It's All Relative Genealogy, LLC

Member of the Ohio Genealogical Society

Natasha from Texas reached out to me seeking help in finding her biological father, as her mother did not know his identity. She had taken an AncestryDNA test, and after analyzing her results, I was able to narrow the possibilities down to two brothers—one healthy, the other battling stage 4 kidney cancer.

Natasha contacted both men, but she felt an immediate connection with the brother who was gravely ill. Soon after, the family reached out and urged her to travel quickly, as he had entered hospice care and had little time left. That very night, Natasha packed up her family and began the 1,000-mile drive.

At just 28 years old, she met the man she believed to be her father and spent the final two days of his life with him. During that time, she told him, “I know you’re my father,” and he agreed. Shortly after his passing, his brother took an AncestryDNA test, which confirmed what Natasha already knew: he was her uncle, and the man she had just met was indeed her biological father.

Natasha and I were both grateful that she found her father in time, and that her children had the chance to meet their grandfather, even if only briefly.

In her early 30s, Renee wanted to build a family tree and reached out to me for research assistance. She and her mother had both taken AncestryDNA tests, and her paternal line was quickly confirmed—her father’s brother tested and showed the correct amount of shared cMs, verifying that side of the family.

When reviewing her maternal side, however, there was no DNA evidence supporting the identity of Renee’s maternal grandfather. I contacted Renee to explain that some details in her family tree did not align with her DNA results and asked for access to her mother’s DNA results. Since her mother’s matches would be closer and share higher amounts of DNA, this made analysis more effective.

Through her mother’s DNA matches, I identified three key paternal surnames that led to a specific couple—her mother’s paternal grandparents. Among their sons, only one had lived in California, where Renee’s mother was born. Based on the DNA evidence and location, the conclusion became clear: he was the likely candidate.

It took Renee several months to build the courage to reach out, as the man is now in his 70s and she was unsure how he might respond. When she finally called, he did not remember her grandmother but welcomed contact. Since then, he has remained in consistent communication with both Renee and her mother.

What began as uncertainty has grown into the start of a meaningful father–grandfather relationship—a truly promising beginning.

After the accidental death of her father, Samantha wanted to learn more about her paternal family. While she knew a great deal about her mother’s side and had maternal siblings, her father’s family remained more of a mystery. In her mid-30s, she decided to take an AncestryDNA test and then reached out to me for help building her family tree.

Her father had been married more than once, and Samantha knew she had paternal half-sisters. Interestingly, one of those half-sisters also had a maternal half-brother from her mother’s first marriage. Samantha told me she believed this man looked strikingly like her father.

To investigate further, I compared locations from the time of his conception. He was born in Minnesota—far from California, where Samantha’s father had lived. I searched social media and found photos of this man with the father who raised him, but I didn’t see a strong resemblance. I then asked Samantha for a photo of her own father as a young man. The similarity between the two was undeniable.

Fortunately, this potential brother lived in a neighboring city, making it easier to reach out. At Samantha’s request, he agreed to take an AncestryDNA test. The results confirmed it—he was indeed her half-brother. He even began considering changing his last name to honor their shared father.

Further digging revealed that his mother had been from California. She later admitted she had not realized she was pregnant with her boyfriend’s child before moving to Minnesota and eventually marrying him.

Samantha cried happy tears at the discovery. Her father had always wanted a son, and she knew he would have been proud. Today, Samantha and her newly discovered brother remain in close contact and visit each other regularly, continuing to build the family bond they were meant to share.

Paul, a 61-year-old man I’ve known for over 30 years, entered foster care at the age of two alongside his three-year-old sister. The only paperwork he had was the name of his adoptive parents and the location where he had been placed in foster care. From his adoptive mother, he had also been told a story about why he and his sister were placed there. Though Paul carried deep anger toward his birth parents, his greatest wish was to find his sister.

After taking a DNA test, Paul’s birth father was identified almost immediately—still living at 81 years old. Further research uncovered a paternal half-sister, which pleased him, but the question remained: what happened to the sister who had gone into foster care with him?

