DNA Discussion Group to meet 1st Wednesdays at Noon

The newly rescheduled DNA Sig aka Discussion Group will meet this coming Wednesday Nov 6 at 12 noon in the Monterey Family History Center in Seaside, CA. located at 1024 Noche Buena, the corner of Noche Buena & Plumas.

Park in left lot, come to left rear of the building.

The FHC itself is open all day Wednesday from 9:00 am until 7:30 pm, so you can come earlier or stay later to do research.

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Meanwhile, sales of DNA tests for genealogical purposes have started up again to celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe now is the time for you to “just do it”.

Ancestry $59 (99)

23andMe ancestry $79 (99)
ancestry + health $99 (199)

MyHeritage $49 (79)

FTDNA Family Finder $59 (79)
Big Y $399 (649)

note: Ancestry and MyHeritage now also have optional Health tests, but I don’t know much about them so haven’t listed those prices

Old iPads need updating by Sunday

Apple is warning owners of older iPhones and iPads that if they don’t update their devices to the latest iOS software by Sunday, they won’t be able to connect to the internet.

IPhone and iPad products from 2012 and earlier will need the update before midnight UTC on November 3 in order to maintain accurate GPS location and continue using the App Store, iCloud, email and web browsing, according to Apple.

The worldwide GPS system uses a ten-bit parameter to count weeks. When the count gets to 1,024, the system “rolls over.” This roll-over will prevent the older Apple devices from connecting to the internet. You will need to update the older apple devices as follows:

• iOS 10.3.4: iPhone 5 and iPad (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
• iOS 9.3.6: iPhone 4s, iPad mini (1st generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular (CDMA models only), iPad (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular

You can find the iOS software version used by your device by going to the Settings app and then opening the General section and looking further in the About subsection.

Monthly Meeting – Nov 7, 2019 – “Native American DNA and Ethnicity” by Junel Davidsen

This session will review the various definitions of ‘Native American’ applicable the DNA testing with an explanation of blood quantum, basics of tribal eligibility and the importance of reference populations in estimating ethnicity. Examples from various testing companies will examine differences in test results and the need for documentation and genealogical research.

Junel Davidsen is a professional genealogist specializing in courthouse and forensic research. She routinely assists estate administrators in finding missing heirs and families looking for missing relatives, including adoptees. Recently she has been helping to solve unknown identities using genetic genealogy. Her work experience includes 17 yrs in San Benito Co. Clerk/Recorder’s office and 10 yrs as Assistant Registrar of Voters of Monterey Co. She has obtained an AA degree in Family Research studies , and has been a Board-certified genealogist for 10 yrs. Junel has attended many genealogy conferences and training workshops, most recently the 2019 Salt Lake Institute for Genealogy and earned a certificate in Native American Research. She is a member of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe in Washington state and completed a descendant project for the tribal enrollment office in 2014. She has held various positions on the MoCoGenSo board including President. She is a member of the ‘Off The Charts’ writing group, DNA special interest group and volunteered at the Family History Center. Junel currently volunteers at the Monterey and San Benito County Historical Societies and organizes tours to local archives and repositories.

Doors open at 6:15 pm, the meeting starts at 7:00 pm. We’ll see you at the Family History Center, 1024 Noche Buena, Seaside, CA., left rear of building.

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“When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money.” – Cree Prophecy

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The Best RSS Readers and News Aggregation Apps

I saw this blog posting about the RSS Reader called Feedly on Dick Eastman’s Blog 16 Oct 2019 and thought it was important enough to share here. Besides, I too use Feedly. It is the only way I can keep up with the rapid changes regarding DNA testing and genealogy!

“I have written before about the many advantages of using RSS Newsreaders to quickly and easily find articles of interest published on dozens, even hundreds, of web sites that interest you, including the EOGN.com web site. You can find my earlier articles about RSS Newsreaders by starting at: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=site%3Aeogn.com+newsreader&t=brave&ia=web.

