I appreciate. I’ve really never taken it that hard. I’ve been raised since an early age by a step dad who has been better than any father I could have asked for.
Enough of Soup’s daddy drama, I have a real issue. Apparently I’m primarily German now (39.2%). Hopefully you guys don’t judge me for my country’s past transgressions.
Let’s try this, now I don’t want you to think. You just tell me the first thing that comes through your mind after seeing this picture
My Scots Irish arrived on the shores of the Carolinas in the early 1800s and went west to Northern Alabama and Georgia. My DNA kit shows only Ireland and coastal France and Germany as my geographic homeland. Was expecting some Czech or former Soviet Bloc from mother's side but barely touched onto mainland Europe. They came in via Ellis Island.
We did a family gift exchange game and my mom ended up with a 23 me and kit. For whatever reason my mom didn't want it, so my brother got it from her after. IIRC the results were that we were majority British Isles then Swiss, Swedish, and then smaller percentages of German, Dutch, and Danish. Biggest surprise was majority British Isles as I was told we were 25% Swiss. My Grandpa was supposedly 100% Swiss cause all 4 of his grandparents emigrated from Switzerland. They went from Switzerland to Nebraska (my grandparents then moved to CA after WW2 (GBR, NFM)). Other side I know my Great Great Grandfather came from Sweden in the late 1880s/early 1890s. My cousin did a bunch of backtracing before all of the DNA stuff. Somebody from my family actually contacted the small town in Sweden they were from and got in touch with some long lost relatives. GG Grandpa went from small town Sweden through Ellis Island to Duluth, Minnesota (shocker for Swedes coming over at the time) and then on to Los Angeles in the early 1890s. Not surprisingly, we are 100% European. That was a lot of rambling lol
we have a extremely similar genetic make up, and families have drifted geographically in extremely similar ways interesting.
Had not yet been able to contact the half brother I discovered, but I did today find a potential path via his wife. Just have to call the number of the “family run” weed shop she owns in Norman.
I’m sure this got answered in the previous 9 pages but it’s kinda dated info at this point: whats the current preferred place to do a DNA origins test that’s not going to sell your info and give you accurate genetic background and isn’t going to tell me I’m going to imminently die due to genetic markers?
Update: the weed connect paid off. He never knew who his real father was, and was thrilled to find out he had family. His mom told him she didn’t know, then changed to “he died in Vietnam”. She gave him up for adoption early on and checked in sometimes. We did an online chat with my sisters, and then he and I met in person a couple weeks ago. Super nice guy who is just happy to learn where he came from and know that he has family. Even after I forced him to consume Polish food, in honor of our heritage he was not previously aware of. He handled the cabbage just fine. It’s odd trying to bring him into the family without him knowing all the little intricacies. But I’m trying to include him as best I can. Just want him to know we’re all together going forward.
One of my close friends found out that the guy who he thought was his biological dad actually isn't. The dude wasn't really in my friend's life ever so it could have been worse but he's keeping the last name for whatever reason. He found out because he had done the test and he showed up when someone from his biological father's family was trying to do a family tree. Awkward
Apparently he didn't, but he was also never around and seemingly has a normal family now with kids near our age so maybe he suspected
my best friend figured out who his father was after doing a 23&me test. They suggested that they might be related bc they so closely matched. His mom never told him about his dad + she never told his dad that she had a kid by him. really glad he found him and was able to start developing a relationship
So big life update from 23 and Me. Background: I am adopted. I learned a few years ago who I thought was my dad as one of my cousins showed up on the site several years ago (shared earlier in this thread). On Sunday morning, I get a random view on LinkedIn. With the last name matching my suspected father, I log into 23andMe and I see a new 1st cousin. I message her asking to connect sharing we are cousins, I'm adopted, and I want to learn more. She responds "I'm not your cousin, I am your aunt. Your mom is my sister." Trade some messages and do a 45 minute call last night. I learned my biological parents ended up getting married 4 years after my birth. They have 2 kids who are my full sisters. One lives in Chicago where I live. One is a senior at KU...where I went to school or the two places I've lived in my entire life. I have now been texting to my sister who is a senior in college all morning. The rest of the family is still processing this news and not ready to start a conversation. But on Sunday, I didn't know who my mom was and wasn't sure about my dad. Then 24 hours later, I learn my parents, siblings and this whole story I couldn't imagine It was a pretty weird 48 hours.
I'm 41. They are 29 and 23 I think. Parents I believe were lightly dating early in college when I was conceived. So its weird to be working as a 40+ year old dad with a second grader today and texting my sister who is undergrad. Probably equally or more weird/wild for the sister who just learned about all this.
I think so? I guess my mother isn't on speaking terms with either daughter or her ex-husband/my biological dad.. The feedback the aunt/daughter gave is we can give you her information but you might not like where it goes. Dad is still processing it. They shared he didn't know I existed. Seems hard to believe that you could hide a pregnancy but I don't know the full situation. But at least the daughter believes he just learned about me. I think its easier talking to the sister but having a similar conversation with mom/dad would be harder to have, I admit. I'd have to mentally prepare for that one. I am cognizant that just because I want to know info, coming into a family situation as the long lost relative has emotional repercussions so trying to tread lightly. I gave the aunt my # last night and the youngest daughter/sister texted me this morning to introduce herself. We'll see how things progress over the coming days/weeks/months.
Good luck man, I hope it turns into a positive experience for you and your family. Keep us updated if you want to keep sharing.
Pretty wild. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop in my family tree as well. I've seen some really interesting things pop up on my DNA relatives list and I'm fairly sure the man who was my maternal grandfather had at least two other families.
Dad might not have known. If she told her parents they might have made her drop out and come home and they could have stayed in touch or reconnected when she came back and never told him.
This thread always gets confusing trying to keep the family tree straight, the ex-husband here is your biological father, right? If your mom isn't on speaking terms with your daughter then I'm guessing your biological dad is the one who has some kind of parental relationship with them?
So 23andMe is the DNA test to do if you want to find the unknown relatives? I know there's a lot of different tests/sites now