The Discovery Part III: Mother’s Land
Anna submitted the sample for this DNA analysis in late December. It was only days after we received the results from our first analysis. We knew the hardest part of the second testing would be the wait. Five to six weeks can be a lifetime.
Grandma Mary, or Mae as she was called, has presented a mystery for her descendants. She appeared to be anything from Caucasian to Native American. But, we have been fooled before. If you had told me that our paternal line had a genetic connection to Germany I would have sworn you were lying. What would Ms. Mae have in store for us?
Yes, I agree. The name of the country sounds French. Now that we have this information what does it mean?
How does this result affect me? We now know that Mary, who is a grandmother to great, great grandmother to many of us, is a genetic match to the Temne people in Sierra Leone on the continent of Africa. All of her descendants directly linked through blood share this ancestry. Any direct female descendants share the same DNA. This includes (this is not a complete listing):
Bulah Hawkins McCray
Anna M. McCray Williams
Bulet Williams
Annie Mae Hawkins Kirby
Alice Hawkins Vinson
Ozella Vinson
Angie Gray
Edna Jean Gray
Talisha Gray Bell
JoAnn Marie Gray
Jalisa Gray
Darlise Jean Gray
Kimlyn Stephens
Tangie Darnell Gray
Mary Alice Barnes
Shirley Tolliver Hardin
Now, we can put more African in African American.
So, what’s next. I really don’t know. I would love to continue this DNA project but I will have to decide on whom to test and also work on funding. (These tests are $350 a pop.) Any further testing will likely extend to the United Family. (We take suggestions and donations!) May God bless….
Trey
