Is your direct maternal line over 9 generations?

Question

Can you trace your direct maternal line (your mother's, mother's, mother's, etc., mother) back ten generations or more?

If so, would you consider taking a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test?  There are only about 12 people in WikiTree who have mtDNA tested and can go back over 9 generations on their direct maternal line. See:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:WikiTree_Tops#Most_number_of_generations_in_a_direct_maternal_line_which_has_been_mtDNA_tested

Comments

I have ten starting with my mother, thanks to WikiTree collaboration. I know nothing about being tested for mitochondrial dna, but I do find the idea intriguing.

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Hello Susan,

You have tested with 23andMe which revealed your mtDNA haplogroup.  On your DNA Tests page select that you took an "Other mtDNA" and in the haplogroup field enter your mtDNA haplogroup as reported by 23andMe.  Is your haplogroup any more precise than just H (e.g. H1a2b etc.?) In the Note field enter that you tested with 23andMe and the approximate date you tested.  Then within 24 hours your mtDNA haplogroup will automatically be associated with your direct maternal line (in your case back 10 generations and on the daughters of the daughters of the daughters as far as they come done to the present).

Sincerely, Peter

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(... and on any sons of those daughters or direct maternal line ancestors).

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Thank you Peter and Rick. Everything went smoothly until the end when I received an error message telling me to "share this url for your compact family tree with your dna test matches:" (a link to my compact tree)

There are no instructions on how to do this and no link. I've tried everything I can think of. The information is already on my compact tree.

Any further help will be appreciated.

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Hello Susan,

Within 24 hours WikiTree will automatically associate your mtDNA information with everyone in your direct maternal line.  

23andMe only tested some of your mtDNA (which was only enough to determine you belong to haplogroup H).  Unfortunately in your case you belong to the most common mtDNA haplogroup found in Europe.  If you take a full sequence mtDNA test from FTDNA then you may discover you belong to subclade (branch of descent) which is less common.  Then you would want to share (with your full sequence mtDNA matches) your direct maternal line back to your earliest known direct maternal line ancestor.

Your direct maternal line can be found at

https://www.wikitree.com/treewidget/Wilson-31949/88

Sharing your “Compact Ancestral Tree” should be reserved for your autosomal DNA matches.  If you share all branches of your ancestry with your mtDNA matches then some of them may be confused that your shared mtDNA match is due to shared ancestry which is not your direct maternal line.

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Sadly my maternal line only goes back 6 generations.

But then again, it does not include myself or my son so maybe it's 8 generations...

My mother is private because she is still living.....

My son is not on wikitree because he is still a teenager.

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You might help someone else (like me) who had one of those ancestors whose mother died and we can't find her name in a paper trail.  She was then adopted.

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Everything seems to have worked out the way it should, with notification on the profile of each of the grandmothers, going back to Elizabeth Isabell Freeman Wooley, 1628- 1720. Pretty cool, huh? Thanks everyone for guidance and help. I'm now thinking about the full sequence testing.

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My maternal line goes back 14 generations. I haven't personally tested my mtDNA, but my mom's maternal cousin did the mtDNA test through FTDNA, so my result should be the same. I don't know if that should count or not, so I haven't entered it into wikitree. The cousin's mtDNA result is V16; my 23AndMe result is V, which seems to corroborate the V16. I just added some maternal grandparents to wikitree to fill out my 14 generations.

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Hello Jodi,

Congratulations! Exceedingly few people know 14 generations of their direct maternal line.  Is your cousin willing to join WikiTree and add their mtDNA information? 

On your DNA Tests page select that you took an "Other mtDNA" and in the haplogroup field enter your mtDNA haplogroup as reported by 23andMe. If your cousin is not willing to join WikiTree then in the Note field enter that you tested with 23andMe and the approximate date you tested. You may add that your direct maternal line cousin mtDNA is reported V16.   

Answer 1

I make 8 generations. My daughter (who hasn't tested, but should be the same as me) make 9. My four great nieces(who haven't tested) should also match me and be generation 10 in my family.

Answer 2

Peter,

My maternal line goes back 12 generations and I've taken the mt-DNA full sequence.  However, I've not yet input my maternal line onto WikiTree.  I could "ladder" out on my maternal line with minimal references.  I could fill in more details at a later date.  Would that work?

Comments

Yes that sounds like it would work.  Thanks.

