The Discovery Part II:
DNA Doesn’t Lie
It
was Friday, the 5th of December when I began to wonder aloud about
the results of my DNA analysis. “Seems
like it should have been here,” I said.
“What could be taking so long?” The
following day I watched out the window as the mailman put what appeared to be a
large black envelope in the box. It
turns out the envelope wasn’t black; It was dark blue, one of the signature
colors for U.S.P.S. Priority mail. All
32 teeth were showing as I looked at the address and read: African Ancestry. After five weeks of waiting the results were here.
I
have taken my African Ancestry as a given.
What I didn’t expect was to see the following results:
At
this point, I need to clarify. I knew
there definitely was a mixed heritage in our family. Our varying skin tones testify to that fact. I, personally, did not expect it in the
PATERNAL line; I expected it in the maternal line. So, what does all of this mean?
How did the company match my DNA to this particular country? Click on the link below to see the letter
that I received.
Is
this still Greek to you, or should I say German? Think of it this way. Me,
my father, his father, and all of their fathers carry a section of DNA that is
unchanged through time. This segment of
DNA is the same in all DIRECT male descendants of William Walton. So not only does that include me, it
includes these gents (this is not a complete list):
Freeman Walton
Oliver Walton
Jdee Walton
James Walton
Thomas Walton
Dennis Walton and Dennis Jr.
Ronald Walton
Donald Walton
Thaddeus and Damon Walton
Ernest Jackson
Leon Jackson
Levert Hawkins
Freeman Hawkins
Willie Lee Hawkins Sr., Jr.,
and the III
Patrick Hawkins
David Hawkins, Sr. and Jr.
Thomas Henry Hawkins, Sr.
and Jr.
Parker Lee Hawkins
Cedric Hawkins and Derricus
Hawkins
Corey Hawkins Sr. and Jr.
Craig Hawkins
Horace Hawkins Sr. and Jr.
Robert C. Hawkins
Robert Rueshell Hawkins
Michael Hawkins and sons,
Jamarcus Hall, Rasheed and Malik Hawkins
Alfonzia Hawkins
Roric Hawkins
Alric Hawkins
Steven Mastin Sr. and Jr.
Levon Mastin
The sons and grandsons of
John Ed Hawkins
George Lee Walton
James Joseph Walton Jr.
Thaddeus Walton and son,
Thamedeus
Sylus Walton
Edward Lee Walton
James Garfield Walton
Oliver "Bluchie"
Walton
Stonewall
Hawkins
So,
our direct paternal lineage did not originate in Africa; it originated
in what is today called Germany. Remember, though I have listed direct descendants
of William Walton, the German heritage includes all of his descendants.
Now,
this makes you really think twice about being “African-American”.
The
last part of the letter suggested that I continue to pursue my maternal
lineage. My desire is for these
analyses to benefit the family as a whole, not the one. It is for that reason that I will select a
family member that will provide the most beneficial ancestral information for
the family through our maternal lineage.
That person is Anna M. Williams, a direct maternal descendant of Mary
Napier Hawkins. Anna’s DNA analysis
will prove to be the most beneficial as there are no direct female descendants
of Julia Walton.
Also,
we all need to give a special thanks to Anna.
This entire DNA project was her idea.
Without her suggestions none of this would have happened. Thank you, City Cuz! Love you,
Trey
