Genealogical bombshell....

One of my sources advised me he had occasion to check his birth certificate lately (first time in over fifty years, apparently) and found his mother's name is NOT Maria Syrjanen but Mary or Maria Syrjala!!! What a shock. However, the recent research in which I'd found the family of Maria Syrjanen in Karelia (formerly eastern Finland, now western Russia) isn't a total waste as Annie Syrjala married Emil Syrjanen and a researcher was able to find Mary/Maria's passage from Finland to Boston with a note she was joining Annie Syrjala. We haven't had any luck finding further information. However, the search continues.

On the DNA front, I got the results of my mtDNA full genealogical sequence and found my haplogroup is U6a3. No exact matches at all any more and the only other close match doesn't reply to email, possibly having passed away. FTNDA has introduced a "family finder" test which takes advantage of the latest advances in DNA technology so now besides direct male and female ancestors can find other ancestors on the paternal maternal side and maternal paternal side. I have ordered that and results should be available about May 2010.