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Irishmom2
Guest
Well we think you are! 
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Pattylt
Guest
Me too! I was conceived when he was still married to his first wife. She gave me up for adoption because she feared he wouldnāt leave his wife but he did soon after I was born. They went on to have four more childrenā¦all full brothers and sisters to meā¦plus the three half one he had with the first marriage (I know nothing about them). He was fertile, Iāll give him that! They were older than I imagined, too. I always pictured my real parents as being in their teens. Nope, he was 30 and she was 20. Her mother was not pleased with her at all! I gather she kind of forced my adoption. She did tell two of her children about me. My sister was happy to have found me and we exchanged emails for a bit.
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Irishmom2
Guest
@Pattylt, that sounds like a story from that TV show that used to reunite people given up for adoption. Gotta admit, my husband and I both got teary more than a few times watching that show. 
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Pattylt
Guest
I vaguely remember it. I went through a typical adopteeās fantasy of finding my real parents in my teens. By my twenties, I was over it. It was my getting tested by ancestry.com that my sister found me as they will show information on close relations if the have them in their data base and permission is given. I got a PM through them that I had a match for full sister and did I want contactā¦sure, why not! I was actually wary at first thinking a scamā¦nope. When she sent her picture and knew my birthdate and what city it was inā¦and never asked for money!
ā¦it was real. She gave me a lot of background knowledge that was nice to knowā¦especially medical history. We had a lot of similarities besides our looks, too. Hockey fanatics! Our older sister and brother had died. She didnāt remain close to them and a brother is living in another state that she only has occasional contact with. I mostly didnāt move beyond emails because I didnāt need anyone elseās family drama. They have some, not a terrible amount, just usual family traumas but I have no need of thatā¦Iāve got my own already!
If either of my parents were still alive, it may have been different but both passed in the 80āsā¦long ago. I would NEVER have gone on a show to be reunited with my familyā¦thatās way too much of what to me is a private affairā¦itās just how I amā¦I tend to like my privacyā¦as I tell you all about my life!. Not on TV thoughā¦
ā¦it was real. She gave me a lot of background knowledge that was nice to knowā¦especially medical history. We had a lot of similarities besides our looks, too. Hockey fanatics! Our older sister and brother had died. She didnāt remain close to them and a brother is living in another state that she only has occasional contact with. I mostly didnāt move beyond emails because I didnāt need anyone elseās family drama. They have some, not a terrible amount, just usual family traumas but I have no need of thatā¦Iāve got my own already!If either of my parents were still alive, it may have been different but both passed in the 80āsā¦long ago. I would NEVER have gone on a show to be reunited with my familyā¦thatās way too much of what to me is a private affairā¦itās just how I amā¦I tend to like my privacyā¦as I tell you all about my life!
. Not on TV thoughā¦
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StudentMI
Guest
Have you ever seen the movie Secrets and Lies? I watched that several times growing up.
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Irishmom2
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If itās the one I just looked upā¦
Wow, what a plot. It really would make people think twice about looking for family.
Wow, what a plot. It really would make people think twice about looking for family.
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StudentMI
Guest
Itās actually a heartwarming story. I highly recommend it.
Just to be clear: itās the one about a black lady who finds out her birthmother is white. Not sure if there are other movies with the same title.
Just to be clear: itās the one about a black lady who finds out her birthmother is white. Not sure if there are other movies with the same title.
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Irishmom2
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Yup, thatās the one.
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Amac1
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Would you guys recommend ancestry.com?
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Irishmom2
Guest
That is what I used. I like it, as I do research on my family tree there too.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
I used 23andMe because I thought they did maternal DNA. It was at such a basic level it wasnāt much use. They sell customer data to GlaxoSmithKline for research. I couldnāt care less, but some people are bothered by that.
I turned to another company, FamilyTreeDNA, for the maternal part but their customer service was so bad I canāt recommend them.
My main interest in doing these was to contribute my files to the law enforcement databases so they could use them to help identify Does and perps. Wasnāt really looking for relatives, and was pretty sure of my heritage already as I have good records back to my great grands, but was found quickly by some distant cousins in Ontario that were descended from my great grandma.
I turned to another company, FamilyTreeDNA, for the maternal part but their customer service was so bad I canāt recommend them.
My main interest in doing these was to contribute my files to the law enforcement databases so they could use them to help identify Does and perps. Wasnāt really looking for relatives, and was pretty sure of my heritage already as I have good records back to my great grands, but was found quickly by some distant cousins in Ontario that were descended from my great grandma.