Brendan Hesse has posted an article that I think everyone should read: The Best RSS Readers and News Aggregation Apps. (I found this article by using my favorite RSS Newsreader, of course.) As Brendan writes, “Without further ado, here are the best RSS readers/news aggregators, plus a few alternatives for good measure.”

I also noted that he claims that Feedly is the best RSS Newsreader available today. I cannot say that I have tested as many newsreaders as Brendan Hesse has, but I will say that I have been using Feedly for several years and am pleased with it.

First of all, Feedly is a cloud-based newsreader that does not require any software installation in your computer. It works equally well on Windows, Macintosh, Chromebook, Android, Linux and Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch) systems. It is also super simple to use.

Feedly has three versions: FREE, Pro, and Team.

The FREE version contains ads, the Pro version is ad-free and allows the user to follow an unlimited number of sources. The Team version is for use by corporate teams; I cannot imagine any individual consumer ever needing the Team version.

Of course, Feedly isn’t the only product available. You might prefer something else. You can read a lot more in Brendan Hesse’s article in the Lifehacker web site at: https://tinyurl.com/eogn19-10-16.

Also, see my earlier article, Is It Time to Try a Newsreader?, at: https://blog.eogn.com/2018/03/29/is-it-time-to-try-a-newsreader/.”

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The above article is from and is copyrighted by the Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter at blog.eogn.com. Many thanks go to Dick Eastman for his continued support of the genealogy world.

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Columbus Day Sales for DNA Tests

Columbus was the first to sell America and he gets an national holiday for it.

There are a few sales going on on DNA tests just for the next couple of days. If you were waiting for the next sale cycle, now is the time.

The biggest sale is, for customers only, 23AndMe is selling their “ancestry+health” test for only $129, I’ve never seen it that low. $70 off for already customers. Get your sister tested now!

MyHeritage is currently only $49. Go check FTDNA and Ancestry too.

Things to Remember when you go to your local Family History Center

Some of our MoCoGenSo members volunteer at the local Monterey Family History Center (FHC).  We see lots of different people over the years and it is always a pleasure to help newcomers get their feet wet!  Ancestors are free at the FHC 🙂

But many folks forget the same things when they come to a FHC for the first time.

• Bring a flash drive. Call it a thumb drive or USB stick, whatever.  If you do find something on our computers, you can print it of course.  But if you have a thumb drive, you can take a digital copy with you!  And share it and print it many times. The FHC does NOT supply USB sticks.
• Bring or remember the passwords for your Email and for your Ancestry.com account or your FamilySearch account (or any other account you need help with). If we help you create a FamilySearch account, it will send an email to you for verification.  You either need to have your cell phone or your password!  Likewise, if we help you download your DNA data file, you will need your email access.
• Bring something (paper, charts, notes, etc.) that has the BMD information for the ancestors (or their close relatives) you are researching. BMD is Birth, Marriage, Death, The info needed is name, date & place. Bring whatever you have, but don’t bring original records.

Bring those things with you and your visit will go more smoothly!

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”Failure to plan is planning to fail.” – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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Genealogy with DNA Discussion Group to Meet on 1st Wednesdays

MoCoGenSo, in cooperation with the FHC, is going to form a new “discussion” group to explore genealogy and the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) therein.

We are going to have our meetings discussion oriented, talking about using DNA to enhance our genealogical efforts. Our goal is to help each other learn.

The big deal about this restructuring is the scheduling: we are going to meet on the ”1st Wednesday of the month at 12 noon.

We will hold our first meeting November 6th in the Film room at the FHC. We will provide the large display monitor for computer screens when needed to enhance discussions. I will bring my laptop, you can bring yours. iPads work if you have the right adapter.

I have decided to monitor this group because I myself really do want to learn more. If we provide the forum, perhaps others will share too. We will open the door and see who comes in!

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” Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.” – Tom Clancy

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