The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog

Hand-picked, tested and trained, our professional genealogist team knows how to find your story. We search the world for answers. Find the un-findable. And we’re experts at everything from tracking down rare international records to analyzing DNA test results. Based near the world’s largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, we also work with researchers and archives around the globe. Contact us today if you would like help discovering your ancestors!

Top 3 Resources to Trace Your Ancestry in Guatemala

February 19, 2021 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers located in Guatemala to share an overview of the top 3 resources for tracing your Guatemalan ancestry.A journey through Guatemala history is essential to understand the nature of Guatemala genealogy records. Guatemala, like the rest of the Central America countries, was colonized by the Spaniards, who arrived in 1524 and conquered the native inhabitants, a remnant of the Mayans. The Spaniards brought with them their culture and religion. As a result of the evangelization of Guatemala by Roman Catholic priests, genealogy research relies heavily on Catholic church records, one of the oldest collections available in the country for genealogical research. 1. Catholic Church Records CollectionParish records in Guatemala were for a long time the only records in which the events of the life of each person were recorded, in such a way that it …

Better Living Through Statistics: What Are The Odds?

February 16, 2021 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 5 Comments

The What Are the Odds DNA tool is a free resource to help you compare the probability of relationships with your DNA matches. The advent of consumer autosomal DNA testing has allowed genealogists to use DNA results to break down seemingly impenetrable genealogical brick walls. Whether your research question is “who is my biological father?” or “who is my third-great-grandmother?”, autosomal DNA can be used to find answers about your origins.Suppose you’re looking at your DNA match list for the first time. It’s natural to wonder how you’re related to all of these people. A skilled genetic genealogist focuses first on learning how groups of matches are related to each other – only then can we understand how they are related to you.Digging into shared matchesIn the example below, Lisa has taken an autosomal DNA test and has three matches (BH, Trevor Smith, and LP2345) who descend from John Smith and Mary Brown. BH, Trevor, and LP2345 each descend from a different child of John …

Digging Into Your Chinese Ancestry: Chinese Repatriation of Bones

February 4, 2021 by Kim - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager Leave a Comment

Learn about the Chinese repatriation of bones and how you can uncover records related to your Chinese ancestors.The Chinese people were one of many cultures who immigrated from their homeland seeking better opportunities. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Chinese immigrants sought their fortunes in the Gold Rushes of the United States, Canada, and Australia. They significantly contributed to the labor forces by building railroads, working in mining and agriculture, and establishing communities that changed the landscape of the cities and towns they touched.Many Chinese immigrants believed that they would return to their homeland to die. However, not all succeeded. The development of a practice called the repatriation of bones evolved out of a desire to have their bodies returned to their ancestral home for two primary purposes; the performance of time-honored cultural rituals and to be buried in China's soil near their ancestors.The repatriation of bonesThe repatriation of …

The Biological Journey of DNA Inheritance: Meiosis to Fertilization

February 1, 2021 by Paul - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher Leave a Comment

Understanding the biologial journey of genetic inheritance can help in the interpretation of DNA evidence for genealogy research.*This article originally appeared in NGS Magazine, and is reprinted with permission.Different DNA inheritance paths can help solve genealogical mysteries. These unique inheritance patterns provide important context for interpretation of DNA test results and enable genealogical discoveries, but why is DNA inherited the way it is? What underlying biological processes explain the inheritance patterns of different types of DNA? What are the natural laws that govern genetic inheritance paths?Genealogists commonly utilize historical, social, governmental and legal context to understand and interpret the records created regarding ancestors. Just as an understanding of the laws of a particular time period and place can aid in interpretation of records created for an ancestor, understanding the biological laws governing genetic inheritance can help in later …