Sandy (Craig) Patak

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sandy Patak [send private message] and Mike Patak [send private message]

Biography

Watch my 2023 WikiTree Symposium Presentation

Click Here: Hillbilly Highway

Sandy (Craig) Patak participated with Appalachia during the January 2025 Connect-a-Thon.#BISCUITS

Sandy (Craig) Patak was born in Maryland.

Sandy (Craig) Patak lived in Appalachia, in West Virginia. See Appalachia Project.

Sandy (Craig) Patak is a Georgian.

Professional Genealogist - Webcast Host of Ancestry Roads documenting stories and histories of Appalachia.

I was born & raised in Maryland and West Virginia, moved to Nashville (not to pursue music) and then landed in the Atlanta suburbs in Appalachia. I have been extremely lucky in jobs starting in high school all the way to the business I own today that provided me tremendous experiences and opportunities. I was able to travel the globe for business documenting my life and ancestors along the way but Appalachia is home to me.

Mike and Sandy Patak, 2024, Appalachian Trail, Georgia

Married to an incredible guy who happens to be a Marine and can always make me laugh. Mom to an amazing kid that makes me forever grateful he is ours.

I have been a Professional Genealogist for over 20 years. In 2022, I made the decision to close the Professional Genealogy part of my business (except for Adoption Angels which I will always do) and focus on something so dear to me: Appalachia and Appalachians. I want to Change the Narrative of Appalachia and Appalachians by sharing their stories, one at a time.

The birth of the Ancestry Roads Webcast.

Sandy is a Daughter & a Granddaughter of a Coal Miner

Sandy is an 8th Generation Appalachian

Sandy is participating in the Appalachia Project Challenges.

Sandy is active on Mastodon.

FACEBOOK: Please understand if I do not accept your Facebook Friend request. My family is private to me. You are not missing anything. I don't post on my personal Facebook account. I post everything interesting on this Facebook account: Ancestry Roads on Facebook

Biscuits!

Sandy is participating in the Appalachia Project Profile Completeness Challenge.

Biscuits!

Why on every WikiTree Livecast are people saying "Biscuits!?

Well, it was something that I started saying to everyone when I started the Appalachia Project on WikiTree. It started with ten members and a common love of .... biscuits! And when a new person joins the Project, we pass around the basket of biscuits. So the Appalachia Project members greet each other by saying "Biscuits!" whether in our crazy fun Discord Chat or WikiTree Livecasts.

Do I have the recipe for the Perfect Biscuit Recipe?, trick question. True Southern biscuits requires ... I call a touch of grace. - Nathalie Dupree

I learned from the best, my grandmother, Ina, but Nathalie Dupree is a close second best. video

. If you are blessed to be near the Southern United States, I only use White Lily Flour for my biscuits.

When you see me around WikiTree, feel free to say "Biscuits!"

Ancestors

Descendant of Isaac Gregory (1772-1852)
Nicholas DahI Linger (1761-1819).

Sandy (Craig) Patak has an interest in Clan Craig, part of the Scottish Clans Project.

Sandy (Craig) Patak is a member of Bonner Clan.

Practically every ancestor I have has touched the soil in the Southern states. Although my ancestors came to America as Now French, and NOT a Hessian Soldier in a barrel, Ulster Scots, Rugged Highland Scots, or Optimistic Britons, they settled upon the lands of Colonial Maryland and Virginia where their descendants live today.

There is not a war in this new land that my Ancestors have not participated in. Many made it back to their families while some were taken Prisoner and haunted the remainder of their lives and others died tragically fighting for the cause.

Virginia/West Virginia: (Paternal) Linger, Lance/Lantz, Miller, Cutright, Teter

My Photo Lines

James

Richard

Oden

Saundra

Virginia/West Virginia: (Maternal) Bonner, Gregory, Bennett, Mullinax, Cook, Arbogast, Ware

My Photo Lines

Jane

Harriett

Ina

Edith

Saundra

My Surnames

Click on Surname to view EKA - Earliest Known Ancestor

Paternal vs Maternal ancestors

Bennett, Bennett , Bonner

Cook, Cooper , Cutright , Cutright

Dodrill (Doddridge) , Dunnington

Folks

Gregory

Hamrick, Harper , Hinzman

Judy

Lance (Lantz, Lentz) , Lanham , Linger , Lybarger

Miller (Millar) , Mullenax

Nelson

Payne, Pifer

Radabaugh

Simon (Simone)

Teter (Dieter)

Wamsley, Ware , Wentz

DNA

Sandy has 46% - England & Northeastern Europe		Sandy has 6% - Wales
Sandy has 17% - Germanic Europe		Sandy has 5% - Ireland
Sandy has 14% - Scotland		Sandy has 3% - Norway
Sandy has 9% - Sweden/Denmark		Sandy is 100% Appalachian

• Linger Family Name DNA Confirmations:^[1][2][3]
• Bonner Family Name DNA Confirmations: ^[4][5][6][7]
• Bennett Family Name DNA Confirmations:^[8][9][10]

Man who made me (Biological Father) = Oden Linger

Dad who raised me & whose name is on my birth certificate = John Craig

Note about DNA

There is ZERO Value in just listing "DNA confirmed by Ancestry" or "DNA confirmed because I have cousins (or siblings) that tested."

Put in the effort to source your DNA properly otherwise your data is flawed.

Please review Help:DNA_Confirmation for ALL the REQUIRED information you need.

