DNA Testing

[zetlander]

what are the chances of someone in her early 70's finding someone living who could lead her to her great-grandfather.
All efforts to trace his parents/relatives have failed.
Could DNA help - how does it work?

[Craclyn]

Yes, DNA could help to narrow down which family lines the grandfather belonged to and to identify living descendants of the grandfather and his ancestors and their siblings. I would recommend testing with AncestryDNA then uploading the results to other sites. Try watching some of the videos on youtube by Crista Cowan of AncestryDNA to get an introduction to how it works.

[youngtug]

Autsomal DNA= https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/molgen/

[Gadget]

what are the chances of someone in her early 70's finding someone living who could lead her to her great-grandfather.
All efforts to trace his parents/relatives have failed.

I did 18 mths-2 years ago and when in my early 70s 

I took an Ancestry DNA test and discovered a cluster of shared matches that I couldn't explain. They were mostly at the 3td cousin level. I checked their trees and contacted a couple of them. It took me 3 months or so of intensive research. We found that we were all descended from the same 2x great grandparents. After further investigations, I was able to identify the son who was my great grandfather.

[LizzieL]

I am in my late 60s, OH in early 70s, we have both found quite a number of matches which link us (separately as we're not related except by marriage) to our great grandparents, 2 x great grandparents and even to 3 x great grandparents. I even found a match with a 7th cousin a few days ago, which surprised me.  I suspect there may be cousin marriages back a few generations on that one so we're getting a double dose of matching DNA.

According to Ancestry estimates I have 197 4th cousins or closer and OH has 319. Not all identified of course, but they can be grouped into branches.

I think there's a very high chance of her finding some thing out.
DNA has confirmed a claimed paternity involving my great grandmother's sister's grandson.

[guest189040]

My DNA gives one 2nd Cousin who has no tree, nor have they responded to messages.

Then I have eight 3rd Cousins and only one has a proven link, but we had already found each other before the DNA test.  The remaining seven have failed to respond to messages and they either have no trees or very little content.

Hence I am more sceptical that you will find what you seek easily.

[Gadget]

It does require a great commitment and access to as many record sources as possible.

DNA doesn't give the answers by intself, it leads you to possibilities. You then have to do thorough (traditional) genealogical research.

[LizzieL]

My DNA gives one 2nd Cousin who has no tree, nor have they responded to messages.

Then I have eight 3rd Cousins and only one has a proven link, but we had already found each other before the DNA test.  The remaining seven have failed to respond to messages and they either have no trees or very little content.

Hence I am more sceptical that you will find what you seek easily.

That's a shame maybe you have a smaller family than me or my OH. I think his no of 4th cousins or closer compared to mine fits well with the relative numbers of children we've found 3 or 4 generations back. His lot bred like rabbits, mine were more restrained.

I have contacted people who haven't replied and one I did have several messages from sadly died last year. But on the whole most have replied, as I have also always replied to people who contact me. I've had three who have been a long time replying and apologised for the delay. One was a second cousin from a branch which seemed to have some sort of veil drawn over it according to an aunt (now deceased).

[guest189040]

My DNA gives one 2nd Cousin who has no tree, nor have they responded to messages.

Then I have eight 3rd Cousins and only one has a proven link, but we had already found each other before the DNA test.  The remaining seven have failed to respond to messages and they either have no trees or very little content.

Hence I am more sceptical that you will find what you seek easily.

That's a shame maybe you have a smaller family than me or my OH. I think his no of 4th cousins or closer compared to mine fits well with the relative numbers of children we've found 3 or 4 generations back. His lot bred like rabbits, mine were more restrained.

I have contacted people who haven't replied and one I did have several messages from sadly died last year. But on the whole most have replied, as I have also always replied to people who contact me. I've had three who have been a long time replying and apologised for the delay. One was a second cousin from a branch which seemed to have some sort of veil drawn over it according to an aunt (now deceased).

My Grandparents were each one of 6, 5, 7, and 5 and Great Grandparents were from even larger families so there are plenty of lines to follow.  Going back to 2x G Grandparents and I have all but one mapped out and their siblings identified but not all mapped out since there are to many James Evans from South Wales or John Collins from Yorkshire to be sure of correctly identifying and matching them to the correct records.

The 2nd or 3rd Cousin hint that I have has no tree, her online name I presume is her married name so to try to single out a Margaret ? who married someone called say Parker is very much a long shot.

I spent three hours yesterday trying to do just that and failed.

It may well be a hard slog but will keep trying off and on.

I am just trying to demonstrate to the Op that DNA will only yield results with hard work.

That said yesterday I did link three of my own Common Ancestors and four of my Wife’s on our respective trees.  Then I tried on a few unlinked hints and had no success so far, most trees simply do not go back far enough to show up a surname common to both trees and even those that do were problematic in finding further info.