Treffen Tuesday
January 28, 2025 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
The January and February presentations will be a 2-part sequential exploration of DNA Match Analysis in combination with Volga German migration patterns. The focus will be on Volga Colony DNA research, but the concepts are transferrable to all other areas of German genetic genealogical research.
The January session will start with a brief overview of key analytical concepts, beginning with understanding initial test results and then progressing to more intermediate and advanced DNA Match research skills. A short summary of the characteristics of the four major testing companies will be discussed to assist in the understanding of the company or companies’ resources that may best fit the tester.
Research techniques that are important in understanding DNA Match Analysis and the importance of matching segment detail used in a Chromosome Browser will be explored in detail. Examples of using Chromosome Mapping to help with match analysis back to distant great grandparents (3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.) will be illustrated.
The session will conclude with Case Study examples for distant match analysis through the Volga Colony and back into German Villages of Origin.
About the Speaker
Herb Femling has been doing family history research and German genealogy since the 1980s. As Volga German records started becoming more available in the 1990s he began extending his research into the German Villages of Origin. His German Parish Register research extends from the Northeastern to Central and Southern German Jurisdictions.
He has incorporated a strong interest in genetic genealogy over the last 10 years and has been actively utilizing advanced DNA analysis to break through brick walls where records are sparse. Recent presentations have been on DNA research incorporating database analysis. Presentations over the last 25 years to multiple organizations and groups in the Pacific Northwest have covered a variety of German research topics. He is a life member of AHSGR and other organizations.
Herb grew up on a farm in Vancouver, Washington which he still operates with his brother. The farm has been active in the family for over a century. His over thirty-year business career involved stints in several industries and spanned multiple functional areas across the entities.