Genealogical Standards

Genealogical Standards definitions and syntax conventions:

1. A Primary Source contains data that was recorded by the person in the profile; or by someone known to or with first hand knowledge of that person, during the person's lifetime, death or within two generations thereafter.
2. A Secondary Source is a genealogical reference created as the result of a extensive study of available source material and it provides some evidence of the source documentation used to generate the text data.
3. A Tertiary Source is a genealogical data source which is a collection of genealogical information that does not cite Primary or Secondary information sources, and the data may be factual or hearsay.
4. Braces {Editorial Note Example} are used to insert editorial comments; that is to say, information or clarification that is not contained in the original, cited source material.

For more details, here is my Sandy's Sourcing Made Simple space page.

Active Projects

I highly encourage everyone to join a Project or two that interests you. It's a great way to meet others and build a stronger tree.

Project Leader/Co Leader
Appalachia	West Virginia Project	Ambassadors	One Place Studies	Connectors

Team Lead / Other Roles
US Southern Colonies, Province of Georgia	Southeast US Mining Disasters Team

Sources

1. ↑ Linger Paternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between Oden Linger and SCP, father/daughter. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: close family; Confidence: Extremely High.
2. ↑ Linger Paternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between Sandy Patak and Daniel Linger, half siblings. Their most-recent common ancestor is their father, Oden Linger. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: Close Family based on sharing 1857 cM across 34 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
3. ↑ Linger Paternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between Sandy Patak and Steven Linger, half siblings. Their most-recent common ancestor is their father, Oden Linger. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: Close Family based on sharing 1619 cM across 46 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
4. ↑ Bonner Maternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between Stephen Craig and SCP, her half brother. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: Close Family based on sharing 1815cM across 58 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
5. ↑ Bonner Maternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between Sandy Patak and Stephen Craig, half siblings. Their most-recent common ancestor is their mother, Edith Bonner. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: Close Family based on sharing 1815 cM across 58 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
6. ↑ Bonner Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal 23andMe test match between Sandy (Craig) Patak and Drexell King, her half 1st cousin . Their most-recent common ancestor is Ina Bonner, the grandparents of Sandy (Craig) Patak and grandmother of Drexell King. Predicted relationship from 23andMe: Half 1st cousin, based on sharing 312 cM (4.19% DNA shared) across 12 segments. Sandy is the daughter of Edith Bonner who is the daughter of the common ancestor Ina Bonner.
7. ↑ Bonner Maternal Grand Mother relationship. Ina Bonner, and MRCA, is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between her granddaughter, Sandy Patak and D.K., half uncle. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: Cousin based on sharing 647 cM across 31 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
8. ↑ Bennett Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on GEDmatch who share a 56.3 cM segment on chromosome 2, consisting of Sandy (Craig) Patak, GEDmatch kit # M183771, and Boyd Swisher, her 2nd cousin 2x removed, and Karen Bennett, her 1st cousin, GEDmatch kit # A589284. (Boyd and Karen are 2nd cousins 2x removed.) Their most-recent common ancestors are Cyrus Teter and Hannah Harper, the 3x great grandparents of Sandy (Craig) Patak and great grandparents of Boyd Swisher and 3x great grandparents of Karen Bennett. Sandy is the daughter of Edith Bonner who is the 2x great granddaughter of the common ancestors Cyrus Teter & Hannah Harper.
9. ↑ Bennett Maternal Grand Father relationship, John Clarence Bennett, and MRCA, is confirmed by a 472.4 cM match between his Grand Daughter, Sandy Patak GEDmatch M183771 and his Grand Daughter, Karen Beatty GEDmatch A589284.
10. ↑ Bennett Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal Family Tree DNA test match between Sandy (Craig) Patak and Boyd Swisher, her 2nd cousin 2x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Cyrus Teter and Hannah Harper, the 3x great grandparents of Sandy (Craig) Patak and great grandparents of Boyd Swisher. Predicted relationship from Family Tree DNA: 3rd cousin, based on sharing 58 cM across 4 segments.Acutal relationship is 2C2R.

No Triangulation Needed so far

 :First-hand information. Entered by Sandy Craig Patak at registration. SCP

 :Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate in personal possession of Sandy Patak - Even though a birth certificate is considered Direct Evidence for Genealogical Proof Standards (GPS), mine is not because DNA proved it incorrect.

 :"United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ2Z-KZ2Q : 25 June 2020), Saundra M Craig Patak, 2001-2004.

Advanced Directive

June 1 2022 at 8:00 am. I place the profiles that I manage into the caring hands of Mary Gulish. We have found that our families are so intertwined there is no other person I trust and respect to take care of our family line with great love and care. In advance, thank you cousin for your kindness. This includes profiles I manage of people unrelated to me. I also place all of my work in the hands of Mike Patak to take over any and all of my WikiTree work to include: pages, projects, and profiles. Sandy Patak

Finished Projects

Finished Projects:
WikiTree Day Attendee: 2022	Sandy (Craig) Patak is a member of the Remember the Children Project.
Sandy (Craig) Patak was a RAWKER in the We Will RAWK You Event.	Sandy was featured in a Meet Our Members Post on the WikiTree Blog!
Sandy is a volunteer with the 1950 Census Indexers Group.	1950 Census Profile Graphics
Sandy (Craig) Patak competed in the 2023 WikiGames. Sandy (Craig) Patak competed with the Fantastic Firs in the 2023 WikiGames.	WikiTree Day Attendee: 2023