Mapping My DNA--August 2016 Update

I've blogged before about using Kitty Cooper's Chromosome Matcher to figure out which segments of my DNA came from which ancestors.  Now that several more relatives have tested, I've been able to include them in my analysis, filling in some more of the blank areas.  Since the last iteration, some cousins tested without my even knowing/asking, so it was a wonderful surprise seeing them pop up on my list of matches--and integrating them into this analysis.

(Are you reading this and related to me?  Want your DNA to be included in a future blog post?  Contact me!)

Mapping My Chromosomes

So who contributed to breaking out into these particular ancestors?

Paternal Side

• Sonia Baich Diamond / Chaim Asher & Chaya Garber.  My paternal grandmother is my only tested grandparent.  The last time I broke down my DNA, no one else on her side has tested.  But my third cousin once removed Elise popped up as a match on AncestryDNA, so now I can narrow down some of the DNA inherited from my Garber great-great-great grandparents who are her great-great grandparents

Some descendants of Chaim Asher & Chaya Garber; tested relative in yellow

• Hillel and Hinda Diamond.  Two cousins' DNA is included in this analysis--and they're from a branch of the family I only found because of DNA!  (Read about how my grandfather's aunt didn't die in the Holocaust like we'd thought here.)  Beth is a second cousin to my father, and Dave is her nephew.

Descendants of Hillel & Hinda Diamond whose DNA is included; tested individuals in yellow

• Yechiel & Kreina Suttleman.  My great-great grandfather Yechiel Suttleman was married three times; descendants of two of his wives have tested--my grandfather's first cousins George and Mitzi and his half first cousin Ina.  Any segments I share with Ina can be attributed to Yechiel alone; those only shared with George or Mitzi could be from either of our mutual ancestors Yechiel and Kreina.  I had to tweak the raw data to make sure that Yechiel-only segments were shown and not covered by Yechiel & Kreina segments.  I find it fascinating that a huge amount of my Chromosome 13 came from one great-great grandfather, Yechiel Suttleman.

Descendants of Yechiel Suttleman whose DNA is included; tested individuals in yellow

Maternal Side

• Maternal grandmother's side: Josef & Esther Joshowitz / Shmuel Hirsch & Roza Eizikovics.  On my mother's mother's side, four people were included in the analysis--my grandmother's sister Ruth, my mother's first cousin Scott, and cousins Judith and Esther (who are sisters).  Note that both of Judith & Esther's paternal grandparents were Eizikovics individuals, first cousins to one another.  So they are third cousins to my mother in two different ways.  Segments that Judith or Esther share with me can be attributed to my great-great-great grandparents Shmuel Hirsch & Roza Eizikovics.  Segments that Ruth and/or Scott share with me that are not shared with Judith or Esther can be attributed to my great grandparents, Josef and Esther Joshowitz.

Tested individuals on my mother's mother's side; tested individuals in yellow

• Yehoshua Zev & Mira Lefand.  My great-great-great grandmother Mira Halperin Lefand Marienhoff was married twice, and descendants of both husbands have tested.  My grandfather Lou Tolchin was second cousins to Myron, Ken and Marilyn and a half second cousin to Sue.  Myron's niece Sara has tested as well.  (Marilyn's test was another pleasant surprise on AncestryDNA.)  Since Sue is connected to me only through Mira, any shared DNA can be attributed to Mira.  DNA shared with the other four can be attributed to either Mira or her first husband Yehoshua Lefand.  Again I had to play with the raw data to make sure that Sue's segments would be visible.

Descendants of Mira Halperin Lefand Marienhoff whose DNA is included; tested individuals in yellow

• Yeshaya & Zlota Tzipra Supkoff / Aryeh Leib & Rochel Sanshuck.  Two descendants of my Supkoff great-great grandparents were included in the analysis.  Pat is a second cousin to my mother (and the source of my mother's hand-me-down clothing growing up).  Ben is my third cousin.  In addition, my cousin Howard who is descended from Zlota Tzipra's parents also tested, allowing me to narrow down some Sanshuck-derived segments.

Descendants of Yeshaya & Zlota Tzipra Supkoff and Aryeh Leib & Rochel Sanshuck whose DNA is included; tested individuals in yellow

• Isadore & Mollie Tolchin. My mother's first cousin Karen recently tested, and segments which I share with her can be attributed to my great grandparents (her grandparents).  Note that Karen also shares Supkoff, Sanshuck, and Lefand DNA which was analyzed above; I made sure that any segments shared with more distant cousins were attributed to those more distant shared ancestors.  Segments identified as being from Isadore and Mollie Tolchin were those I shared only with Karen and not with others who have tested.

While I've been able to attribute more segments to specific ancestors as more people have tested, I'm still not done.  Any cousin's test would likely add more insight, but I'd love if some more Tolchin-side cousins would test so that I can start mapping out more distantTolchinsky contributions to my genes.  And some more Joshowitz cousins.  Anyone?

Note:  I'm on Twitter.  Feel free to follow me (@larasgenealogy).

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