Answer 3

I have one branch of my mother's tree documented back to 80 AD (it was a royal line, with extensive record keeping). Does that qualify? It is my mother's father's, mother's, (etc.) line. I would be willing to do a mitochondrial DNA test. I have loaded my autosomal test from Ancestry.com here, but have not completed any other steps yet.

Comments

Your direct maternal line ancestry can't include any males.

Answer 4

I go back 11 generations and have done the mtDNA.  My ID is Hubbard-3908.

Answer 5

I have mtDNA results from my wife, because they are included automatically in 23andme results. If you count our daughter, we have a full 10-generations fo mother-to-daughter lineage. Her full results are uploaded to gedmatch.com, but I do now have the option of downloading *just* her mtDNA...  Although I am not sure what I would do with it once I had it.  Is there a special way that "just mtDNA" is handled?

Comments

Hello Brian,

On your wife's DNA Tests page select that she had an "Other mtDNA" test. Enter the haplogroup 23andMe reported.  In the note field say that she tested with 23andMe and the approximate date she tested.

This will allow her direct maternal line information to automatically be associated with her direct maternal line.

Sincerely, Peter

Answer 6

Wit the help of some awesome WikiTreers, managed to get sources to properly link my direct matrilineal line for sure to the like of Marie Marguerie. Marie is my 10xgreat grandmother and direct matrilineal ancestor.

The direct matrilineal line goes back further than this on WikiTree, but I'm fairly confident of the linkages up to Marie.

I've only taken an autosomal test (23andMe) and was pegged as being in the W haplogroup. I ran the raw data through a different calculator and had a 95% confidence or so of being in the W3A2 haplogroup, which is what Marie Marguerie has been found out to be.

I'm not sure how informational it would be if I took a MTDNA test, as my matrilineal line seems fairly well researched. But I'd certainly consider it.

Here is a link to Marie: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Marguerie-1

Here is the Relationship Finder path:

Marie is the 10th great grandmother of Kristen

1. Kristen is the daughter of
Martha (Lapish) Hanley
DNA confirmed
2. Martha is the daughter of
Lorraine (Bonin) Roche
DNA confirmed
3. Lorraine is the daughter of
Della L. (Noel) Bonin
DNA confirmed
4. Della is the daughter of
Marie-Amanda (Beaudoin) Noel
[unknown
confidence]
5. Amanda is the daughter of
Marie Adelaïde (Descoteaux) Beaudoin
[unknown
confidence]
6. Arline is the daughter of
Josephte (Rouillard) Descoteaux
[confident]
7. Josephte is the daughter of
Marie-Rose (Langlois-Traversy) Langlois
[unknown
confidence]
8. Marie-Rose is the daughter of
Marie-Françoise Niquette
[unknown
confidence]
9. Marie-Françoise is the daughter of
Marie Françoise Giguère
[unknown
confidence]
10. Marie Françoise is the daughter of
Marie Françoise Pinard
[unknown
confidence]
11. Marie Françoise is the daughter of
Marie Madeleine (Hertel) Pinard
[unknown
confidence]
12. Marie Madeleine is the daughter of
Marie Marguerie
[unknown
confidence]
This makes Marie the tenth great grandmother of Kristen.

Comments

Hello Kristen,

Your 23andMe results already include your mtDNA haplogroup.  Please go to your DNA Tests page at

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:DNATests&u=16083647

and under "Add a New Test" select that you took an "Other mtDNA" test.

If 23andMe said your haplogroup was W then enter W for Mitochondrial haplogroup.  

Enter 23andMe for Test type:.

Leave MitoSearch ID blank.

In the free space field enter something like "mtDNA haplogroup as reported by 23andMe on [approximate date your 23and Me test results were received]."

Then click on the button for ADD TEST FOR KRISTEN METZ

Then with in about 24 hours WikiTree will automatically associate your mtDNA information with your direct maternal line.

Thanks and sincerely, Peter

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Done!

I didn't know we could do that - I was thinking I'd have to take a full MTDNA test to be useful or to add that kind of thing.

23andMe's MTDNA haplogroup assignments are out of date, too, from what I hear.

Answer 7

Counting myself, there's 8 generations back to my 5x great-grandmother, Elizabeth, wife of William Golding of Floyd co., GA and Prairie, Arkansas. Some internet genealogies give her the maiden name Lawrence, but I've seen no proof of it. I have photographs of most of my maternal-line ancestors -- they're all photographed except for Elizabeth herself and her daughter Lydia (my 4x great-grandmother). It's interesting to see us change from short, plump and dark to tall, lanky and fair-haired.

