Friday's Photo: More Hats

Whit Bryan (1920-2001) and James Richardson (1930-1988)

Last week, I posted a picture of two unknown women with interesting hats. This week, I am posting a picture of two men in hats; my Dad and my Uncle Jimmy. Dad, with the cowboy hat was from West Texas, and Uncle Jimmy grew up in New York. They led very different lives, but were linked by family as they married sisters. 

Diana

© 2013

I Expected More From AncestryDNA

Last week, AncestryDNA  released the raw data to those who submitted the Autosomal DNA test.  Well, I downloaded my DNA, but didn’t know where to go from there, so I waited anxiously for the wonderfully, informative Judy Russell to add her regular Sunday DNA post to her blog, The Legal Genealogist.  I was certain that she would write about AncestryDNA and that I would learn what to do with this raw data.  Well, I was correct! Click to check out her post, The Raw Story at AncestryDNA. 

What I did learn was disappointing. Yes, I can download my raw DNA data, but AncestryDNA has no plans to add a chromosomal browser to its tools. This tool would allow us to see how we match other users. 

I honestly expected more from Ancestry. I purchased four tests and now have over 15,000 matches to look at. I don’t have a clue as to how most match. We are only comparing trees and I currently find more information by looking at Ancestry.com’s  Public Member Trees. 

Yes, I will be able to upload the raw DNA to other DNA sites – some will charge fees.  I will be able to match users who upload to those sites; however, what about my 15,000 matches – will they also upload to other DNA sites? 

Judy wrote that AncestryDNA wants to keep things simple. Maybe they are trying to keep it simple, but there are those of us who want more tools and are willing to learn how to use them. 

As for me, I want more tests, but will look to companies that can promise more.

P. S.  –  Judy suggested that if you are an AncestryDNA user and want a chromosome browser tool. Go to your AncestryDNA home page and let them know by sending feedback.  I did!


Source

Judy G. Russell, “The Raw Story at AncestryDNA,” The Legal Genealogist, posted 24 March 2013 (http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : accessed 24 Mar 2013).

DNA clip art from SweetClipart.com

Diana

© 2013

Friday's Photo: Texas Girls with Hats

Friends or cousins of Floyd W. Thompson (1889 - 1968)

This photograph belonged to my second cousin-once-removed, Juanita Thompson Gleghorn. On the back was written, I want to paint their hats. These were some of Dad's friends or cousins. I am sure that Juanita wrote that as she loved to paint. 

Juanita's father Floyd W. Thompson, the son of Martha "Mattie" Hairston Chisum Thompson and John Thompson, was born in Erath County, Texas.  Floyd moved to Baylor County, Texas in 1905 to help my great-grandfather and his uncle, Phillip A. Hairston, on his farm. Floyd married Ora Cox in 1912 and lived for many years in Baylor County. Judging by the clothing, this picture was taken in the early 1900s. 

In addition to Juanita's note, there is some very childish writing on the back (see below). One word appears to be "Rose." If you can decipher any of the other childish writing, please comment below or send me an e-mail. And, if you have any idea as to the identity of these two women, please contact me. 

Diana

© 2013

Friday's Photo: John Foley of Boston

On the back of this photo is written April 1942, Ma and Johnnie. My husband's Aunt Kitty identified him as John Foley and his mother as a Quinn cousin that she visited in Boston. Mrs. Foley was Cecelia Quinn, born in County Galway. She married Michael Foley. And, just this week through a search on Ancestry.com, I found her great-granddaughter and am learning about another branch of the Quinn family! 

Diana

© 2013

Change

One item, not mentioned below, is the blank book "The History of Our Family." It's a blank book with places for me to hand-write about my family. I really wanted to do this, but my blog has now taken the place of a family book. 

This is not a post about genealogy, but a post about how fast things are changing in this digital world. I am cleaning my house. Not just vacuuming, but taking everything off of every shelf, cleaning, reorganizing, and recycling. I am having fun as I have found old postcards, books with inscriptions from family members, and more genealogical treasures. However, I am amazed at how many items on my bookshelf have become unnecessary in such a short period. Here are just a few:

• Travel Books and Maps - I took three trips last summer and never used travel books or maps. 

• Magazines - I found a stack of Ancestry.com magazines and a National Geographic (1981) that had wonderful pictures of Ireland. I read very few magazines. I saved these for content, but it's now content that I can find on the Internet. 

• CDs - I was so excited to receive my 1880 United States Census and National Index twelve years ago. Now, it's much easier to search at Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org for census records than to search through all of those CDs. 

• Reference Books - Grammar handbooks, a medical dictionary, and a world almanac are all things that I haven't used in many years. Google is my friend. J

• User's Guides - The last item is my Pack-Mate Users Guide that I received with my first computer in 1988. The Guide has over 120 pages. The computer had MS-DOS and 1 MB of RAM. At that time, you definitely needed a manual. 

Diana

© 2013

Friday's Photo: Goats

This is from my father's family's photos. The picture belonged to my grandparents, Redic Bryan and Myrtie Hairston. At first glance, I thought that it was a boy with puppies, but now am sure that they are goats or sheep. This is probably a boy - I'm looking at the overalls and haircut, but you never know. 

Does anyone else in the Bryan/Hairston family have this picture? Family names are Bryan, Hairston, Noah, Thompson, Hammett, Chisum, Gresham, Wylie, Biggs, Keith, Gilbert, Latta, and Criswell. 

Diana

© 2013