This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Autry, Autrey, Autery, Awtry, Awtrey, Aughtrey, Ottery, Ottrey Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/idB.2ACEB/304 Message Board Post: This is a VERY IMPORTANT announcement for the Autry family! If you've been involved in genealogy and family history for a while, you probably have already traced your lineage to Cornelius Autry (the Immigrant) from what is now Autryville, North Carolina, who seems to be the Common Ancestor of 95 percent of Autrys, Autreys, Auterys, Awtrys, Awtreys, Aughtreys, Otterys, Ottreys, and more. So what's the 'VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT???! I'll tell you in a moment, but you won't appreciate the significance of the announcement without a little background: For many years in the United States, some of our faithful cousins of just about every spelling variation, spent time in the musty back rooms of old court houses hefting large books, seeking family information. They sweltered in the heat of the day in cemeteries, copying information from headstones, and taking photographs. Other cousins embraced the awesome task of serving as authors, editors, and publishers of detailed genealogical and historical books about our family. For those monumental pages to come to fruition, many other cousins eagerly submitted pedigree charts, family group sheets, wills, land deeds, and cherished family stories. And you know what? After all that work. After all those hours, and days, and weeks, and months and... decades of the efforts of many, many cousins tracing our genealogy... we, in the United States and Mexico, STILL haven't been able to 'make the connection' back to France... to know exactly where he came from and his ancestors. (Before you think me far too presumptious... yes... it IS possible that if you live in the United States or Mexico that you could be the descendant of some other Autry immigrant, but in my decades of genealogy... I think I've only found... one. ) With the advent of the Internet, profound advances in technology have opened the way for our family websites to emerge, as more and more of our cousins began to sense a yearning to know of their unique heritage. HERE'S THE ANNOUNCEMENT! YOU now have the opportunity to become a part of a VERY HISTORIC MOMENT in our family's history! The "Autry DNA Project" promises to lead to vital information sought for decades which promises to break through the brick wall thrown up at the end of the paper trail. A Surname Project traces members of a family that share a common surname. Since surnames are passed down from father to son like the Y-chromosome, this test is for males taking a Y-DNA test. Females do not carry their father's Y-DNA and acquire a new surname by way of marriage, so the tested individual must be a male that wants to check his direct paternal line (father's father's father's…) with a Y-DNA12, Y-DNA37, or Y-DNA59 marker test. Females who would like to check their direct paternal line can have a male relative with this surname order a Y-DNA test. Females can also order an mtDNA test for themselves such as the mtDNA or the mtDNAPlus test and participate in an mtDNA project. The Autry DNA Project Objectives include: 1. Identify others who are related 2. Prove or disprove theories regarding ancestors 3. Break through 'brick walls' in our research 4. Determine a location for further research 5. Validate existing research What does this mean to you?! It means YOU now have the opportunity to know more about who you really are... and the grand extended family to which you belong. IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES... your participation is just as vital as we map and find the many regions of the world where our extended family live. In fact, your DNA sample may serve as a turning point in our research. So, think of your ancestors, think of your children, and consider this moment in our family history... then join us as we explore our family legacy. To find out more about our Autry DNA Project and Genetic Genealogy, 'copy and paste' this URL or click the link if that's possible: http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=N18747&special=true Many thanks, Hector Ed Autry Autry DNA Project Group Administrator Autry DNA Project: www.familytreedna.com/public/Autry-DNA-Project