Answer 8

I have 7 people in my maternal line, which goes back to Ireland

1. Me, 2. Mum, 3. Gran, 4. Granny Appleyard - 1900, 5. Mary Meegan Griffin - 1875, 6. Joanna Griffin - 1854, 7. Catherine - ?

And my dad has 8, which goes back to Yorkshire, England

1. Dad, 2. Grandma Ethel, 3. Sarah Ann Rushfirth - 1906, 4. Harriott Sadd - 1878, 5. Sarah Ann Foster - 1855, 6. Mary Wright - 1831, 7. Sarah Webster - 1802, 8. Esther - ?

We haven't done any DNA tests yet, looking out for a reasonably priced one. Is Living DNA any good for these kind of tests? 

Comments

Hello A. C., 

Family Tree DNA's mtDNAPlus test would provide the best results at an economical cost.  It is $89 plus $12 postage and handling.  You can order at https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?&group=WikiTreecomDNAProjec&vGroup=WikiTree

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Thanks for the information - I just checked and with the exchange rate and tax it would be about 150 AUD, a bit too expensive for now.

Answer 9

I have done most of my lines back to the 17 and 1600's most are now over 9 generations, but unfortunately, noone in my family can afford the mito or ydna or autosomal testing right now. seems like if theres ever any extra $ there is always something that has to be bought asap, ei: food, diapers, medications, gas, just barely getting by, so unfortuneately testing is not an option for myself or my siblings or parents at this time.  Would love to get done my mito line because it is a line that i've not seen done yet, goes back to Marguerite Raisin (Raizene, Raising, Raicine?) through lines of Gallant/Como-Comeau/Phaneuf/Chouinard/Longtin/Bissonnette/ Moquin/DUBOIS_DIT_RONDEL,  L'HIRONDELLE/Babeau/Mesny-Mesnil/Deniger-Sansoucee-Sansoucy/ to Marguerite Raisin-Raisen etc  (she is 8th and last in my mito line as she is "unknown origin"

Comments

Hello Arora,

The current cost for an mtDNAPlus test is $89 plus $12 postage and handling.  You can order at https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?&group=WikiTreecomDNAProjec&vGroup=WikiTree

All your direct maternal line relatives would likely have the same result and some of them might help you share the cost of testing.

Sincerely, Peter

Answer 10

Interesting! I can go back 9 generations on my direct maternal line with a high degree of confidence, to Hannah Thornton:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Thornton-517

And other Wikitree users have built that tree out 3 more generations, to Elizabeth Serrill:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Serrill-4

But I haven't examined that research myself yet.

So, apparently I'd be on that list if I took the mt-DNA test. I really want to, because my direct maternal line is my pet project. But I don't have the money for it right now.

Answer 11

My maternal line goes back 11 generations to [[Wendan-1]] in Essex, England. I have MTDNA tested.

Answer 12

Using Wiki, I can go back 12 generations to

Elizabeth (Flint) Leach  30 Jun 1650 - 8 Feb 1719 Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Sister of Thomas Flint , George

Her mother was listed as "Ann Unknown".  Could someone please route me to the best DNA testing company for MtDNA?  Maybe it's finally time.

Comments

The current cost for an mtDNAPlus test is $89 plus $12 postage and handling.  You can order at https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?&group=WikiTreecomDNAProjec&vGroup=WikiTree

Answer 13

I've taken the mtDNA test (full sequence) and can trace my direct maternal ancestry back 13 generations, to Marie Challe.  I've separately written about my experience with my mtDNA testing on this G2G post.

Answer 14

I only have 4. Can't get past my great grandmothers parents, they are a mystery.

Answer 15

I'm an all female line descendants of Williams-16089, which is in early colonial America. I would be the twelfth generation down from her. I will gladly take mtDNA when I can afford to. I just bought auDNA tests for my sister and our maternal grandmother, and my mom just got her auDNA ordered as well. I have to save up in my DNA fund again before I do mtDNA. They'll be through FTDNA like mine, so at least it should be the test price, not the test and kit cost for whichever of us ladies does the test. Would my grandmother's test be more or less helpful than my mother's or mine?

When do I get to match with a rich cousin who wants to fund all these tests?

Comments

Barring any adoptions, your mtDNA should be the same as your mother's, and her mother's, and so forth. So it doesn't particularly matter which one of you ladies takes the test.

