By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Repoter
In a country of immigrants, the question “Where are you from?” comes up almost every time we encounter a new person. The Genealogy Club is filled with people who are committed to answering that question with the most specifics possible.
Meeting on the third Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m. at the Sherborn Library (now located in the Community Center), the group welcomes newcomers and seasoned vets alike. Their most recent meeting, on May 17, consisted of a mix of new and old. Six locals discussed their techniques, their goals, and shared their learned tricks and tips to help create family trees many of them are missing.
At the club’s previous meeting, a DNA expert had come and spoken to them about different types of DNA testing, how to interpret the data, and how to move forward once you have it. The club discussed a variety of different types of DNA testing. Sites such as Ancestry.com do basic testing and can tell you where your family is from in the world if you really are starting from scratch. However, there are other sites, like FamilyTree.com that are for the serious. While it’s not cheap, many of the members said it was worth the initial investment. For men, Y-chromosome DNA traces back the male lineage, while women can have chromosome DNA testing done to trace the female lineage.
At this particular meeting, there was one newcomer who had never been before. Both her mother and father had passed, leaving her boxes of photos and relics, into which she wished to look further. The group discussed the best ways for her to get started, and tricks they had learned themselves. One woman talked about a Facebook group she was in called DNA Detectives. As more and more people get involved with this, it becomes easier to trace lineages. Another thing one member mentioned was reading through obituaries. While this may help to find deceased relatives, it also helps to find living ones. Since they are alive, their records aren’t disclosed, but their names may be mentioned in these obits.
The group is both friendly and informal, welcoming all those in the area to come out and get involved if they are interested in learning more about their family history and background.
