Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
I have been researching my family tree on my dad's side because he was given away as a baby, and we do not know much about his biological parents. My dad was given away at birth. The biological parents checked into the hospital with the first and last names of the man and woman they were giving him to and the rest of the information on the birth certificate could be the real information of the birth parents.
My Father and I each took the ancestry.com DNA tests and have matched one person as a close match. I have matched as a second cousin to this person and my dad as a first cousin. I have made contact with this match and so far nothing is making sense and we still cannot figure out the match.
We are thinking one of the the DNA match's father's siblings could be my dad's biological mother or father? Are we safe to assume that? (The DNA match person states it would not be on her moms side)
The only thing about my dad we know to be true is he was born on November 7, 1953 in Pontiac Michigan at Pontiac general hospital. The birth certificate has the birth mom's state of birth to be North Dakota. Coincidentally the DNA first cousin match has some of the siblings of her father were born in North Dakota. I just can't seem to get years to match up for who could have had a baby in 1953.
The only other clues we have besides this Ancestry.com DNA match are a few stories my dad heard when he was little (all people associated with the parents who raised him are no longer alive, including both his mom and dad) was the possible last name of Harsh, the father possible worked or delivered by truck to GM of Fleetwood in Detroit, and lived in Keego Harbor. The other clues on my dad's birth certificate is the woman had 3 other children, birth father born in Idaho, birth father worked at Kaiser Frazier, the ages of the birth parents are listed as 36, and the name Sally Hart is listed as the middle name and maiden name of the birth mother.
None of these clues seem to match the DNA match's family members but also the only thing out of all of the clues that is we know for certain is the date of birth and the name and location of the hospital. The DNA last named that we matched to is Ranum and Raymond. They were in ND, MN, and then many ended up in Michigan (where my dad was born).
Can someone please help me....... What are the possible ways this match is a first cousin match to my dad? Are there other things I can do to help solve this mystery? I want to help my dad while he is still alive.
Thank you so much!!
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
It's all so confusing isn't it? LOL I'm going through something similar. I find the charts helpful. It looks like you are onto something. I'm not sure about Michigan adoptions, but they usually don't put any identifying information on adoptees' birth certificates. They usually put the adoptive parents' information instead.
Good luck!
Cousin Terms and Definitions
First Cousin Your first cousin is a child of your aunt or uncle. While you share one set of grandparents with your first cousin, you do not have the same parents.
Second Cousin Your second cousin is the grandchild of your great-aunt or great-uncle. While you share one set of great-grandparents with your second cousin, you do not have the same grandparents.
Third Cousin Your third cousin is the great-grandchild of your great-great-aunt or great-great-uncle. While you share one set of great-great-grandparents with your third cousin, you do not have the same great-grandparents. Fourth cousins have one set of great-great-great-grandparents, but not the same great-great-grandparents. And so on.
Fourth Cousin Fourth cousins share one set of great-great-great-grandparents, but do not have the same great-great-grandparents. This continues on with fifth cousins and so forth.
Double Cousins If two siblings in one family marry two siblings from another family and each couple has a child, the children are double first cousins. The word double means they share the same four grandparents. Regular first cousins share only one set of common grandparents, while double first cousins share both sets of grandparents plus all lineal and collateral relatives.
Removed The relationships of cousins of different generations are explained by using the word "removed". Cousins who are "once removed" have a one-generation difference. For example, the first cousin of your father is your first cousin, once removed or one-time removed. In that case, your father's first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. Likewise, your first cousin's child is also a first cousin, once removed. This one-generation difference is explained by saying that your are cousins "once removed."
Twice removed or two-timed removed means that there is a two-generation difference between cousins. If you are two generations younger than the first cousin of your grandparent, then the relationship between you and your grandparent's first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.
Cousin relationships can be any combination of first, second, third and so on, with once removed, twice removed, and so on. A genealogy program will calculate exact family relationships in your family tree for both blood relatives and relatives by marriage. Here is a list of genealogy programs many of which are free.
By using the cousin calculator above, you can see how the "removed" relationship works for cousins by blood. Use the + and - buttons to change generations between blood cousins to see how cousin relationships are defined.
For example: "If you are the "grandchild" of an ancestor and Your relative is the "great-grandchild" of same ancestor, then you and your relative are "1st cousins 1 time removed"
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
Congratz, wish I was that lucky :) Your father and the match most likely share a set of grandparents. It is also possible, I believe, for this to be a half sibling ( I think other Ancestry members have seen half-siblings show up as either siblings or 1st cousins as there is no designated half-sibling result).
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it. Some of this can be so confusing. Good luck to you!
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
Keep us informed! :)
Getting my Father's half-sister tested now in my own futile quest :)
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
I will :) I am narrowing down the possibilities but hopefully I will find more clues. The thing I didn't think of and maybe you know the answer is.....Is it possible for a first cousin DNA match to also include if someone is for example first cousin once removed but the DNA results would just say first cousin? The reason I ask is if the answer is yes then I need to also look at the children of all of the siblings of the DNA match's father. Hope I said that correctly! :)
Have you tested DNA with the other companies such as 23 and me? I have been reading about for people who were adopted the best results are when you test with multiple companies. I have been thinking about doing that too.
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
As I oversee 8 tests within my direct family, First cousins once removed show up generally as 2nd cousins. At least all of mine do. and 3rd cousins once removed, for me at least, show up as 4th cousins. But at those levels, randomness could change it a bit?
In regards to other companies, you can download your results and upload them to GEDMatch as an option rather than obtaining different tests. Statistically, yes, these other companies provide some benefit but I believe the pool at Ancestry is almost equal to the competitors - but your best odds are doing all three (Family Tree and 23 and me).
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
Don't forget to use www.gedmatch.com -- this allows you to see the actual segment information instead of relying on Ancestry's calculations.
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
Thank you so much..... You have really helped me a lot! I appreciate it
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Re: Baby given away...1ST Cousin DNA match
Thank you! I have created an account and uploaded the DNA, now I just need to figure out what everything means :-)
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