Why I don’t sync RootsMagic with Ancestry, anymore.

By |2024-08-20T06:20:58-07:00August 18th, 2024|

Keeping my RootsMagic (RM) data and Ancestry data consistent is made simple by the TreeShare functionality in RM. Any work done on Ancestry, such as attaching documents to a profile or adding facts to a person, can be synced to RM without needing to manually reenter the […]

Finding the Mystery Father of Ernest Piatt with Autosomal DNA Matches – Part 3 or 3

By |2024-06-16T14:41:09-07:00June 30th, 2024|

by Stewart Blandón Traiman, MD

[This article was originally published in The California Nugget, Spring 2024 edition.]


The DNA Connections

We have successfully verified the relationships of eleven DNA matches within the mystery line and have identified common ancestors. These relationships fall within the statistically expected range of shared centimorgans (cM) and have a […]

Finding the Mystery Father of Ernest Piatt with Autosomal DNA Matches – Part 2 of 3

By |2024-06-16T14:33:06-07:00June 23rd, 2024|

by Stewart Blandón Traiman, MD

[This article was originally published in The California Nugget, Spring 2024 edition.]


Searching for a Common Ancestor

Our next focus was to research the eleven matches with connections to the mystery line to determine how they related to each other. [See Genogram]

Cousin 08 – This cousin was the known […]

Finding the Mystery Father of Ernest Piatt with Autosomal DNA Matches – Part 1 of 3

By |2024-06-16T14:38:55-07:00June 16th, 2024|

by Stewart Blandón Traiman, MD

[This article was originally published in The California Nugget, Spring 2024 edition.]

In my son’s (J.T.) paternal lineage, there is a persistent mystery surrounding a third great-grandfather whose identity was thought to be unknowable. Ernest Richard Piatt, J.T.’s biological second-great-grandfather, was raised not knowing who his father was. Ernest’s […]

Evidence Explained: Third Edition vs. Fourth Edition

By |2024-03-12T13:50:23-07:00March 12th, 2024|

Upon discovering the imminent release of a new edition of Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifact to Cyberspace, I was filled with both eager anticipation and apprehension of change. The third edition (revised) was published seven years ago in 2017, and the prospect of a refreshed volume piqued […]

Nicaragua Genealogy

By |2023-04-16T09:38:00-07:00April 16th, 2023|

Nicaragua Genealogy

A brief time ago, FamilySearch posted new databases for church records in Nicaragua – Archivo Diocesano de Granada (Nicaragua). This group contains baptismal, matrimonial, and death records for churches in Boaco, Diriomo, Granada, Nandiame, Ometepe, and Rivas. I was especially happy to see three databases that relate to […]

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They / Them Pronouns

By |2023-11-19T07:54:54-08:00March 15th, 2023|

Using “They” or “Them” as pronouns is the appropriate and respectful choice for non-binary individuals or anyone who identifies with these terms. I candidly admit that adapting to what my mind perceives as plural terms has been challenging. It’s not a resistance to acknowledging preferred pronouns; rather, it’s the need […]

Writing Your Own Obituary

By |2020-11-15T07:30:54-08:00November 15th, 2020|

Write your own obituary, because who can do it better than you? Who amongst your surviving relatives will know why you took the life paths you did? Who will have the insight and writing skills to convey to generations to come who you were in life?

As genealogists, we are happy […]

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