In response to anyone questioning why use DNA testing and what are the benefits, I can only share my own experience: For thirty years I had tried to verify whether or not my COOPER line was related to the Fleet COOPER, Sr. line of Sampson County, NC. All I had to go on was family legend that my forefathers migrated to Georgia from North Carolina, and that the name of one of my dad's great uncles was named "Fleet". We had very little paper-trail, and a lot of oral history. No one alive when I started the research had ever even heard of another Fleet COOPER besides Dad's old uncle, and none knew where in NC our line was supposed to have come from. Hiram "Ben" COOPER (COOPER DNA Group Administrator) and I had corresponded over the past few years, and he had helped me a lot with some potential leads, as his paper-trail back to Fleet COOPER, Sr. was very detailed and verifiable. Even before Ben accepted the Group Administrator responsibilities, he and I became two of the initial participants, later Ben's brother, joined the group as an additional "proof test" of our results. Ben and I matched 24 of 25 "markers", and his brother and I matched all 25 markers. These results tell us that we have 99.9% probability that we share a common ancestor. In our case that is Fleet COOPER, Sr. born in the 1720s. To me DNA testing has been invaluable in assuring me I am researching the correct line, and in giving me the benefit of Ben's vast amount of prior research. In turn, I have been able to give Ben information which can extend his family tree by all the folks in my line that descended from my branch of Fleet, Sr.'s descendants. I would like to encourage everyone who has living male relatives to get them in A test group, it one has been started, and therefore increase the possibilities of finding new, previously unknown relationships. The group gets the considerably discounted rates from Family Tree DNA. If interested please check out the COOPER DNA Surname Project website at: http://www2.arkansas.net/~bcooper2k/ The testing service we are using is Family Tree DNA (www.familytreedna.com, or info@familytreedna.com). There are over 50 male COOPERs currently in the COOPER SURNAME GROUP. Regards, Gary W. Cooper garluke@juno.com 653 Lover's Lane Road Dawson, Georgia 39842 RockCatt@aol.com wrote: > More commoner sense says that we come from a little "woman" named Lucy, from > the Rift Valley in Africa, discovered some years ago by Dr. Leakey. From what > I understand, we all have her DNA in us, so I don't think I need to spend the > $158, but it is interesting that it is so readily available and, actually, > quite a fair price. > > Barb Price > Researching:Ashford/Burnes/Neville/Hardy/Cowan/Bailey/Holtzclaw/Hardin/Graham/ > Stewart/Brown/Fish/Cooke/Ring/Harding/Murdock/Morecock/Loker/Orme.......and > Lucy > > ==== VALOUDOU Mailing List ==== > Join the Rootsweb Genealogical Data Cooperative. > Rootsweb members & sponsors are who make this list possible. > http://www.rootsweb.com -- "Lord, keep your arm around my shoulders....and your hand over my mouth." ==== VALOUDOU Mailing List ==== Have you posted your Loudoun Co. surnames lately? New members are joining our mailing list every day. Be sure to periodically remind us of your Loudoun research interests.