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Pattylt
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Itās a mixed bag. Ancestry is ultimately owned by the Mormon church. They have the biggest data base. The information you get is interesting as you can chart your families historical travels.
I also did 23and me. I found it a bit less useful but lower priced. My results were pretty much identical between them but Iāve heard others that werenāt. There will always be some statistical differences but they shouldnāt be drastic.
One thing to remember about these two. For now, your DNA records are safe. You control any sharing done. However they do sell anonymized data to researchā¦which is good for research. If they ever went out of business or sold to someone else, all that privacy could go out the windowā¦or notā¦we just donāt know. I didnāt care, others may feel differently.
Ancestry found my family because members of my family used them, too. So thatās a hit or miss if you are trying to actually find someone. Ancestry also has an awesome ancestry chartingā¦much of it freeā¦some additional up selling goes on in both companies.
I also did 23and me. I found it a bit less useful but lower priced. My results were pretty much identical between them but Iāve heard others that werenāt. There will always be some statistical differences but they shouldnāt be drastic.
One thing to remember about these two. For now, your DNA records are safe. You control any sharing done. However they do sell anonymized data to researchā¦which is good for research. If they ever went out of business or sold to someone else, all that privacy could go out the windowā¦or notā¦we just donāt know. I didnāt care, others may feel differently.
Ancestry found my family because members of my family used them, too. So thatās a hit or miss if you are trying to actually find someone. Ancestry also has an awesome ancestry chartingā¦much of it freeā¦some additional up selling goes on in both companies.
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StudentMI
Guest
I personally donāt care what they do with my DNA.
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Irishmom2
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Oh, but you should!
Especiallif you are paranoid! 
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StudentMI
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I am paranoid by nature. But for some reason actually reading about what they do with DNA left me saying meh.
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StudentMI
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My paternal ancestors are French going back to French Canada and from there to Bourdeaux and Normandy and la Trappe and La Rochelle.
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Funvod
Guest
My fatherās side is very Norwegian, and my Motherās side is mostly German with a few neighboring countries thrown in.
Apparently my family was involved with the mob in the Prohibition era, which always makes for a fun story at parties.
Apparently my family was involved with the mob in the Prohibition era, which always makes for a fun story at parties.
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Salibi
Guest
Iāve never done an ancestry test before, but I guess if I did I would get either āMiddle-Easternā or āLebaneseā depending on whether the DNA test is broad or narrow. I may have a smattering of ethnicities instead of āLebaneseā since Lebanese are a very diverse group of people, but again I guess that depends on the test. One of my friends did one and got Arab, Greek, and Jewish.
I definitely have some Russian in me since my paternal grandpa was from up there. Havenāt read through the whole thread yet, but my curiosity has been piqued. Which test would everyone recommend? I would prefer something more detailed than just āMiddle-Easternā. I know Iām Middle-Eastern.
I definitely have some Russian in me since my paternal grandpa was from up there. Havenāt read through the whole thread yet, but my curiosity has been piqued. Which test would everyone recommend? I would prefer something more detailed than just āMiddle-Easternā. I know Iām Middle-Eastern
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AL_1323
Guest
Bonjour, Mon Ami!!!
I am not a European in anyway!!!
As you will know I am an Australian Citizen My dad has lived here since he was born, my mother came here from the Phillipines when she was eight.
So I have Spanish Philipino, Chinese blood
I am not a European in anyway!!!
As you will know I am an Australian Citizen My dad has lived here since he was born, my mother came here from the Phillipines when she was eight.
So I have Spanish Philipino, Chinese blood
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Irishmom2
Guest
I used Ancestry.com. I like the report you get back. It shows your ethnic breakdown, time lines, maps, and shows anyone that took the test that you maybe related to.
I know a lot of people think they know what nationality they are because their mom told them their family came from somewhere, but you just donāt know. Grandmaās family may have come from France, but without being aware, Family before them came from somewhere else. As stated above, I would have thought I was only 2 things, but I was not. I was more of one than the other, and I had several that I never would have known, but make sense when it is presented to me as it was.
Also be aware that siblings will have different percentages even with the same parents. Thatās what was really interesting to me. I didnāt realize they could be so different, but they are.
I know a lot of people think they know what nationality they are because their mom told them their family came from somewhere, but you just donāt know. Grandmaās family may have come from France, but without being aware, Family before them came from somewhere else. As stated above, I would have thought I was only 2 things, but I was not. I was more of one than the other, and I had several that I never would have known, but make sense when it is presented to me as it was.
Also be aware that siblings will have different percentages even with the same parents. Thatās what was really interesting to me. I didnāt realize they could be so different, but they are.
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