Complete 37-marker data is back for our two newest "tested" members (David G. & David O.), so Dr. Lambert .... IT'S YOUR TURN :-)

Also I am please to announce that I just today placed a kit order for our newest member, who traces his line back to Godfrey. Stay tuned over the next month or so as his data begins to appear.

Now ... time for a commercial:

The Ragsdale Surname DNA Project General Fund is in place to help offset the cost of testing for members who need to avail themselves of this money. As of late, we have used portions of the General Fund on the last three members and, sadly, as of today, WE ARE BROKE. If you can only give $10.00, it will be greatly appreciated .... you never know ... the one who can't afford the testing just might be the one that has the information you have been searching so long and so hard for.

To donate to the general fund, simply go to this URL:

http://www.familytreedna.com/contribution.html

If paying by credit card/paypal, you simply fill in Ragsdale as the DNA project fund you are contributing to (there is only one Ragsdale Surname DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA.com); if paying by check (or just not comfortable with sending credit card information over the internet), there is a simple form you can print out, fill out, and mail in.

Not to put a guilt trip on anyone ( *grin* ) but I donated my $10.00 tonight twice .... with over 100 people subscribed to this mailing list,if everyone would just give $10.00 we would be sitting pretty for a while ....

Thanks!

Michael

I have uploaded the pedigree of our newest participant, David Ragsdale (participant # 115696), to the site:

http://ragsdalefamily.org/dna/DavidRagsdale.pdf

Michael

Final 37-marker results are in for participant 115696 and I am extremely pleased to have found a new "cousin" for myself and James Howard Ragsdale, who up until now had been languishing by ourselves in the "Jordan & William Ragsdale Group" (and we already knew we were related so really had not learned much until now). Looks like our Jordan and William Ragsdale had a brother named John Adams Ragsdale ... can't wait to learn more about this part of my family.

Also, the 25-marker results have been released on participant N60266 and it looks as though he is still tracking with what we refer to as the "Godfrey Group" ... his remaining 12 marker should be released soon.

Here is a link to the breakdown in chart form:

http://ragsdalefamily.org/12_april_2008_dna_project.htm


Your humble and obedient servant,

Michael

Our two newest members, Mr. David Glen Ragsdale and Dave Ragsdale have had their 12-marker results released.

Although it is much too early to draw any conclusions, David Glen Ragsdale is tracking 12-for-12 with James Spencer Ragsdale, Henry E Ragsdale, Richard E Ragsdale, Carl Randall Ragsdale and Leonard Clinton Ragsdale, and 11-for-12 with Robert Frederick Ragsdale and Dave Ragsdale is tracking 12-for-12 with James Howard Ragsdale and Michael Wayne Ragsdale (yours truly)

Again ... it's early, and neither of these may stand the test of time (or at least the test of the remaining 25 markers).

FTDNA estimates the final markers will be released by the end of April, so stay tuned.

Also, for those that have noticed.... I have been having issues with the website as of late ... sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not. I have addressed it by totally deleting the site and re-installing it. Also, rather than continuing to host a separate server account for Ragsdale-DNA.org, all the files and data have been moved to RagsdaleFamily.org (Ragsdale-DNA.org has been disabled).

Michael Ragsdale

Hey Cousins!

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a new "cousin" ..... and a very welcomed new participant to the Ragsdale Surname DNA Project. Participant (Kit #) 100188 is Spencer Ragsdale. We are so very glad to have Spencer "on board" and look forward to seeing his data

Rather than me go on and on, I'll just let Spencer Ragsdale introduce himself:

I think I am a direct descendent of Peter Godfrey Ragsdale, based on information from family members (who are now long dead) and the book "Elijah Ragsdale" by June Hart Wester and Mrs. Blake Ragsdale Van Leer.

I am certain that my Georgia line goes back to Mason Ragsdale, one of the eight brothers who split up in Honea Path, South Carolina about 1828 and scattered to various parts of Georgia. Using the Wester-Van Lear data, the line goes from Mason all the way back to Peter Godfrey Ragsdale, the child who survived the Indian massacre in Virginia. But I have no other documentation of this line. At various times I have tried to go further back, but have hit a blank wall.

Hi there one and all.

We have received the 37-marker y-DNA data on participant #82433, and it looks like we are continuing to further define/redefine the Godfrey Ragsdale y-DNA fingerprint. I will get the data transferred to the graphs/pages on the Ragsdale-DNA.org website as soon as I can, and I excitedly await Dr. Lambert's take on this new data.

Michael
_________________________________________________________

37 Marker Analysis
Kit, Name, Distance (number of mismatches)
54757, Hiram Ragsdale, 3
56964, Godfrey Ragsdale, 3
72061, Godfrey Ragsdale, 4
49658, David Alexander B. Ragsdale, 5
49632, Jordan Ragsdale, 17
57688, William Ragsdale, 17
60715, Godfrey Ragsdale, 20

from Dr. Lambert:

OK, here goes.  We now know for sure the haplotype of Godfrey Ragsdale, even though we have seven different haplotypes out of eight analyses.  We have to go with the largest group, and that contains five people.  Your group, 49632 and 57688, has four differences in the first 12 markers from the Group of Five, and your group and the Group of Five are both four different from 60715.  For haplogroup R1b1, these are huge differences, indicating very distant common ancestors.  The fact that you and 57688 have a 37 marker match means that there is a definite second Ragsdale line, but not from Godfrey.

