So if you remember from this post, we still had one part of the ancestry mystery to solve. Where did Tom Durant fit in?
To recap:
1. I took a DNA test.
2. I was contacted by Bob Eaton, who said we matched as first cousins. I said, "whaaaaaaat?" (or something very similar to that).
3. I was contacted by Tom Durant, who said we matched as first or second cousins. I said, "WHAAAAAT?" (or something very similar to that).
4. Bob Eaton and Tom Durant came up as matches to each other but had no idea who each other was.
5. Super DNA sleuth Ann figured out that my paternal grandfather had a child with someone other than my grandmother, and that child had Bob Eaton. Hence, Bob was right. We are first cousins.
6. We still needed to figure out how Tom Durant fit in.
Tom, if you remember, was put up for adoption as an infant.
Well, super DNA sleuth Ann worked really, really hard and came up with the answer. Or at least the possible answer. There really is no other explanation.
My grandfather had TWO children with this woman other than my grandmother. The second child had a child, and THAT child had Tom Durant. That second child would be my first cousin, which makes Tom Durant my first cousin once removed.
Oh what a tangled web we weave...
I haven't communicated with either Bob or Tom since this revelation. I figure I'd let them think about it for awhile. Meanwhile, my sister and some cousins and I are still like, wow.
This is my paternal grandfather. I believe this was taken during WWI, probably not long before he married my grandmother and started having a boatload of children with everyone.
I never knew him. He died in 1960, five years before I was born. The things I've heard about him have not been too kind. Apparently he liked to drink and fight. Apparently that's not all he liked to do though.
So there it is. Mystery solved... or at least figured out as much as it could possibly be figured out.
To recap:
1. I took a DNA test.
2. I was contacted by Bob Eaton, who said we matched as first cousins. I said, "whaaaaaaat?" (or something very similar to that).
3. I was contacted by Tom Durant, who said we matched as first or second cousins. I said, "WHAAAAAT?" (or something very similar to that).
4. Bob Eaton and Tom Durant came up as matches to each other but had no idea who each other was.
5. Super DNA sleuth Ann figured out that my paternal grandfather had a child with someone other than my grandmother, and that child had Bob Eaton. Hence, Bob was right. We are first cousins.
6. We still needed to figure out how Tom Durant fit in.
Tom, if you remember, was put up for adoption as an infant.
Well, super DNA sleuth Ann worked really, really hard and came up with the answer. Or at least the possible answer. There really is no other explanation.
My grandfather had TWO children with this woman other than my grandmother. The second child had a child, and THAT child had Tom Durant. That second child would be my first cousin, which makes Tom Durant my first cousin once removed.
Oh what a tangled web we weave...
I haven't communicated with either Bob or Tom since this revelation. I figure I'd let them think about it for awhile. Meanwhile, my sister and some cousins and I are still like, wow.
This is my paternal grandfather. I believe this was taken during WWI, probably not long before he married my grandmother and started having a boatload of children with everyone.
I never knew him. He died in 1960, five years before I was born. The things I've heard about him have not been too kind. Apparently he liked to drink and fight. Apparently that's not all he liked to do though.
So there it is. Mystery solved... or at least figured out as much as it could possibly be figured out.
That is really some excellent sleuthing and wild answers.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I don't think I would have had the patience for investigating, but Ann sure did. She told me that she absolutely loved it.
DeleteWow! All this is really interesting. I do a little genealogy but nothing like what Ann does. When you combine genealogy with DNA you really get some interesting situations. Well done! And now you know some new family members!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty weird finding a first cousin after all this time.
DeleteAmazing what you can find out these days.
ReplyDeleteYes, pretty crazy!
DeleteWow. Family secrets revealed. From what I can tell, a lot of folks are getting big surprises!
ReplyDeleteMy father was in The Korean War, and my sister and I joked that someday a Korean sibling will contact us. 😆 Thanks for reading. I enjoy your blog.
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