I learned the accuracy of DNA testing with my father's maternal line. My line of this Belcher family geneaology is well docuemented back to the 1500's. A gentleman worked on this family for 50 years and the last pages of the several hundred page document include the names of the grandmother and her parents.

Many of the lines are 'daughtered out' so I had no one to do a DNA test but I contacted many people on rootsweb who felt they were in this line. In fact, one was a 14 year old girl that was startled to find someone claiming we were related. Her father stepped in from there.... He and a couple other father, brother, uncle volunteers in various families have now done the test and have proven the genealogy on many fronts.

Probably because of DAR interest and documentation to the revolutionary war period I have about 5 or 6 'cousins' that decend from brothers in the late 1600's and early 1700's. The DNA testing made the genealogy iron clad.

I love genealogy as well. It's a mystery with history and a jig saw puzzle and detective novel all wrapped up in our own families. I am transported to those times and places. It's real, it's can be sad, joyful and heartfelt. It is a totally compelling (and consuming) hobby. There is nothing to compare with discovering and connecting our extended families.

Nice chatting with you.

Laurie Angel