We can easily see the Godfrey haplotype by looking at the first five lines in the results table.  Godfrey's DYS numbers are either five out of five (the same for all members of the group) or four out of five (differing by a single mutation for only one member).  Traditionally, the progenitor's haplotype is called H1.  We have three other haplotypes on this line, which I am calling H2, H3, and H4, just in the order they were analyzed.  49658 (H2) had a mutation at 391; 56964 (H3) had two mutations, at 456 and 576; and the new 82433 (H4) had three mutations, at 438, 570, and CDYb.  Most of these mutations are in the faster moving markers found in the 26-37 test, so two or three such mutations are not unusual for a line from the 1600s.  Those percentages you quoted assumed that every marker mutates with an equal rate, but this is not the case at all.  To take into account the exact rate of mutation for each one would be the accurate thing to do, but impractical.

I have drawn a chart, which I attach as a Word file, which shows Godfrey at the top as H1 and the other three haplotypes as divergent lines.  None of these other three haplotypes can come from each other, as they have no common mutations.  I do not know if attachments survive the Rootsweb filters.  If not, just email me directly if you want a copy.  I plan to update it as other analyses come through

Added some items to the main page, i.e., a letter from Dr. Joseph Lambert explaining the importance of DNA testing as it pertains to Ragsdale genealogical research.

We have received the 25-marker analysis for Participant 72601 which further solidifies and confirms the Godfrey Ragsdale lineage. More complete reported will be posted when the full 37-marker results are received (around the 10 November 2006)

2 June 2006

More to come as it's available.

We may never know for sure, but I am hopeful that the answers will come in time through the continued hard work of all the Ragsdale researchers.

21 April 2006

13 April 2006

4 April 2006

Exciting news!

We have received the data back for participant #54757 and he is almost a perfect match (-1 out of 37 markers) with participant #49658.

According to the Family Tree DNA Time Predictor Report, there is a 58.85% probability they shared a common ancestor within in the past 4 generations (and a 99.98% probability within the past 24 generations).

I do know for a fact that participant #54757's researchers had hit that notorious "brick wall" in their research, so maybe this has knocked a few bricks down for them....#54757, meet your cousin #49658!

Hopefully, this will bring home the fact to all of you that the DNA project is a worthwhile endeavor, and we are still in need of your participation.

Spread the word that it does work after all, and join....join....join!!

Another update on our project.

We now have 37-marker y-DNA analysis data on two individuals, and it is looks like we "may" be dealing with two distinct and different Ragsdale paternal lines (too earlier to tell for sure with such limited participation).

Currently, there a four members of the RAGSDALE Surname DNA Project. Things are proceeding just about as expected, although it would be very nice to have one or two RAGSDALE "gold standards" participate in the project.

Member #46958 has 25 of 37 markers reported (the remainder are expected mid-March).

Member #49632 (yours truly) has 12 of 37 markers reported (the remainder are expected mid-March).

Member #49920 has zero of 25 markers reported (initial data expected mid-to-late March).

Member #54757 has zero of 37 markers reported (initial data expected late-March to Mid-April).

So, things are happening, just slower than most (or at least myself) would like, but that's the nature of the beast.

I would like to take his opportunity to again encourage ALL RAGSDALE males to participate in this project. We have the opportunity to possibly break down some brick walls with this endeavor, and thus widen the circle of RAGSDALE family members, but we must have participants to do this.

And remember, if you can't participate directly, you can still donate to the "general fund" to help defray the expenses for someone who may wish to participate and just financially can't afford it (currently there is $105.00 in the fund).

As an addition to the project through FTDNA, participants are eligible to submit their data, at no charge, to ysearch.org (the largest worldwide
public Y-DNA database with the most extensive number of markers which exceeds 17,000 records (haplotypes) and 170,000 ancestors names).

Plus, for $15.00, you can transfer your 12-marker data to the National Geographic's Genographic Project (this enables you to print out a nice Haplogroup Certificate, a Haplogroup Migration Route Map, and the Genetic History of your Haplogroup (mine is R1B [M343]).

A lot to think about .... But please do consider participating (or at the least encouraging someone else to participate).

Michael Ragsdale

I wanted to let everyone know that some initial DNA results have been posted on our FTDNA website (http://www.familytreedna.com/public/ragsdale/). Partial results from two kits are in so far (more to come since we both ordered 37-marker upgrades).

No real surprises yet ... both are R1B1 haplogroup (as I would have expected).

Keep checking back as more data from these two kits is posted, plus data from the other two kits that have yet to be analyzed arrives soon.

Michael

PS .... guess now it's time to get the books out so I can figure out what all these numbers really mean.

As promised, here's another update on the progress of the RAGSDALE Surname DNA Project.

