Our story started before us

For Father's day last year, I gave my Dad a DNA kit from Ancestry.com. He wasn't as excited about receiving his kit as I was. Since the results came back I've been given a new look into his past. 

Lots of what I already knew was validated which made me feel good. There were also a few surprises.

 

The 26% African on the graph above, confirmed the salve records I found on his mother's side. It seems unusually high, which probably means he had at least 1 full grandparent that was full African. 

I've already found a new paper trail that leads me back to Spain for his father's maternal side but the other European countries listed above were new to me. 

The 7% Native American, would suggest he has deep roots in Puerto Rico & that his ancestors were there from the very beginning when the native Taíno Indians were still abundant on the island. 

Then something great happened. I was contacted by someone who also took the same DNA test. In case you aren't familiar with how these type of DNA tests work, when you take one, aside from telling you the countries your ancestors traveled or came from, it can also connect you with others that have similar DNA patterns as you. The test predicted that my Dad & the person contacting me were distant cousins. When we compared our family trees to one another, it was clear to see that we are linked through two common ancestors. These common ancestors would be my 4th great grandparents. See here...

 

This makes her my Dad's 4th cousin 2 times removed. 

Isn't that fascinating? Another cool thing about this is, that if you are as lucky as I was, the person you make a connection with will know more than you do. This new cousin, has been researching this line for years. She had records upon records of new information for me to review. She currently lives in Puerto Rico & I cannot wait to meet her one day & thank her in person for all she's done to help me in my search. 

I've heard mixed opinions about these DNA tests. There are several companies out there that offer different types. Here's a link to the Rootstech 2015 videos. Diahan Southard does a great presentation about genetic DNA without being biased on which testing company to use. She really did a good job in helping me understand the pros & cons of each. From here I chose the one I thought would benefit me most.

Do I think they are worth it? Yes. Especially if you wait & buy them around a holiday, you can snag one for a pretty good deal. The knowledge you get from knowing where your ancestral roots started doesn't help a ton genealogy-wise. It's the connection you make with someone else who knows more or can lead you to a new direction that is a treasure. 

All of our stories started before us. Grateful for a peek into a vibrant past that so many of our Puerto Rican ancestors shared before settling on the island they called Porto Rico.