Hello, my name is Shaun Hobson. I have been working on genealogy since 1999. I have researched and expanded my paternal line while my older sister works on the maternal one. I am always learning how to research and document better. This has resulted in me starting a “Do-Over” tree and I am working hard to make more “do’s” and less “don’ts”.
I enjoy genealogy and time will disappear when I sit down in front of my computer. Before I know it, the day has gone and my intended work for the day has not been done. I enjoy getting to know the person I am currently working on and always wish I could have the opportunity to ask them the questions I cannot find the documents to answer.
In addition to my tree, I have also worked on the trees of six friends to help find their biological family. This process presents different dynamics since their biological families may not all be open to acknowledging them. The first tree I worked on, which involved DNA, was for a friend who was adopted at birth. The matches found, helped us build a mirror tree which enabled us to triangulate the people and narrow down the focus to fewer and fewer branches. We received DNA results from descendants of the known paternal grandparents and were able to determine who the father was.
I have gone on to use DNA to help two other adoptees find their biological family, two friends find their fathers and to identify secrets in my family, such as, non-paternity events (NPE). An NPE is when someone who is presumed to be an individual’s father is not in fact the biological father. With this sleuthing I have welcomed three half-first cousins to my family (their father was discovered to be my father’s half-brother), as well as, a second cousin once removed (2C1R).