Answer 16

I can trace my only sister's three daughter's drect maternal line back 12 generations to Marie Grimoult born in France at Saint-Rémi de Gif, in ancient Île-de-France province (now Gif-sur-Yvette in  Île-de-France region's Essone department)..I am not aware of any of the four having yet been mtDNA tested.

Comments

Hello Claude,

If you and your sister have the same mother then your sister’s daughters have the same mtDNA as you.

Please change your privacy level to Private with Public Biography and Family Tree.

Sincerely, Peter

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Thanks for clarifying that my mtDNA test is sufficient and suggesting privacy level change. Since question is about over 9 generation DML, I should myself clarify that existence of my sister's grand-daughter thus actually goes  back 13-generations.

Answer 17

I've got 9 generations exactly but it doesn't do any good when other Wikitree members won't cooperate with fixing the line.

Answer 18

I am 15 generations back to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Chaumoret-1. My mitochondrial haplogroup is HV4a as reported by 23andme, which seems to be consistent with mitochondrial research already done on her daughter, which has assigned her the haplogroup HV4a1a4, based on a more up-to-date phylogenetic tree.

Answer 19

This post inspired me about 2 months ago to get an mtDNA test. I can trace my maternal lineage back 7 generations with sources to Lisette Bercier, but I can not find any  evidence to connect her to her mother (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bercier-47).  Many notes suggest her mother was a native lady named Margaret, although there is a lot of  documentation that her father was married to a different native lady name Josephette - but no evidence she is the daughter of that coupling.

I finally got my mtDNA results back and they do align with the documentation up to this point. My haplogroup is A2n.

Hopefully it will help crack that brick wall!

Comments

I've added (to Lisette Berciers' profile) the sources for Metis Scrips for 3 of their children, which lists Lisette Bercier as "Metis" within these scrip docs

Answer 20

Five and I hit the Métis and a First Peoples line is all I have and it is unknown - there was some sort of thing where there must be some record as the lady did have a surname - Demoran so must have been Métis woman - said to be a Saulteaux which is Ojibwe from the Sault Sainte Marie area - so nine would be from that tribe I would bet

Comments

Navarro, which line are you talking about? will see what I can find, post link to the "brickwall" of suspected Saulteaux or native, thank you

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Well the one is :https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Saulteaux-18

Marie Suzette Saulteaux who married Francois Desmarais who came form Quebec and they raised one girl, Marie and five boys, Francois, Michel, Charles King (I recently found out that was not really his name when he was born) Joseph and Jean Baptiste between 1803 and 1812 - but then he left after the fur trade companies combined and went to Ontario and married a white woman and had another son -

I come down from Charles King who married Harriet Favel - one of Titameg's line

Another grandmother I do think there is more information somewhere about is:https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Demoran-1 who was the wife of James Anderson - and I just wonder how she got the last name Demoran - so she may have been Métis - anyhow their daughter Elizabeth married a William Sinclair who I can not find coming in - who himself may have been Métis as well

These were the first lines I found of my mothers family that led to her mother - and I sure would love to know more about them - Titameg of course was Cree they say

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Navarro here is one for Elizabeth Anderson and William Sinclair - Son William b.1845 Metis Scrip

1.

  

Scrip affidavit for Sinclair, William; born: 1845; father: Wm. Sinclair (Métis); mother: Elizabeth Anderson (Métis); claim no: 847; scrip no: 2962 to 2969; date of issue: May 22, 1876; amount: $160 = Demande de certificat pour Sinclair, William; né(e): en 1845; père: Wm. Sinclair (Métis(se)); mère: Elizabeth Anderson (Métis(se)); no de réclamation: 847; no de certificats: 2962 à 2969; date d'émission: 22 mai, 1876; au montant de: 160$. 19uu. File.
RG15-D-II-8-a. Volume/box number: 1324. Copied container number: C-14933.
Textual material. [Access: Open]. Government.

Finding aid number: 15-19

Click link below to see and download actual docs/records

http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2019-03-29T04%3A01%3A04Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=1503982&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Apam&lang=eng

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Navarro

heres another for daughter Mary

  

Scrip affidavit for Wilson, Mary; born: August 25, 1827; husband: James Wilson; father: William Sinclair (Scot); mother: Elizabeth Anderson (Métis); claim no: 384; scrip no: 2890 to 2897; date of issue: May 22, 1876; amount: $160 = Demande de certificat pour Wilson, Mary; né(e): le 25 août, 1827; époux: James Wilson; père: William Sinclair (Ecossais(e)); mère: Elizabeth Anderson (Métis(se)); no de réclamation: 384; no de certificats: 2890 à 2897; date d'émission: 22 mai, 1876; au montant: 160$. 19uu. File.
RG15-D-II-8-a. Volume/box number: 1324. Copied container number: C-14934.
Textual material. [Access: Open]. Government.

