(All quotes are cited from pages linked from the AncestryDNA Regions and Journeys FAQ page) AncestryDNA recently made an update to its algorithm for determining ethnicity estimates. According to its website, AncestryDNA “calculates your ancestral regions by comparing your DNA to a reference panel made up of DNA samples from more than 185,000 people representingContinueContinue reading “How to Navigate the 2025 AncestryDNA Update”
Category Archives: General
Exploring the History of Veterans Day and How It Can Inspire Your Genealogy Journey
I want to share with you what I learned about Veterans Day, including its history, how it is different than Memorial Day, and how reflecting on our veterans’ experiences may inspire your genealogy research process.
Is There a President in Your Past?
Do you know anything about President’s Day beyond that it’s a federal holiday? This year, I was inspired to research the subject by my oldest son, who recently decided to submit an article Martin Luther King, Jr. to his school’s newspaper to inform his schoolmates about why the federal holiday exists. In view of thisContinueContinue reading “Is There a President in Your Past?”
My Contributions to the Blog at MyHeritage
A few months ago, I started contracting with a company that produces instructional articles for MyHeritage Blog. I gather information and write summaries that are then re-packaged to conform to the style guidelines specified by MyHeritage. I’m credited as the articles’ “expert”, but, honestly, I’m also a learner, and these are wonderful growth opportunities forContinueContinue reading “My Contributions to the Blog at MyHeritage”
My Grandfather, a Montford Point Marine
Nearly everyone has heard about Camp LeJeune, but you probably have know very little, if anything, about Montford Point and the Marines who trained there.
Learn now about Montford Point and my grandfather Herbert Joel Susberry’s contributions to World War II in my new post.
7 Items on My Genealogy To Do List for 2025
Roadtrip! There is only so much you can do online, and it’s really time for me to get my hands dirty, up close and personally, in the courthouses, cemeteries, and churches again. I would like to visit Austin, Texas; Homer, Louisiana; multiple parishes in southwest Louisiana; and Kanawha County, West Virginia. I would also like toContinueContinue reading “7 Items on My Genealogy To Do List for 2025”
Embracing Ancestral Wisdom for Today
In genealogy, we often mine conversations with our elders for information – facts about events, people, and places…maybe even decisions and related intentions. Less frequently do we try to listen for the lessons they learned and meditate on how we can apply them in our lives. Maybe we should be more mindful of a very important aspectContinueContinue reading “Embracing Ancestral Wisdom for Today”
A Reflection on the God of DNA
Seemingly simple, infinitesimally small, but grand and powerful…It is a miniature material used in the construction of a human being, much like a ladder is used in the construction of certain building project, except it is curved and twisted with a name that few people can pronounce or spell – deoxyribonucleic acid. Its two sideContinueContinue reading “A Reflection on the God of DNA”
Book Review…The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History by Christopher Dodson
Many authors have attempted to explain the history of the Acadians, but I didn’t become interested in learning about it until a few years ago. I tried to tackle one book, but the writing style and presentation of the information made it difficult for me to get immersed in it. Then, in 2019 I beganContinueContinue reading “Book Review…The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History by Christopher Dodson”
Processing Unexpected Genealogy Research Findings
Referencing an article I wrote describing the emotional impact of non-paternity events (NPEs), one reader commented that learning unsavory information during the process of genealogy research “can become a huge burden to carry alone or create family turmoil if revealed”. The decision of what to do – i.e., “share it, bury it, ignore it” – isContinueContinue reading “Processing Unexpected Genealogy Research Findings”
The Genealogy Griot 