Find Answers–Join a Group

Thursday, May 9th, 2019     by Debra DuPree Williams     Start the Conversation

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

When I began my genealogy journey almost thirty years ago, computers were not what they are today. We didn’t have Facebook nor did we have Family Tree in the capacity in which it exists today. That’s not to say that we didn’t have access to distant files, but other avenues of research and making connections were not as readily available as they are today.

I’m a member of no less than twelve genealogical groups. All of those are online. Back in 1983 when Ancestry first launched, they didn’t have anywhere near the number of files that are available to us today. And DNA testing was not even on the horizon. That began in earnest in 2000 when Family Tree became the first company to offer direct-to-consumer testing for genealogy purposes. In 2019, we cannot imagine not having these vehicles at our disposal. As the old saying goes, we’ve come a long way, baby.
Ancestry

I joined Ancestry back in the 1990s when I began searching out my DuPree line. We had just moved to a new town in Florida and joined our local church choir. One of the members was the regent of the local DAR chapter. I mentioned that I had these two books, The DuPre Trail, by Emimae Pritchard Langley, and that I thought I could prove my lineage for DAR. She invited me to a meeting and from there, I began a search for Daddy’s family.

You must remember that this was the early days of online genealogy research. Even though I had the two-volume set of The DuPre Trail, I had to find a couple of people in my family that no one had ever proven for DAR. Much of the work I did had to be done in cemeteries, courthouses, and libraries. Thus, my sister and I packed up Daddy, ourselves, and my young son and headed to south Alabama to begin our search for the people about whom we knew little to nothing.

We tromped through more cemeteries than we will ever recall. We poured through courthouses in multiple counties, concentrating mainly in Houston and Henry counties. We saw parts of rural Alabama we never thought of visiting. But—we found our missing links and proved our heritage to the satisfaction of the powers that be in the DAR.

Fast forward a few years, actually a couple of decades. It just occurred to me that this year marks the twentieth anniversary of my serious search for my family. What a journey it has been. But back to my main thought.
DNA Study Groups

Once we had DNA at our disposal and all these sites began to have groups one could join, I began searching for those within my known family names. I quickly found a Facebook page dedicated to Bass, my mother’s, line. I learned more from the knowledgeable people on that page in a matter of days, than I had ever known before. It’s a long story but suffice it to say that my mother didn’t know much of her family, nor did she have the names of her ancestors past her grandparents. But at least I was armed with that. Thus, the administrator of the site, who had the DNA results of a cousin who had tested for us, knew exactly which line from which we descend. 

From that point forward, I have been able to join other genealogy research groups, ask many questions and get good, solid answers. As I said, there are veryknowledgeable people at work on all these sites. You will find that they have professional genealogists who know where to look and who have been doing research for years. You will find genetic genealogists, people who can explain all the DNA questions you will have. Unless you are an expert at understanding and deciphering DNA results, believe me—you will have questions. 
Don’t Wait

So, what are you waiting for? Go make those connections and learn about your lineage. You will be so glad that you did.

As in anything like this, there is protocol to follow and there are remarks that will not be tolerated in a discussion. No inflammatory speech, no racial slurs, no political statements. It’s all about finding our families—period. 

One last word—be prepared for anything you may find, especially if you have a Colonial period family. And always, always keep in mind this is your family.

Have you joined a family search group? If so, share your experiences with us. 

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