February 2024 Meeting- Zoom- Jumping The Pond, YDNA and Finding My Home in Ireland by Mags Gaulden

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“Jumping the pond is the act of connecting your family lines (from anywhere but for this presentation, mainly from the American continent) to your Ancestor’s country of, county of, or village of birth on the other side of the Atlantic/Pacific.” – Google Definition

All my life I have attended Templeton family reunions with my grandmother, our family and the family of her siblings. At these reunions, not much family history is discussed. We spend our time eating, water skiing, swimming, catching up, and enjoying the Carolina sun.

When I started looking into our Templetons, from a genealogy perspective, my research pointed me to an Irish origin for our family. When I mention this to my cousin Bobby, he emphatically says, “we are Scots.”

Fast forward to the introduction of DNA and low and behold, we are Irish. That doesn’t mean my Templetons didn’t spend time traveling back and forth from Ireland to Scotland, but at our core we are Irish. Beyond that, we are a part of the O’Neill clan.

Presented by Mags Gaulden

Mags Gaulden is a genetic genealogist based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She has dedicated decades to researching family histories and exploring the role of genetics in genealogy. Born and raised in the United States, Mags developed an early interest in family history and genealogy. She started researching her own family tree, which led her to discover the power of genetic testing in genealogy.

Mags is the founder of Grandma’s Genes, a genealogy consultation firm in Ottawa, and mitoYDNA.org, a free and accessible Y and mitochondrial DNA database for the genealogy community that is a 501(c) 3 non-profit based in Maryland.

Mags is also a leader at WikiTree, a collaborative, collaborative, global family tree, collaborative genealogy website. She co-leads the DNA Integrators Team to further the DNA features of WikiTree.

As a sought-after international speaker and workshop coordinator, Mags has continued to share her expertise on a range of topics related to genetic genealogy and family history research. Her talks are known for their easy flow of technical terminology and knowledge, combined with a down-home, relaxed, humorous style that connects with audiences.

She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, among other organizations. Her passion for family history, combined with her expertise in genetics and genealogy, has helped many people uncover their family histories and connect with their roots.

Speaker Website: https://grandmasgenes.com, https://www.apgen.org/users/mags-gaulden