I located her birth announcement, which gave us her name. Since she was only three at the time, I hoped her surname had only been changed through adoption. I searched marriage, birth, divorce, and death records, and discovered that Paul’s birth father had married in 1960. That line of research led me to believe that his sister, too, had been adopted—her listed mother was too old to have given birth to her, suggesting she had entered another family. The 1950 Census also listed Paul under his birth surname, evidence that his adoption had not yet been finalized at that time.

Taking a step I rarely do in genealogical research, I combined her maiden name with a married surname. That breakthrough unlocked a flood of newspaper clippings that confirmed the story Paul had been told and pointed to the correct birth mother—and the sister.

Months later, a friend who also worked in genealogy helped confirm the discovery by identifying the sister’s adoptive surname. With that, I was able to find her. I reached out cautiously, sharing a portion of the story and her birth date and birthplace. Her response was overwhelming: “I’ve been waiting my entire life for this moment.”

After giving her time to process, I explained how I had found her. She embraced the news and said simply, “Family is family.” Since then, Paul and his sister have been in regular contact—talking on the phone, exchanging text messages, and even meeting in person during one of his truck-driving runs to the East Coast.

Melody reached out to me in search of her paternal half-siblings. She knew her mother was her father’s second wife and that he had a son and daughter from his first marriage. Melody provided me with the information she had and also took an AncestryDNA test.

Through extensive research, I located both of her half-siblings—only to discover that, sadly, they had both passed away. I wondered how I could share such difficult news with Melody. But something told me not to stop there.

While continuing my search, I discovered in another family tree the mention of yet another daughter—a potential sister. Following this lead, I dug deeper and eventually located her contact information.

When I called Melody to explain my findings, I saved the best part for last. I told her about this newly discovered sister and urged her to reach out. She did—and the connection was immediate.

Today, Melody and her sister, both in their 60s, are in daily contact, making up for lost time and building the relationship they never thought they’d have.

Emily (name changed for privacy) was very close to her mother, but the subject of her father’s identity had never been discussed. As an adult with a family of her own, Emily wanted answers—who was her father, and did he know she existed? She asked me to conduct research discreetly, without anyone else knowing.

To protect her privacy, Emily agreed to take a DNA test using only her initials. I built her family tree under a pseudonym and avoided linking her DNA directly. Instead, I focused on her mother’s location and age at the time of conception.

When I analyzed Emily’s DNA matches, one stood out—1,850 cM with only initials and a private tree. After further investigation, I confirmed this was her grandfather. He and his wife had only one son. That son, I realized, was Emily’s birth father.

I provided Emily with his contact information. When contacted, he confirmed he knew her mother but requested a DNA test for certainty. The test came back conclusive—he was Emily’s father. He had no idea she existed but was grateful she reached out. Today, they remain in regular communication, and he is overjoyed to know his daughter and his three granddaughters.

In 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic, my best friend’s husband Dave, then 61 years old, confided in me that he had been adopted and wanted help finding his birth parents. He had already obtained his original birth certificate, but it listed only his mother’s name.

I began searching online and quickly found a family tree with that same name, along with a possible half-brother. I sent a message, and by the next morning, I had a reply. The brother’s wife confirmed her husband’s mother was the same woman listed on Dave’s birth certificate. She encouraged Dave to take a DNA test, and when he did, the results confirmed they were half-brothers.

I was also able to track down Dave’s birth mother. By then in her 80s, she declined contact. Dave accepted this, but then asked me, “Can you find my father?” I agreed.

Piecing together the clues—his mother’s location in Washington, his brother’s 1957 birth in California, Dave’s own 1958 birth in Oregon, and paternal DNA matches tied to a family from Texas with roots in Chihuahua, Mexico—I was able to identify Dave’s father. Sadly, by the time I reached his family, his father had passed away just the day before.

Out of respect, we allowed the family time to grieve. Months later, Dave reached out to a potential half-sister. He visited Texas, where his stepmother welcomed him with open arms, and his half-sister confirmed their relationship with DNA testing. Today, they remain in close contact and treasure the bond they’ve built.

