Where's Grandpa?
West Liberty, Kentucky in June, 2015
My Dad has been looking for John Day for more than half a century. My oldest brother and I have been involved for 20 years or more. I’m sure if quantified, the number of manhours spent on this endeavor would rival large building projects. My brother has poured over every record he could find, both online and in person, and has employed a full-time, professional genealogist who declared we “have left no stone unturned.” I’ve traveled to Kentucky and Wisconsin, talking with genealogy librarians and county historical society leaders. Through it all, John Day is elusive!
Morgan County Kentucky Public Library
John Day was married in Morgan County, Kentucky in 1838, moving to Grant County, Wisconsin along with his family, and died there in 1842. Besides those vital record events, and some brief details provided in his son’s and step-son’s obituary, no amount of searching has resulted in discovering more about who John Day was. And definitely not who John Day’s parents were. It shouldn’t be surprising, as that window of dates for John to make his mark on the world, is very brief. It doesn’t make it easier that the courthouse in West Liberty, Kentucky was burned down during the Civil War, and by 1907, it was the fourth to have been rebuilt since the county was formed in 1823. In 2012, the courthouse was destroyed by an F-2 tornado. Many records, if they existed at all, have been destroyed or damaged. Thankfully, what is left is now stored in the county library.
John Day, my great-great-great-grandfather, is a great example of a genealogical “brick wall.” The internet is filled with tips and tricks on how to push through. David Fryxell at Family Tree Magazine wants to make sure that you really are at a brick wall. Genealogy In Time has a “50 Best” list of tips to make progress. FamilySearch has some solutions on its Wiki pages. The BYU Family History Library and Ancestry.com have created videos on Youtube that you can watch.
Yet my family, despite trying so many of the brick wall busting tricks, has yet to find where Grandpa John is genealogically. Perhaps it is because it is so new, but it is surprising that none of the suggestions on solving a genealogical brick wall involved DNA testing.
Admittedly, I’ve been skeptical of participating in DNA testing to use from a Genealogical standpoint. However, it is incredibly popular, as I noted from the significant number of classes and booths at RootsTech 2020. My skepticism comes mostly from a concern that people might think that DNA testing is a shortcut, or a substitute for the “old fashioned” search through records. It is intended to be supplemental, not a replacement. From the viewpoint of the Genealogical Proof Standard, DNA testing can help resolve contradictory evidence.
The topic of DNA testing is broad. Too broad for a single blog post. But Marc McDermott at SmarterHobby provides a list of 5 different DNA testing providers, and the expertise and scope of each company.
My Dad took an AncestryDNA test in 2016, with results indicating that we are mostly from Great Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia. He did it again in 2018. He received thousands of results of distant cousins, but has little success connecting with them to collaborate on our family tree. My brother, ever the concerned lawyer, has declined to participate in DNA testing, appropriately fearing privacy issues. Clearly, being informed about DNA testing is important before just jumping in. And that includes how broad or narrow of a test to participate in.
In considering our John Day brick wall problem, the variety of tests may or may not provide an answer. Y-DNA testing likely provides the best route, as it would enable us to trace our direct paternal ancestral line, rather than the typical DNA test that would be more broad, or a mitochondrial DNA test that would trace our maternal heritage. After all, I’d have less than a 2% match in DNA with a 4th great grandfather. But a direct link through Y-DNA.
I guess taking the test is the only way to find out!