Look at me and say "Western Europe." My ancestral background includes: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Scottish, British, Welsh, Scots-Irish, Irish, Dutch, French, German, Swiss, and possibly Sephardi Jew.

My grandmothers, Bernice Irene Phinney Bergquist and Helen May Campbell Lyon, first got me interested in genealogy. Later my paternal aunt, Nancy Lee Bergquist added more fuel to the fire. The thing I enjoy about genealogy is studying history in the time frame of that ancestor. I don't stop at my direct line ancestors. As my title states, "The Kith and Kin of Lynne B. Howell" includes in-laws and friends of my greater family.

If I am managing anyone who is your direct line ancestor or descendant, I would be happy to transfer that individual to you under the rules of Find-a-Grave.

UPDATE: I have recently taken a DNA profile test through Ancestry.com, and it has pretty much eliminated the possibility of Sephardic Jewish ancestry. My DNA profile did offer up a few surprises: 37% Europe West; 24% Ireland; 18% Scandinavia; 17% Great Britain; 3% Europe East; and 1% Finland/Northwest Russia.

The real surprises were the 24% Ireland and 18% Scandinavia. I would have thought the numbers to be reversed since my father's paternal grandparents were both born in and immigrated from Sweden (and their parents were born in Sweden, too). On paper you would think 25% Scandinavia. To take it even further, I have other ancestors that are verified as Danish and Norwegian.

So the thing to remember is that your paper genealogy is your pedigree, and your DNA profile is how your genes lined up to make you uniquely you!

Thank you to all Find-a-Grave volunteers for your good work, and thank you for reading my profile.

Lynne Bergquist Howell

Look at me and say "Western Europe." My ancestral background includes: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Scottish, British, Welsh, Scots-Irish, Irish, Dutch, French, German, Swiss, and possibly Sephardi Jew.

My grandmothers, Bernice Irene Phinney Bergquist and Helen May Campbell Lyon, first got me interested in genealogy. Later my paternal aunt, Nancy Lee Bergquist added more fuel to the fire. The thing I enjoy about genealogy is studying history in the time frame of that ancestor. I don't stop at my direct line ancestors. As my title states, "The Kith and Kin of Lynne B. Howell" includes in-laws and friends of my greater family.

If I am managing anyone who is your direct line ancestor or descendant, I would be happy to transfer that individual to you under the rules of Find-a-Grave.

UPDATE: I have recently taken a DNA profile test through Ancestry.com, and it has pretty much eliminated the possibility of Sephardic Jewish ancestry. My DNA profile did offer up a few surprises: 37% Europe West; 24% Ireland; 18% Scandinavia; 17% Great Britain; 3% Europe East; and 1% Finland/Northwest Russia.

The real surprises were the 24% Ireland and 18% Scandinavia. I would have thought the numbers to be reversed since my father's paternal grandparents were both born in and immigrated from Sweden (and their parents were born in Sweden, too). On paper you would think 25% Scandinavia. To take it even further, I have other ancestors that are verified as Danish and Norwegian.

So the thing to remember is that your paper genealogy is your pedigree, and your DNA profile is how your genes lined up to make you uniquely you!

Thank you to all Find-a-Grave volunteers for your good work, and thank you for reading my profile.

Lynne Bergquist Howell