Round-trip shipping is now $12.95.
No updates:
- August 31 PETKAU/KLASSEN swab #2--This one is still outstanding, and as far as I know, hasn't made it back to the lab yet.
- December 31 PETKAU/KLASSEN swabs #3 and #4--These two I assume have reached the testers, but I have no further information.
- January 20 LOEWEN/FRANZ swabs #4 and #5--Ordered. I expect the swabs to ship sometime next week
- December 31 PETKAU/KLASSEN swabs #3 and #4--These two I assume have reached the testers, but I have no further information.
- January 20 LOEWEN/FRANZ swabs #4 and #5--Ordered. I expect the swabs to ship sometime next week
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