My Ancestry DNA Journey Part II: The DNA Test

     My DNA test kit arrived today!  The test itself was pretty simple, not much more involved than spitting into a vial.  The instructions were short and easy to follow.  I activated the test on ancestry.com and mailed it back in and that's all there was to it.  Now I just have to wait.

     Here are some facts about the test itself.  Ancestry's DNA test costs $99, which is not an insubstantial amount of money.  Whether or not it is a worthwhile expenditure really depends the person buying the test.  Ancestry has an explanation of how the test works and what it can offer you on their DNA page, so if you are considering buying a test from them, make sure to check out their page and see if the test will accomplish what you want it to.  If you're curious about your ethnic background, it can provide you information on that.  If you're hoping to connect with relatives, this test can do that, but only if your relatives have also taken Ancestry's DNA test.  So if you come from a large family, your odds of connecting with relatives might be a bit better than if you come from a small family, as you will have more relatives who could potentially have taken the test.

     If you don't already have an Ancestry account, you will have to make one.  According to their website, they do have a free option, so you won't have to pay any additional money to create an account.  You'll get all of the benefits of the DNA test with the free account; you just won't be able to access the parts of ancestry.com that require a subscription.  I have a paid subscription to Ancestry, so I don't have any experience with the free account, but if any of you do and would like to share your experience, describe it in the comments or email me at hathaway.amber@gmail.com.

Photo of the Day

     Rather than share only one photo, this time I decided to share pictures I have of a family.  Below are the pictures I have of Kate (Rumney) and James Hunter Southall and their daughter Kate.

James Hunter Southall Jr.

James Hunter Southall Jr.

Kate (Rumney) Southall

Perhaps photo of Kate Sr. and Kate Jr.?

Kate Southall Jr. and Lucy Clifton Biggs

Kate Southall Jr.

James Hunter Southall Jr.

     Catherine "Kate" R. (Rumney) Southall was born on May 27, 1853 in Detroit, Michigan to Harriet Larned, born in Michigan, and William  Rumney, born in New York.  She purportedly was a descendant of Captain Simon Larned, who served in the American Revolution.  In the 1860 census she was living with her parents and three siblings in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  In the 1870 census she resided in Detroit with her parents, maternal grandmother, Catherine (---------) Rumney, and five siblings.  James Hunter Southall Jr. was born in November of 1848 in Colombus, Mississippi to Sarah Clifton (Wheeler) and James Hunter Southall Sr., both born in North Carolina.  (James's sister, Frances Josephine "Josi" (Southall) Bowen was my great great grandmother.)  In the 1850 census he was living in Lowdnes County, Mississippi with his parents, four siblings, and an aunt, Amy M. Wheeler.  In the 1860 census he was living in Colombus, Lowdnes, Mississippi with his parents and five siblings.
     James and Kate married in Wayne County, Michigan October 24, 1874 (marriage record here).  In the 1880 census they were living in Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia with their daughter Kate C. Southall.  James was listed as a clerk cotton merchant.  In the 1900 census Kate was living in St. Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota with three children, including Kate Jr. and in the 1900 census James was in the Minnesota State Prison in Stillwater, Washington, Minnesota.  Kate died on January 1, 1903 in St. Paul, Minnesota.  The 1930 census stated that James was living in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota.  He died there on July 26, 1939.
     James and Kate's daughter, Katherine Clifton Southall married 1st on October 16, 1901 Allan Porter Abbot, 2nd in Chicago, Cook, Illinois on March 19, 1904 Charles R. Corning, born in September of 1874 to Mary E. (---------) and John W. L. Corning.  In the 1910 census she was living in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, who served as vice president of a building material company.  In the 1920 census she was still residing with her husband, now the president of a lumber company, in St. Paul.  She died on August 27, 1928.
     Besides the records mentioned and/or linked to above, I also used the book The Family of Daniel Southall by Seth Warner.