I’ve changed the names of the submitters to protect their identify. A, B, C, D, and I descend from Erasmus Trautvetter, born about 1770 in Thuringen, Germany. His descendants are documented in an 1870-era estate settlement in Hancock County, Illinois, and in church records in Thuringen. A, B, and I all descend from Erasmus’ great-grandson […]

After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally decided to have the DNA work done at Ancestry.com. The combination of a St. Patrick’s Day Sale and my desire to know something a little more about my Irish family made me finally take the plunge. While there’s always the chance that new relatives will “pop up,” […]