How a picture solved a DNA mystery

My quest to solve a family mystery in our DNA

Week 2 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks challenge

By Robin L. Hughey

What does the above picture have to do with this weeks 52 weeks ancestor challenge, Favorite Pic. The above picture is truly one of my favorite pics of one of my paternal great grandfathers Theodore Williams. Theodore was born in 1890 in La Grange,Fayette County, Texas, in the hill country of Texas. Theodore grandparents were former slaves. La Grange is famous for having a working brothel until 1973 the “Chicken Ranch” and a song named “La Grange” by Texas’s own home grown trio ZZ Top the song is a reference to the Chicken Ranch. When I first saw this above picture, I immediately fell in love with this image. I guess because he looked so familiar to me. My oldest son and middle child looked so much like his 2nd great grandfather, it was a little bit uncanny. Please see the image below for a side by side comparison of the two.

I started my genealogical journey searching for my African and Native American history an my family ties to the 5 Civilized tribes.It quickly evolved into a true love for family history shared an told through American History and the African Diaspora. I got DNA tested through Ancestry DNA and 23 an me.As I looked through my DNA matches. I recognized most of them except a few but, one stood out a young man in his late 20’s early 30’s maybe, we will call him Phil Smith.I reached out to him and he replied ,with some general information about his self.I tried to get a better understanding of what my DNA and matches could tell me. What’s a centimorgan and why do I and this young man share 264 of and 17 segments? I have to confess I had no idea what Genetic Genealogy was or really what it was about. I started to research the topic and I bought a book off Amazon. The Family Tree Guide to DNA testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine Bettinger. Shortly after reading the book Blaine and Melissa Johnson where giving a 2 day class on the subject, which I quickly took. With my new found knowledge in hand. I quickly realized that I was going to need to test multiple family members on different lines.I tested 12 family members in the 1st round through Ancestry DNA and I am currently looking an accepting willing and available family member on all lines to be tested. (Big Smile).

As I started to sort my matches and family members DNA results came in. Phil Smith matched my father at 510 cms and 28 segments and brother at 300 cms an 18 segments. I quickly realized that he was on my Dads, dads side. I reached out to Phil Smith again and he replied, with a shocking omission and a family mystery ensued. He told me that he never met his father but, knew his name an that his father was adopted, but he died in 2010 before he could reveal himself to him and other siblings. We will call Phil Smith mystery dad John Brown.He also goes on to say that even though he never met his father. He was looking forward to connecting with his dads family. But here’s the thing I had no idea who John Brown was and how he connected to my Dads Dad side of the family. I’ll give you a little back story to my dad’s lineage. My dad is truly one of a kind he is the oldest child of both of his parents but, he’s the only one they had together. They both went on to marry other people an have a happy lives an several other children with their new spouses. His dad had 5 other children and his mother had 4. None of his siblings I questioned about this knew or heard about a someone named John Brown. So I went to DNAPainter.com to use there shared cm tool. An based on that, my dad and Phil Smith could have been a lot of numerous relations. So, right away I’m thinking that Phil Smith was a half nephew of my dad’s. Even though the science of it all said this possibility was not probable. Please note in hindsight there really is only one or two logical choice in the whole matter. Hindsight is 20/20.

Well, this news really did shock me that someone in my family might be adopted but, after talking to some genealogist about the matter,I still assumed that one of my dads siblings had a son that they didn’t know about.Strictly based on vague assumptions I kinda knew about Phil Smith I noted that he was pretty young, maybe late 20’s early 30’s. Didn’t have any Texas ties he knew of and HE WAS SO YOUNG. It just did’t add up. I ruled out that we where not related on his maternal side but, I still couldn’t make a solid conclusion to Phil Smith an John Brown to my paternal grandfathers side of the family. I have to confess that I really was starting to believe that Phil Smith mom just might have made up a whole story of John Brown and he was really one uncle sons who they didn’t know about. Post in Genetic Genealogy Facebook groups were giving me these ASSUMPTIONS LOL . Several months went with no definitive relationship to Phil Smith. Then one day, out the blue I go to check my new matches on Ancestry DNA and I had a new 2nd cousin match. We will call her Joanna Smith. She had the same surname as Phil Smith father had and she literally fell right under Phil Smith for shared matches. So, this totally confused me. The new match was a girl and in her early twenties. She shared 304 cm with my dad and 263 cm with me an 183 with my brother. I messaged her and called me about 1:00 am( she was on California time, I’m on central Time). I started to ask question about John Brown and her relation to him. She didn’t know what to really say and I could tell I was overwhelming her. The call ended abruptly but,the very next day,midday her oldest sister called me, we will call her Jane Brown. As we started to talk. She tells me that there father John Brown never really knew who his Dad was. An that John Brown’s mother had married a man and he adopted him and gave him his surname. Now all the pieces are starting to come together.

She wanted John Brown half sister to hear our discussion. So,as all 3 of us are talking on the phone. We go over some basics of who I am and who they are. As John Brown sister starts to talk and tell of her older brother. We get to the part of ,”Robin who do you think John Brown dad could be?” I replied” “It could only be one person, Theodore Williams my great grandfather.” Turns out that Theodore had another son with another woman one after separating from my great grandmother, my paternal grandfathers mother,when he was in his mid 40’s. John Brown’s mom moved them to California from Texas. Where she married and her new spouse adopted her son John Brown. John Brown’s sister grasp when I told her the name. She says that,”I remember that name “Theodore”(says he could never really remember his last name) Theodore came to visit them right before he passed away in 1959 to her moms shock. I sent her the above picture and she quickly confirmed that was the same man that came to visit them back in 1958. John Brown who I now know is my great uncle is my paternal grandfathers half brother and my dads uncle. So those 30 and 20 year old dna matches are my dads first cousins, my dad is almost 70. John Brown has about 8 to 10 children.Here was the part that was puzzling me.John Brown fathered children well into his late 50’s and early 60’s. If he was alive today he would be 86 with a daughter in her 20’s. So that twenty something young woman born in the 1990’s grandfather was born in 1890.Jane Brown states, Joanna Brown and Phil Smith shared over a 1800 cms. Turns out they really didn’t believe that Phil Smith was John Brown’s son, when he revealed himself after John’s death. Well, I informed them that the amount a half siblings would share. John Brown’s sister did believe him and Jane said she would get in contact with him. Phil sent me a brief vague message that very same evening. I told him I figured it out. When I went to tell my dads sibling on this side of our new found family. They really didn’t seem to shocked but, happy I found our family.

ONE FAMILY MYSTERY SOLVED a ton more to go. I hope you have enjoyed this post.Please note names have been changed to try to protect there privacy. Please leave a comment or ask a question.