As of 15 February 206, we have 4 members (we picked up a new member today). Many thanks to those of you that have decided to join the project, but I know there has to be more RAGSDALE males (and families) who stand to benefit if there were greater participation..

According to the folks at FTDNA, we should start seeing some DNA analysis results posted sometime the first two weeks of March (for the first two kits that were returned), so everyone keep checking back.

Also, if you can't (or don't need to participate), help someone else by contributing to the RAGSDALE Surname DNA Project General Fund. We currently have $65.00 in the fund, but I Know for a fact that $20.00 more was contributed just today. Remember, this money is used ONLY to help someone who might have trouble paying for their testing.

Michael Ragsdale

36 hrs later and we now have $65.00 available in the RAGSDALE Surname DNA Project general fund to help if needed.

Thanks to the contributors (you know who you are) !!!!

Michael Ragsdale

We now have three member kits that have been received back at FTDNA. Hopefully we will begin seeing some data before too much longer.

Just a reminder ..... the Ragsdale Surname DNA Project has a general fund account (administered by FTDNA). Money in this this fund will ONLY be used to assist those individuals who quite possibly might not be able to afford the entire cost of testing (as determined by consultation between the individual(s), myself and Chris Ragsdale).

I added $20.00 to this fund today as "seed money." If everyone on the list could contribute a few dollars, we could help a cousin or two join in this effort that could very benefit ALL Ragsdale researchers.

The link to make a donation is as follows:

http://www.familytreedna.com/contribution.htm

Michael

As of this date, we have three participants in the project, two of whose kits have been received back at FTDNA, and we should start seeing data in another few weeks.

As before, we need each of you help get the word out to your family members about this project. We MUST have more participants for this project to be able to give any kind of meaningful data (and, most especially, we need participants from the "established" Ragsdale lines, i.e., Godfrey Ragsdale, Elijah Ragsdale, and so on).

Please consider participating in the project or, if you are unable to do so, please consider partially (or fully) funding someone else's membership. We ALL stand to gain from the data gathered by this undertaking.

Bottom line ... for this to work, we are going to have to have more participants, so PLEASE think about this, talk it over with your kin, and go here:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/ragsdale/

to order your kit(s).

Michael Ragsdale

As promised, an update on the Ragsdale Surname DNA Project:

As of this date, we have only two participants in the project (which has been more than a little disappointing to me), both of their kits have been received back at FTDNA, and we should start seeing data in 4-6 weeks or so. Interestingly, both these participants (yes, I'm one of them) have gone on and upgraded to the 37 marker Y-DNA test.

Please, I need each of you help get the word out to your family members about this project. We have to have more participants for this project to be able to give any kind of meaningful data, and most especially we need participants from the "established" Ragsdale lines, i.e., Godfrey Ragsdale, Elijah Ragsdale, and so on. The two participants we presently have both hit "brick walls" back in the early 1800's, so we need other participants who can help knock these walls down.

The test itself is painless so I know that's not what is holding participants back.

Is it the expense? If so, get with your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins and so on, and all of you share the cost to have a couple of participants tested.

Bottom line ... for this to work, we are going to have to have more participants, so PLEASE think about this, talk it over with your kin, and go here:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/ragsdale/

to order your kit(s).

Michael Ragsdale

Good morning one and all.

We now have two RAGSDALE males who have signed and have kits ordered, but we most definitely need MORE (I noticed there were two other RAGSDALE males who had been tested by FTDNA before the project began, so maybe they will read this and have FTDNA move their data to the project).

As I tried to explain earlier, we need males from as many lines as we can identify but more important than that, especially at the start, we need males from what I refer to as the "gold standard lines" (i.e., the ones who can document their lineage from Godfrey, Elijah, and so on).

There are bound to be RAGSDALE descendants who, for one reason or another will not be able to participate, such as when there are no longer any living males in their line or possibly they just cannot afford the cost of the testing. The latter is where the RAGSDALE Surname DNA Project General Fund comes in.

The general fund is setup through FTDNA as a place where interested and caring individuals can make donations to help offset the cost of testing for those in need (perhaps you have no males in your family, but you want to see the testing proceed and succeed, or you are part of a well established line and want to help someone else with the cost of testing). You can contribute any amount you desire (it does not have to be the cost of a test, it can be $5.00 if that's what you'd like to give). This money is placed in a general fund accessible only by the RAGSDALE surname DNA project administrators and can ONLY be applied to offset the fee when we have a potential donor who just can't afford the entire amount.

One thing to consider: Let's say you had RAGSDALE "A" who had six sons, and they each had six sons. All of the six sons and thirty-six grandsons DO NOT need to be tested. It is my understanding if you test one of the them, the results are valid for the others. In this situation, all the other cousins could help pay for the one cousin to be tested, or they could all make a small contribution to the general fund to help a "cousin" they possibly haven't met yet.

Follow this link and you can see how easy it is to make a contribution:

http://www.familytreedna.com/contribution.htm

Again, let me assure you that any money contributed will go to the RAGSDALE Surname DNA Project and can/will be used only to help offset the testing fees for those in need.

Michael Ragsdale (michael.ragsdale@comcast.net)
Chris Ragsdale (CMRagsdale@aol.com)