Matt, my thirteen-year-old grandson, hadn’t finished picking up some of his things in the family room. I was baby-sitting the children, and I wanted things to be tidy when their parents returned home. I went to Matt’s room and knocked on the closed door. He didn’t respond, so I knocked again – somewhat louder. By this time, I was feeling cranky, and I yelled at him to come out and finish his cleaning. He opened the door, and with a smile, offered the perfect squelch, "Grandma, now I know where I inherited my impatience."

One of the side benefits of doing genealogy is that we learn about the ancestors from whom we inherited our traits. We can also see some of those traits in ourselves.

Tracing your genetic heritage is a type of research that many genealogists try.

Some do this by researching their genetic medical history. Dr. Thomas H. Shawker has written a book called Unlocking Your Genetic History. He starts out by saying that more than 80 percent of the patients that he sees have a genetic disease. He is not a specialist in rare diseases. He sees regular people like you and me.

Dr. Shawker explains DNA and how it is used, and he does it in a way that most laymen can understand. The value of this book is in the other portions where he talks about genetic diseases and how to prepare a medical pedigree. Doctor Shawker says, "If a disease has a genetic basis, it will occur in family members, it will ‘run in the family,’ or be a ‘family trait.’"

There are sections in the book with explanations of different types of genetic diseases. There’s everything from anemia to young-adult blindness.

The book can be ordered from bookstores.

Some people research their genetic heritage by purchasing a DNA kit to see if they can find other people with the same DNA as theirs.

My husband belongs to the Rose Family Association, a group that is participating in a genetic study to identify people who are descended from common Rose ancestors. The study proves that Gerry’s Long Island Rose ancestor is related to the Roses from Hunterdon County, New Jersey and Harrison County, Ohio. While this does not tell who were David Rose’s parents, it does narrow down the scope of the research.

For genealogists who want more information about DNA, check out the "Genetics, DNA & Family Health" section on Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet.

© 2004–2009

Connie Lenzen, CG