Regular Meeting of East Texas Genealogical Society, Tyler, TX Saturday, May 8, 2004 Tyler Public Library - Taylor Auditorium 2:00 p.m. Speaker: Don Raney Program: "Using DNA Testing to Identify Your Ancestors" DNA testing is establishing itself as the newest source for information in genealogical research. The testing can be used to supplement knowledge gained from oral sources and historical documents to solve the "brick wall" problems by identifying your paternal ancestral lineage. While the convergence of genetics and genealogy into a new science called "genetic genealogy" is still in the future, DNA testing by surname groups is already revealing valuable and challenging results. Each male has a unique Y chromosome that is the same for all of his male ancestors. This unique feature can be used in DNA testing to identify all males with a common male ancestor. However, when the DNA within the male Y chromosome is copied from generation to generation, small mistakes or mutations are sometimes made in the DNA sequences. These mutations result in slight differences between individual Y chromosomes for each major branch of your family. DNA testing will identify 12 DNA markers that will be common for all male cousins descended from a common male ancestor. You can now join a DNA Surname Test group that will compare your markers with those of others in the Surname Test Group to identify those cousins who are descended from a common ancestor. Guest speaker, Don Raney is a sixth generation Texas who has been an active genealogist for twenty-five years. He currently teaches Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and TMG Genealogy courses at Richland College. He is a past Director of the Dallas Genealogy Society and GENTECH and a life member of the San Jacinto Descendents. He as been a speaker at numerous conferences and society meetings throughout the state including the Dallas Genealogy Fall Symposium, the Houston Genealogical Forum, and the Angelina College Genealogy Conference. Following a short refreshment period, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Computer Interest Group of the East Texas Genealogical Society will meet. Theresa Wentz will present a program on "Techniques for Cleaning Print Heads and other Computer Maintenance". Information on upcoming programs can be found at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txetgs/meetings.html East Texas Genealogical Society represent six counties which are Anderson, Gregg, Henderson, Panola, Rusk and Smith counties. ETGS publishes the "East Texas Family Records" four times a year which features articles and records concerning our six counties and a monthly newsletter "The Bulletin" which features information about our society, things of interest to our members and information about our six counties. ETGS has began a First Families of East Texas covering our six counties. To find out about this program go to following link: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txetgs/firstfam.html . For more information, you may contact me at scottfitzgerald@tyler.net or go to: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txetgs/ Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald, President.