Creating a Medical Ancestry Chart

Have you ever created a medical history of your ancestors' causes of death? It's a very interesting, and I believe valuable, exercise. I created one for my husband's family on his father's side. It starts with hubs' grandparents. For each generation I listed the name of the ancestor, the age at which they died, and the cause of death (if I have found it)

After I created it using Excel, it was easy to see that heart problems appear to run in the family! This will be something for hubs to be aware of - to exercise more, eat healthy, and have regular medical checkups.

Gen 3 GrandParents

Charlie	77	heart
Kak	91	heart

Gen 4 Great Grandparents

John Massey	85
Myrtle Sandercock	48	Aneurism
Archie Demeulenaere	58	heart
Maggie Butler	84

Gen 5 Great-Great-Grandparents

Tom Massey	53	heart
Harriet Purdue	81
Henri Demeulenaere	96
Maria Blondeel	88
Joseph Butler	55	Heart attack
Carrie Kirsch	72	Cerebral Hem. (stroke)
Sam Sandercock	78	Heart
Ann Jackson	76	Stroke

Gen 6 Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

William Massey	45	Disease?
Ellen Montgomery	53	Inflammation
Frederick Purdue	93	Heart failure
Margaret Cowan	92	Heart
Felix Demeulenaere	72
Amelia Grootheart	35
George Sandercock	77
Fanny Joll	72
Allen Butler	48	Heart
Catharine Weiss	84	Old Age
John Kirsch	37-47
Veronica Schiebel	83	Senility, pneumonia
William Jackson	65	Stroke
Catherine Hogan	44	Typhoid Fever

National Genealogical Society Announces Program for the 2016 Family History Conference

ARLINGTON, VA, 20 NOVEMBER 2015—The National Genealogical Society is pleased to announce the release of its 2016 Family History Conference program. The program, which includes more than 170 lectures, is now available online at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/program/ and as a sixteen-page registration brochure, which can be downloaded at http://goo.gl/w40zSO.

Nationally known speakers and subject matter experts will address a broad array of topics, including records for Florida and its neighboring states; migration into and out of the region; military records; state and federal records. Other topics will discuss genealogical research on African Americans and women; methodology; analysis and problem solving; and the use of technology, including genetics, mobile devices, and apps useful in genealogical research.

The conference will take place at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 4–7 May 2016.   Registration opens on 1 December 2015 at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/register/.  A number of special events have limited seating, so register on 1 December, or as soon as possible thereafter, if you plan to attend these events.

Up-to-date information about the availability, amenities, and rates for conference hotels can be found at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/accommodations/.

Sign up for the NGS Conference Blog at http://conferenceblog.ngsgenealogy.org so you do not miss conference news or announcements.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia- based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

Do Humans Have Genetic Memories?

Does this explain Deja Vu? Does it support those who believe in, and swear they have experienced, Reincarnation? 

Scientists have found that memories may actually be passed down through generations in our DNA. That sounds so futuristic doesn't it. SS News explains:

"New research from Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, has shown that it is possible for some information to be inherited biologically through chemical changes that occur in DNA. During the tests they learned that that mice can pass on learned information about traumatic or stressful experiences – in this case a fear of the smell of cherry blossom – to subsequent generations."

For an interesting read, see the story at SS News

Hallowe'en Death Chart

Judy Russell of The Legal Genealogist came up with a fascinating chart of her ancestors causes of death and ages at death. It's so perfect for Hallowe'en that I decided to create my own.

It was actually a good exercise because I realized that I didn't have all the death registrations and that I hadn't really thought about their deaths. Was there a pattern? Did my ancestors have similar, perhaps genetic, health issues? Did they die young? Live to ripe old ages?

Lots of my female ancestors lived long lives, into their 80s and 90s. That's good news for me! With no further ado, here's my Hallowe'en Death Chart. You might want to create one too.

The upper case initials on each line are just to help me keep it straight as to whose information I was entering.

Exciting Find Through FamilyTree DNA Find Dates Back 338,000 Years

A DNA test on an American hoping to trace his family tree has come up with a stunning result - the roots of the human tree date back much further than previously thought.

Researchers were shocked when they analysed the DNA of Albert Perry, a recently deceased African-American from South Carolina.

'This lineage diverged from previously known Y chromosomes about 338,000 years ago, a time when anatomically modern humans had not yet evolved,' said Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona.

Either interbreeding with Neanderthals or other populations led to the unusual genetic makeup, he said, or humans evolved far earlier than the extant fossil record suggests.

The new divergent lineage - which was found when Mr Perry contacted Family Tree DNA, a company specializing in DNA analysis to trace family roots - branched from the Y chromosome tree before the first appearance of anatomically modern humans in the fossil record.

The DNA analysis proves last common Y chromosome ancestor lived 338,000 years ago, even though oldest fossil of modern man is only 200,000 years old

Read more at The family tree that rewrote human history: Researchers stunned to find DNA submitted to online project dates back 338,000 years 

Credits: Photo of Chromosomes by Victor Habbick on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Being an Adventurer Isn't Always Genetic!

My mother was born in 1916. It wasn't really a time for women to be independent but my mother was. In the 1950's she was one of the few, if not the only, wife and mother in our little town who worked at a job outside the home. I remember asking her once why she didn't get together with the other moms in town to have coffee like my friends' mothers did. She just laughed and said she'd rather be working.

In 1971 at the age of 55, she retired, sold her belongings and bought a Winnebago. With her widowed mother (my grandma) and sister, she began travelling. They started their adventures by driving to Florida and then across to California. They towed a little car behind the Winnebago - mom did all the driving while her sister did the cooking. Grandma used to say that her job was to oversee them both. They called themselves the Merry Widows and were written about in two travelling magazines!

I made a list of all my mother's major driving adventures and it impressed me so much I had to share it. Remember as you read this, that in between these "big trips" she was still driving in her motor home all around N. America

1974: Arizona, Florida
1975: Maritime Provinces Canada
1976: Mexico
1976: Flew to Europe for 2 weeks
1977: Texas
1978: Florida
1985: Bought two trailer homes and parked one in Ontario, the other in Florida. Continued to drive around N. America but instead of a motor home, it was in a truck.
1990: Moved to British Columbia
1995: Moved back to Ontario
1996: On her 80th birthday, no longer driving around N. America, she treated herself to a trip to Australia and New Zealand. She backpacked for 3 weeks, with a little pink Barbie backpack.
1997: Discovered genealogy and went to Salt Lake City to research
1997: Age 81. Drove herself to Florida and back to Ontario
1998: Age 82. Went to China for 4 weeks
1999: Age 83. Went to England, Russia, Poland, Denmark, German, Sweden and Finland
2000: Age 84. Camping-hiking trip through the Australian Outback
2001: Age 85. Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta
2001: Age 85. South Africa

She made many other trips during this time - to England mostly but also to New York and other places in N. America. Oh and did I mention that at age 60, she took flying lessons to obtain her pilot's license in America? And that she then built her own ulra-light airplane with her boyfriend?

Here she is ready for a hot-air balloon ride in Australia at age 84. She's the tiny one in front holding a cream coloured hat.


and in S. Africa sitting on an ostrich at age 85.

I wish I had 1/4 of my mother's spirit of adventure! But sadly, I don't. So I guess that adventurous spirit doesn't always get passed on through our genetic code or DNA.