How do you learn the name of a person when all you have to go on is their daughter’s name and what sounds like a nickname for their first name? This genealogy research journal will explore the mystery of Helen (Pacheco) Correia and her adoptive mother whose name was lost over time. Helen was part…
Author: Melody Lassalle
GEDMatch Can Process FTDNA DNA Files Again
You may have heard about the conflict between DNA testing company, FTDNA, and DNA tools website, GEDMatch.com. If you aren’t familiar with GEDMatch, it allows for the comparison of DNA files with people who have had their DNA tested through different companies. A few weeks ago, they stopped processing files from FTDNA by FTDNA’s order. …
The Case of the Two Ida’s
In an earlier research journal, I showed how confusing the Camara and Cosma families of Kauai had become. Surname changes made it impossible to sort out relationships. In this research journal, I follow the same family, but with a different problem. Through my interviews with relatives, I kept hearing about “Ida Camara”. It seemed that…
Relationship between the Cosma and the Camara Families
This is Genealogy Research Journal #2. In this series, I’ll show how the Camara and Cosma families who spent so much time together turned out to be related. This turned into a tricky research problem. It involves multiple name changes. Also, at the time I took up this problem those living had forgotten their connections….
The Unknown de Braga
This is Research Journal #1 “The Unknown de Braga”. This journal starts with an unknown relative listed on a mortuary record. The trail goes from the mortuary record to how I learned the true identity of this person. In the first entry I show how the Surprise Found in Maria’s Obituary revealed an unknown member…