Kelsey was adopted and at age 18 received her birth mother’s contact information. Nine years later, after having a child of her own, she became determined to discover the identity of her birth father. Her mother refused to share details and even asked Kelsey not to take a DNA test. But Kelsey believed she had the right to know both sides of her family—and chose to proceed.

Her first DNA test provided surnames for her paternal grandparents, but the challenge was identifying which of their six sons was her father. By researching her mother’s location at the time of conception, I narrowed the field: only one son had been living in Florida.

I encouraged Kelsey to test with a more widely used DNA company, which produced stronger results. When the matches came back, her father and a half-sister were right there on the list. I located his phone number and urged Kelsey not to overthink—just call.

When she did, he explained that he and her mother had dated for two years before she moved away. He knew she was pregnant but had always been told he was not the father, though he had a gut feeling otherwise.

The DNA test confirmed the truth. Today, father and daughter remain in regular contact, visiting whenever possible. Kelsey now has the connection she longed for, and her father is overjoyed to finally know her.

After Samantha’s success in finding her half-brother, her son B.W. grew curious about his own roots—specifically, who his paternal grandfather was. His father had never known his own father and wasn’t interested in pursuing the search.

With Samantha’s consent, I had B.W., still a minor, take an AncestryDNA test. When the results came in, I was able to identify all four of his paternal grandparents. Focusing on his father’s side, I found a couple from Florida, both born in the 1940s. They had two sons, one born in 1966 and the other in 1970. Since B.W.’s father was born in 1983, only the elder son could have been his grandfather.

I located this man’s contact information and shared it with Samantha. She reached out, and for months they exchanged photos and built a connection through regular communication. Now, Samantha is planning a 3,000-mile journey so that B.W. can meet his grandfather in person—a relationship he never thought possible.

At 58 years old, James reached out to me after struggling for three years to identify his father through DNA. His mother had avoided the subject his entire life, leaving him with no direct answers.

I analyzed his DNA results and built out his paternal line. A particular surname kept appearing, one James already recognized. He had contacted a few second cousins, but they knew little about that side of the family. Through further research, I narrowed the possibilities to two brothers. One detail stood out—James’s middle name matched one of the brothers’ first names.

Digging deeper, I discovered that this man had remarried and was living in Arizona. James decided to reach out by email, asking if he knew his mother. The reply was immediate: “Yes.” He explained that he and James’s mother had dated for about a year while working together. When she became pregnant, however, she denied he was the father.

Months later, James and his wife flew to Arizona, where he met his 82-year-old father, along with his wife and sons. They welcomed James with open arms, and after decades of uncertainty, he finally found the connection he had been searching for.

Joseph came to me at 81 years old, still searching for the truth about his biological parents. Though his parents were most likely long deceased, he wanted to finally know who they were. He had taken an Ancestry DNA test and sent me the results. His closest match appeared as a parent/child relationship, which suggested the possibility of a daughter. When I asked Joseph about her, he simply said, “I don’t have a daughter.”

I began investigating the match, a young woman named Kelsey. At first, DNA suggested she could be his daughter. But when I looked closer, the timeline didn’t fit—Joseph had been living in North Carolina during the time of Kelsey’s conception, while she was born and raised near Detroit, Michigan. He simply wasn’t there when she would have been conceived. Something wasn’t adding up.

So I reached out to Kelsey directly. She admitted she hadn’t taken a test herself but had used her name to submit one for her mother. That revelation shifted everything. I asked carefully: Was her mother still living? Yes. Was she adopted? Yes. Had she learned the identity of her biological mother? Yes. Would she share her name and the name of the biological mother she had found? Yes—and she provided both. Her mother’s name was Kristine, and she also shared the name of her biological mother.

With that, I called Joseph again. “Do you know a woman named Elizabeth F.?” His reaction was immediate: “Shoot! I only dated her once.” I gently reminded him, “It only takes once.”

Through additional research, records, and DNA analysis, we were able to confirm the identities of Joseph’s biological parents. Even more meaningful, the work led us to his newly discovered daughter and three grandchildren he never knew he had. At 81, Joseph’s story came full circle—proof that it’s never too late to find the missing pieces of your family.

Member of the Ohio Genealogical Society