Finding aid number: 15-19

http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2019-03-29T04%3A05%3A54Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=1504600&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Apam&lang=eng

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Navarro another

  

Scrip affidavit for Demerais, Isabella; wife of Michael Demerais late Bird; born: 1845; father: Wm. Sinclair (Scot); mother: Elizabeth Anderson (Métis); claim no.: 2303; scrip no.: 11167; date of issue: October 2, 1876 = Demande de certificat pour Demerais, Isabella; épouse de Michael Demerais late Bird; né(e): en 1845; père: Wm. Sinclair (Ecossais(e)); mère: Elizabeth Anderson (Métis(se)); no de réclamation: 2303; no de certificats: 11167; date d'émission: 2 octobre, 1876. 19uu. File.
RG15-D-II-8-a. Volume/box number: 1320. Copied container number: C-14927.
Textual material. [Access: Open]. Government.
Finding aid number: 15-19

http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2019-03-29T04%3A10%3A26Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=1500395&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Apam&lang=eng

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Navarro I just found your Missing Grandmother-

5.

  

Scrip affidavit for Sinclair, Elizabeth; born: 1805; died: 14 June 1872; father: James Anderson (Scot); mother: Indian or a Métis; heirs: George; William; Charles; Thomas; Samuel Peter (deponent); Mary, wife of John Wilson; Elizabeth, wife of Edward Thomas; and John, Wm., James, Francis, and Flora (children of James Sinclair, deceased); claim no: 3035; scrip no: 12619 to 12633; date of issue: September 8, 1880; amount: $160 = Demande de certificat pour Sinclair, Elizabeth; né(e): en 1805; décédé(e): 14 juin 1872; père: James Anderson (Ecossais(e)); mère: Indien(ne) ou Métis(se); héritiers: George; William; Charles; Thomas; Samuel Peter (témoin déposant); Mary, épouse de John Wilson; Elizabeth, épouse de Edward Thomas; et John, Wm., James, Francis, et Flora (enfants de James Sinclair, décédé(e)); no de réclamation: 3035; no de certificats: 12619 à 12633; date d'émission: 8 septembre, 1880; au montant de: 160$. 19uu. File.
RG15-D-II-8-a. Volume/box number: 1324. Copied container number: C-14933.Textual material. [Access: Open]. Government. Finding aid number: 15-19, http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2019-03-29T04%3A14%3A42Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=1503950&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Apam&lang=eng

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Navarro I just found your Missing Grandmother-

5.

  

Scrip affidavit for Sinclair, Elizabeth; born: 1805; died: 14 June 1872; father: James Anderson (Scot); mother: Indian or a Métis; heirs: George; William; Charles; Thomas; Samuel Peter (deponent); Mary, wife of John Wilson; Elizabeth, wife of Edward Thomas; and John, Wm., James, Francis, and Flora (children of James Sinclair, deceased); claim no: 3035; scrip no: 12619 to 12633; date of issue: September 8, 1880; amount: $160 = Demande de certificat pour Sinclair, Elizabeth; né(e): en 1805; décédé(e): 14 juin 1872; père: James Anderson (Ecossais(e)); mère: Indien(ne) ou Métis(se); héritiers: George; William; Charles; Thomas; Samuel Peter (témoin déposant); Mary, épouse de John Wilson; Elizabeth, épouse de Edward Thomas; et John, Wm., James, Francis, et Flora (enfants de James Sinclair, décédé(e)); no de réclamation: 3035; no de certificats: 12619 à 12633; date d'émission: 8 septembre, 1880; au montant de: 160$. 19uu. File.
RG15-D-II-8-a. Volume/box number: 1324. Copied container number: C-14933.
Textual material. [Access: Open]. Government.

Finding aid number: 15-19

http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2019-03-29T04%3A14%3A42Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=1503950&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Apam&lang=eng

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Wow Arora!  Thank you so much!  Been off doing taxes and stuff - work full time so not as much time for research as I wish I had so I really appreciate the help on my family there - I will look at these closer tonight - the two middle kids are coming for a visit today so I must clean up the place a little - will be a nice visit