Project DNA Bloodlines;
31 Mar 2001 Copyright © by Georgene Humphries
The DNA Bloodlines - a program for Molecular testing of your pedigree for validation, has been functioning in Provo Utah, at Brigham Young University, for about a year. When I first heard about it I thought what a miracle it would be if this could indeed solve my 50 year old Genealogical Challenge. I have researched along with several hundred other researchers, ...but try as we might, we have not been able to get around this genealogical brick wall. There are several "Theories" that seem equally logical, but no proof.
When I first heard the announcement about the DNA ( Molecular Testing Bloodlines) project, I had filed the information about the project in my "to do later" file and put it out of my mind. Then I had a wake-up call: ...I had a dream about bars ...as if in a graph, that really puzzled me. That is, until a small article was published in our local paper stating the DNA team was planning to be at a genealogical conference in Rexburg Idaho the next day. Now, I knew what the dream had tried to tell me. I had seen the molecular structure of my DNA Bloodline. I knew I was being directed to take part in the project.
As the dream, a flash of insight, was presented to me, it looked odd. I have pondered why there was an area that seemed to be blocked over on the last 1/4 of the chart. I ask myself "was my reception faulty? Was I not to know what the rest of the chart said?" Just what did it indicate. Now ...these several months later I have come to realize what it was. I am my own third cousin and so the fourth lineage was simply not there as it merged into one line of Breshears ancestral linkage. If this interpretation is right, then it negates the "you are adopted" theory, that had been presented to me by some relatives, in the year 2000. If I was adopted, the ancesters DNA would be there but not yet determined..
I immediately started phoning to get information. It was simple to get a person in the college who knew about the conference, but the only thing he knew about the DNA Team was the fact that they were going to be there . He did know that the team was to be in Idaho Falls at a conference scheduled for the next weekend and gave me that telephone number.
Then I decided to see if I could find a webpage for the project. I typed "BYU DNA" into the search engine ... Google. It took me right to the webpage. Information on how to participate was posted.
I read that the team has scheduled conferences through out the world. You can also go directly to the Molecular Lab., on campus, anytime. Since I was going to be attending a Genealogical Computer Lab at BYU, I chose to do a walk in to the Molecular Bloodlines Lab and have a chat about the project.
I posted an email to one of the Lab. Technicians who gave his e-mail address on the DNA webpage. He answered right back that we would have to supply extensive information, but they were willing to tackle the problem. I once again procrastinated, waiting until the date of my genealogical workshop to check with them. I was determined to take my pedigree chart for 5 generations and visit the Lab.
There were many questions in my mind. I could not see where or how they could solve our problem with a five generation pedigree chart. I felt we would have to have proof from descendants who descend from about ten possible forefathers who were born about 1730. Someone who still carried the name of their early ancestor. I descend from two lineages that goes by Breshears.
This was my line of thought. It will be interesting to see how they do it.These are the names we have challenged pedigrees on, who I thought might fill the need. Breashears; Bezer; Brazier; Brasher; Brashear; Bourchier; Brassieur; Bradshaw, Bashaw, Basham, Bracher and Bratcher.
They would need to find descendants who had absolute proof positive of their lineage to the ancestor born in about the 1730 time period. Another solution I thought might work would be to do DNA for the maternal ancestor in that time period. I sent off e-mails to several hundred Brashear (sic) researchers to advise them of the project. I am hoping someone ...it will take only one person from these various branches, will also participate.
The DNA technicians explained that our family of Breshears would have to be a special project. With that in mind I took them a copy of my lineage charts on computer disks ...information of some 27, 000 linked individuals I had linked in my computer data base "Personal Ancestral File." They said to bring either a gedcom or a backup. In other words, make an export from the Genealogy Program I was using. The Technician drew a vial of blood , paid us $10.00 each for participating, and set up a file which included my data base..
Please click on the URL here to go to the webpage that gives complete details of the DNA Molecular Bloodlines Study. <http://molecular-genealogy.byu.edu/>
1 April 2001- Copyright © by Georgene Humphries
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