Friday, July 27, 2012

Roberta Estes and CeCe Moore-DNA Bloggers Extraordinaire!

Today I am going to make my post short.  I want to pass on to you some
genetic DNA info relating to the new Geno 2.0. test.   I call these two ladies
extraordinaire (did I spell that right?  You will let me know, I hope!).  I'm linking
you up with Roberta Estes and CeCe Moore.  They are some of the individuals who
keep those of us that are "into" genetic DNA testing up-to-date on current happenings.   

Roberta Estes' blog shares "Geno 2.0 - Q & A with Bennett Greenspan. 
Mr. Greenspan is President and CEO of Family Tree DNA 

Your Genetic Genealogist, CeCe Moore has also posted
about Geno 2.0.

Hope you enjoy the reading!  And have
a wonderful "generific" weekend!

Revis

Thursday, July 26, 2012

It's Time for the Dennis Family Reunion (Texas)

In a few days, the descendants of our brick-wall ancestor, Marion Washington DENNIS, whose male descendants have the Y-DNA of the men by the name of FREEMAN, and are Haplogroup Q1a3a, will invade Coffee Creek RV Resort near Mineral Wells, Texas.  The Dennis Family Reunion is hosted by the children of Eva Nell STUART and John Aubra T. DENNIS and their children and grandchildren.  Since the Fisher County, Texas STUART'S no longer have a family reunion, many of them attend our reunion.  Among the many attendees at the Dennis Reunion are the descendants of Eva Nell STUART DENNIS' parents, Mamie TEEL and Jeff Davis STUART.

While at the reunion, many of us (especially those that live a long ways off) will drive a few miles over to see the fabulous store of my aunt and uncle, Sherry and Larry Dennis, Texas Hill Country Furniture.  And maybe grab a bite to eat at uncle Roy's Natty Flats Smokehouse.  If you are at the Smokehouse and there are Fried Pies, I say "go for it"...my Grandmomie made the best friend pies and cousin DeiAnn is following that tradition.
My great-grandfather, Oran Martin DENNIS, 
born in Guadalupe County, Texas; died
at San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas. He 
was Marion Washington DENNIS' oldest son with
first wife, Elizabeth Della WRIGHT.
Golly, isn't he handsome?  No wonder, Miss
Nina Ada BALDRIDGE of Gonzales County,
Texas, took a liking to him! 

Unknown's of the DENNIS family 

Rockers and hat/hall tree!  Just some of 
the kind of auction items that our 
reunion auction usually consists of.  
We also have a silent auction and the 
kids love to bid on those items.  Last year
I think we had over 55 silent auction items on the tables.


Well, it's a "Truly Good Thursday"; 
and I hope yours is a good day, too! 
Revis





Monday, July 16, 2012

Marion Washington Dennis - "Where ARE YOU hiding"

My mother's great-grandfather, MARION WASHINGTON DENNIS, remains a mystery to us today as do his parents.  Even after 5 years of Y-DNA testing and learning that he is descended from a FREEMAN male as far as my uncles' Y-DNA, we still cannot pinpoint where or when the name change came about.
Here's some of what we know about Marion and his younger life as written by his daughter Hallie DENNIS NUGENT to her half-sister, Mary Washington DENNIS GARDNER.  Be warned, she was not real literate and it has been transcribed as she wrote it with little punctuation:

"The Dennis family ar Grandfather Marion Washington married Mary Bell had 2 sons Joseph Marion  (spaces left between these words)   William their father did in the Civil War their mother died when Papa was 7 and Uncle 9.  I don’t know what part of Fla it was where they grew wheat and apples.  2 of the farmers each taken the boys, they were 30 miles apart got to see each other twice a year.  Uncle left home to come to Texas when he was 16 came to see Papa wanted him to come with him   that was the last they saw each other       When Papa was 16 he came to Texas taken a week to come by boat, no train or telephone them days.  When they got Galveston men came to haul the freight.  One man let Papa work on his wagon to Prairie Lea.  Man by name of Mooney gave  him a home and he went to school stayed with them 7 years   Then married my mother.  Grandpaw gave them some land, Papa built a house and dug a well after I (end of page).


Hallie went on to speak about the SMITH FAMILY (Grandpa Willie – William C. SMITH), Grandma Edna Pinglim (Edna Pendley) and others.  


And she also mentions that Marion Washington DENNIS had been married 3 times.  The only marriages we know of for him are that of my great-great-grandmother, his first wife - Elizabeth Della WRIGHT, daughter of Isophena MIEARS and Geo. Washington S. WRIGHT; and 2nd wife - Laura SMITH, daughter of Edna PENDLEY and William C. SMITH. 

I grew up not too far from my DENNIS family at San Angelo, TX.  All I ever heard was that they were "Irish".  Imagine my surprise when Y-DNA testing revealed that we were FREEMAN'S in surname and that our haplogroup was Q1a3a, which is a Native American Indian Haplogroup. 

Here is the only picture I have of Marion Washington DENNIS, 
born ca. 1855-FL or AL.  He may be the 14 year old Marion Dennis
living in the household of Benjamin ASHELEY (ASHLEY) in
1870-Elmore County, Alabama.  This Marion Dennis I cannot disprove being our Marion!  By 1880 he is married to Elizabeth 
and my gr-grandfather, Oran Marion Dennis is born in 
Guadalupe County, Texas.



Marion Washington Dennis, 
would you please show up somewhere 
ca. 1854 to 1870, please? 
Your loving gr-gr-grand-daughter, 
Revis 









Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Family Tree DNA Specials


Right now Family Tree DNA is offering specials on their DNA testing.  Prices below...and sale ends July 15, 2012. 
www.familytreedna.com


NEW KITSCurrent Group PriceSALE PRICE
Y-DNA 12$99$59
Y-DNA 37$149$129
Y-DNA 67$239$199
Family Finder$289$199
mtFullSequence (FMS)$299$219
FF+ Y-DNA 37$438$328
FF + mtDNAPlus$438$328
Comprehensive (FF + FMS + Y-DNA 67)$797$617
SuperDNA$518$428
UPGRADES
12 to 37$109$70
25 to 37$59$35
25 to 67$159$114
37 to 67$109$79
37 to 111$220$188
67 to 111$129$109
mtHVR1 to Mega$269$209
mtHVR2 to Mega$239$199
You are welcome to blog about this, or send an email to your distribution list, but when it’s over, it’s over.
Orders must be in and paid for by 11:59PM on Sunday July 15th, to receive this offer. 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

COMING SOON! THE SEARCH FOR KATE PETELL!

Brand new genealogy blog for me.  Coming soon, more information on the search for some of my female (and male) ancestors.  The ever-elusive Catherine "Kate" PETELL, who family stories say had a COCHRAN mother, and who is found in the household of Henry COCKRUM and wife Elizabeth LACKEY PETELL JONES COCKRUM before and after Henry is hung in the Gainesville, TX hangings. She married Thomas A. TEEL of MO/TX and they lived in OK and TX.  The almost as elusive Suzanna/Susanna WHEELER, who looks to be a daughter of a VILLE PONTEAUX of Charleston, SC, and is the wife of John WHEELER.  Both died in Bibb Co., AL.   Marion Washington DENNIS, b. ca. 1855 in FL or AL is more mysterious than ever.  His Y-DNA of descendants match with those of the FREEMAN'S of VA and TN (Roane Co.), Wright Co. MO and the AR lines, and we (Freeman's and the Dennis') can claim our male ancestor as that of a Native American Indian thanks to having the Haplogroup Q1a3a of the Y.