Oldest person to test dna

[brigidmac]

Im just wondering when Ancestry and other sites started doing DNA tests and how far back in generations the tests go .
Always worth getting the eldest members of your family to test

My paternal aunt is 94 just become a great grandmother for first time
My mother is 90 & some of her cousins.second cousins and third cousins now in their eighties and nineties  have all tested

 are there any testees born before 1920 ?.

[Romilly]

My late Mother tested last year, when she was 95.

I’m very glad that she did, because it’s helped me to sort many of my matches into maternal/paternal sides.

Romilly.

[midlandslass]

My paternal great uncle was born in 1921 and his test has been invaluable, as both my father and his parents had died before these tests were available.
Also my late mother, born in 1924, tested which means I can separate off paternal and maternal matches.

[brigidmac]

That's fantastic midlandlass

I would encourage anyone to pay for an elders test before their own .

The closer you get to the past the stronger the match

Born 1921 is the "eldest "' so far
It's great if you can one from each side of a family

[Gadget]

I have some elderly cousins (in their 80s) who've tested but otherwise, I'm the oldest in my immediate family (in my 70s). I'm sure my mother would have tested but she died at the age of 90, 20 years ago.

[brigidmac]

Another question might be how many generations of testees do you have .There is approx 100 _150 years between myself+  my great grandparents.

But I imagine families where young mothers and fathers are children of young parents or first child of first child of first child

6  or 8 generations could be covered in a same time span
 
Isnt it exciting when you find a blood relative who is 5 generations below you ?

My father had cousin was born 1905 so im same age as his cousins twice removed and they are now grandparents
Can you get your head round that !

On my mums side their is a similar gap .my nanab 1900  had cousins born 10 years before her and 25 years after her !

[brigidmac]

My mothers second cousin 3x removed from a great aunt shows up on thru lines at 6cm
So he is 4 generations below her
 
Another second cousin 4x R thru great uncle is 80 cm

Neither match me

So is 5 generations the best ancestry DNA can do

Do other tests show smalle matches ?

[brigidmac]

Ive just seen a YouTube clip of a  101 year old woman having DNA results revealed by granddaughters

She was African American and family story was that her grandmother was native american

They each guessed what the percentage would be before looking at results

[ladyk]

I had my mother and my father, both in their 90's, tested and also my Dad's y-dna test, which has been the most valuable for me. I've had mine done, of course, and my daughter's. I'm glad I had parents tested, as Mom turns up some common ancestors with matches a generation further back than I match to, if that makes any sense. So, through her, I can basically find matches a generation further back than I'd be able to match to myself, due to so many generations out. Definitely get your parents done before yourself! If you have them both, you don't really even need to do yourself, unless you're unsure they're your bio parents!