Part 5: When there is no drama—Analysis and Correlation

by Jill Morelli

DNA EamesWe continue our look at using DNA to support our “documentary tree.” It is now time to analyze and Correlate our DNA information.

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Here is a list of the parts and the links to the other posts:

Disclaimer: This is only an example of how I would incorporate the evidence offered by DNA if I had to do my portfolio over. I have no idea if my “solution” would be acceptable or not. Guidance on the topic is slim, but I am using the website to guide my DNA documentation, because it is all I have at the time of writing. Also, this field is changing so rapidly that this post will be “old news” in a very short period of time, but may still provide the future reader with a perspective and help them formulate questions they might not have thought of.

I am interested that one of my two matches we identified in the previous post has the same surname as our common ancestral couple. Note: while ancestry makes a DNA Circle about a particular person the reality is the two individuals who match with Jan Middents Cornelius Bode (JMCB) should also be in the Circle for Jan’s wife, Antje Eckhoff. Should we be able to confirm this match, the DNA we share could have come from either Jan or Antje. Both VD1 and Bode1 are in Antje’s circle.

What is the standard of care for providing of JMCB and Antje Eckhoff as the most recent common ancestral couple? As Tom Jones identified in his Legacy webinar, “Using Autosomal DNA to Solve a Family Mystery,” the standard for proof of the Bode 1 relationship is not “reasonably exhaustive research.” We can rely on the test taker’s statement that the parent is really who they say it is, barring any other evidence.[1]

I have done a lot of descendancy research on all my family lines and often can get within 1 generation of the test taker. This was true for Bode1’s line.

Here is what the linkage looks like for Bode1[2]:

Jan MC Bode-Antje Eckhoff

                                                                      |

Hendrik Jans Bode                                Cornelius Jans Bode

|                                                             |

John Henry Bode                                 John Cornelius Bode

|                                                           |

Gertrude Bode                                      (Wm.) Henry R. Bode

|                                                           |

Jill Morelli                                               Bode1

My list of relationships that need support (not “proof” in our genealogical vocabulary) are as follows:

  1. Jill Morelli to Gertrude Bode.
  2. Gertrude Bode to John:
  3. John Bode to Hendrik

On Bode1’s lineage, I would need to provide information supporting the relationship of :

  1. Bode 1 to (Wm.) Henry R. Bode.
  2. Henry R. Bode to John Cornelius Bode
  3. John Cornelius bode to Cornelius Jans Bode
  4. Cornelius Jans Bode to Jan MC Bode.

I think it more germane to focus on Bode1, and if you will humor me—my three relationships in my own line I have proven in multiple ways.—usually with original primary records and will not bore you with them here. We also need one strong citation for each relationship link.[3]

Can we document Bode1’s unproven lineage?

  1. Bode 1 to (Wm. Henry R. Bode.
    Bode1 “says” that (Wm.) Henry R. Bode is his father. We can rely on that.[4]
  2. (William) Henry R. Bode to John Cornelius Bode
    1910 U.S. census, Butler County, Iowa, population schedule, Madison township, enumeration district 82, p. 8A, John Bode; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 31 October 2018). William D.H. Bode is described as John’s son. John Bode was the enumerator lending credence to the enumeration.
    Note: this isn’t the best substantiation of the relationship. The name shift needs to be addressed. It is reasonable to get the country record on the birth.
  3. John Cornelius Bode to Cornelius Jans Bode
    Shirlee Munda [(address for private use),] to Jill Morelli, original transcription, c. 1982, “Transcription of Bode Entries at Ridott [Christian Reformed Church],” Personal Correspondence Folder, Bode Research Files.
    I used this same source as my citation for generation 3 in my KDP.
  4. Cornelius Jans Bode to Jan MC Bode.
    Westerhusen (Hannover, Preussen, Germany) parish records, “Kirchenbuch, 1706-1875″, FHL 1,417,993, left and right side separate, Cornelius Janssen Bode christening entry (12 August 1843); digital image, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.com: accessed 30 October 2018).
    Note: I am missing the page numbers, which I would want to get.

I had all of these individuals in my database already; my only missing relationship was that of Bode 1 to (Wm.) Henry R. Bode.

There are still three things that have to be addressed in the narrative in your insertion of DNA evidence into your family history writing: depth, accuracy and gaps in pedigrees. We will address them when we write it up.

There are  no conflicts to resolve other than the identified name shift of William D. H. Bode to (William) Henry R. Bode.

Next: Part 6: Entering this into my RootsMagic data base.

[1]Thomas W. Jones, CG, “Using Autosomal DNA to Solve a Family Mystery,” Board for Certification of Genealogists, Legacy Family Tree Webinars (http:://familytreewebinars.com : accessed 31 October 2018), presented 6 October 2017. The information is presented at 7:40 minute mark of “Calesta’s descendants.

[2]“AncestryDNA Results for Jill Morelli,” database report, AncestryDNA(http://www.ancestry.com/dna: accessed 30 October 2018), predicting 4th to 6th cousin genetic match with user “Bode1.” “Bode1” identifies his great great great grandfather as John Middents Cornelius Bode; no kinship to Bode1 or Jan has been proven.

[3]Jones,  “Using Autosomal DNA to Solve a Family Mystery,” Legacy Family Tree Webinars.

[4]Ibid.

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