I had an epiphany. My sister and I (okay, mostly me) are working on our genealogy and we have a few brick walls. I know, tell me about it. Anywho, I have spent many hours looking at my DNA matches and wishing so many people wouldn't just take a DNA test and not post a tree! Or at least a tree that goes back, you know, as far as mine! I was thinking maybe lots of people got DNA tests for Christmas and are researching Reams or Hogans. Alright, I'd really like them to be searching for Hogans. One of my brick walls. My sister is taking me to Ireland this year to try to break down that brick wall. So, I'm thinking we should (I should) do as much work sitting on my butt as I can. But why is no one related to me? Seriously? Then I had the epiphany. I am taking my DNA matches and doing their tree myself. Since I am pretty sure we are related, I have a lot of collateral lines, and can sort of take the research where I need it to go to make a match!
I am working on 4th cousins because I actually know all my closer matches in real life. So, for me, I am looking for 3x's great grandparents, most of whom seem to have been born in 1811. Simple, right? The first one I traced in one day. What do we have, like 8 3x's great grandparents? I found the match on the 8th branch I researched.
I just found my second match when I was just about to give up. I've been assigning user id's according to the DNA match's initials. I completely forgot to label the 2nd guy's ancestors. When I went back to do it, I realized that I had two people with the same name, in the same town, about 5 years apart in estimated from census records ages. Eureka! Took only 2 days, but 8 branches again.
Maybe, it's only exciting to me, but, IT'S EXCITING TO ME! I've made a bunch of blank charts and spread sheets which I plan to share on free spaces soon.