DNA Testing
Over the years we have made fantastic progress in our research of the family history. It has been the result of a group effort by many people. I wish to express my appreciation for the contributions so many of you have made to the research.
There is a very noticeable decrease in activity in recent months on the Easterly Family Genealogy Forum and on the Easterly Family website. I’m sure it is not for lack of interest. That leads me to conclude that it must be complacency. Everyone is satisfied that we have made enough progress.
I feel that we are now at a crossroad. We can step back and allow the research to dwindle to nothing; trusting that future generations will pick up the quest a few years from now. Or, we can take a bold step and propel our research forward for many generations and simultaneously cement our past research into solid facts.
Our data collection to this point has been placed on a very solid footing by the paper trails left by our ancestors. Those paper trails have proven to be invaluable to our efforts. Sometimes relying on conjecture to “fill in the holes”, at other times being fortunate to have solid evidence, we have managed to piece together a very complete picture of our early ancestors in this country. Still, we have “hit the wall” with the arrival of our ancestors in Philadelphia in the early 1700’s. We have accounted for only the three brothers who arrived in 1738 and 1743.
Did those others become the names we recognize as being so close to the Easterly name, however we simply don’t know how or when it happened? ( Easterling; Easter;
Oester; Oster; Osterlin; Osterlen; Osterling; Sterling; Stirling; Sturling; E’Stre and others)
What of the others who arrived in the same general time frame? What became of them? Is it their descendants in the Midwest area that have us scratching our heads because we can’t make the connections?
There are major fragment groups in the files that are not being connected because we have run out of leads.
It is time to give serious attention establishing our roots beyond the immigrant arrivals in this country. We need to tie in the fragment groups in this country and discover our cousins who are still in Europe. I suspect that is where we will find many answers
We can do that through DNA testing.
I have been studying the information available on the Family Tree Web site at http://www.familytreedna.comhttp://www.familytreedna.com and have found it to be very informative. I recommend you read the available information there in order to be able to make an informed decision about the merits of DNA as a research tool.
I have read everything there, several times, and have telephoned their experts for clarification of vague or un-clear points.
I am convinced it is the way to proceed.
We will need 5 or 6 participants for the initial tests. The DNA administrative staff has already assured me we will receive the group rate. Once those results are in hand, we can branch out and have the results checked against other results they have on file. Then we can begin exploring for other surname connections.
I informed the DNA staff that I would plan on establishing the project with a few tests, then I would order the expanded 35 marker test. They responded that it would be perfectly legitimate to do it that way. That way we can establish the base project back to Conrad Easterly at the minimal cost level, then only I will pay for the expanded 35 marker test. Of course if others wish to expand the background with the 35 marker test, they will be free to do so.
It is the 35 marker test that will show the probabilities of relatives in Europe.
Hopefully, some bright young mind will step forward who will be willing to take on the responsibilities of the Project Administrator.
Volunteers? Comments?
Walter F Easterly
More Replies:
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Re: DNA Testing
E Easterly 8/10/04
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Re: DNA Testing
Kristine Quart 5/30/04
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Re: DNA Testing
Walter Easterly 5/30/04
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Re: DNA Testing