Author: Steve Little

All 32 of my 3rd-great-grandparents had settled into one Appalachian county by 1820 (many earlier), and 60 of my most-recent ancestors were born, lived, and died there, in Ashe County, NC. I'm interested in genetic genealogy, especially endogamy, pedigree collapse, and teasing-apart multiple relationships using DNA segment triangulation. I am also a husband, dad, birder, chess dilettante, film & TV fan, genetic genealogist, Methodist pastor, photographer, reader, writer, regex script hacker, skygazer, and Virginian.

Color Coding DNA Matches: Lawrence-Little Ahnentafel Color Schemes, MRCA Pedigree Tables

A Lawrence-Little MRCA Pedigree Table displays confirmed DNA matches as groups with shared most recent common ancestor couples in a pedigree chart; a Lawrence-Little color scheme conveys genetic and genealogical information with color: the hue of a child is an mix of hues of parents; the intensity of color increases each generation. When a Lawrence-Little color scheme is paired with a chromosome segment map, it is easier to see how unknown match segments may be related to known, charted matches.

Little Surname Ancestors Project at GEDmatch

The Little Surname Ancestors Project at GEDmatch came online and went live this week. This is a copy of the initial Welcome! Letter which I drafted and sent to charter members earlier this evening. Little Surname Ancestors Project at GEDmatchGraphic on left: Fabric of Life by René Campbell. Tartan pattern at right inspired but only … Continue reading Little Surname Ancestors Project at GEDmatch →

1692 Order Freeing Abraham Little (1671-1720), Indentured Servant, My Surname Immigrant Ancestor

The whole order freeing Abraham Little (1672-1720), about only 40 words, entered on page 319 of the order book recording court business on Sunday, December 14, 1692, reads: "LITTLE v BECKINGTON: Ordered: That ABRAM LITTLE, Servant to ABRAM BECKINGTON, shall be free from his said Master, it fully appearing to this Court that he was free by his Indenture here in Court produced from the 25th day of November last" (Stafford County Order Book 1689-93, page 319; Stafford County Microfilm, reel 7, image 217; Richmond, VA: Library of Virginia).

Lou Bare, 1878-1960, great-grandmother

Lou Bare Lou Bare was born on 4 July 1878 in North Carolina, the daughter of Rudolph Bare (born 29 October 1837; married 23 February 1866; died 30 March 1919) and Fannie Wagoner (born 29 Dec 1848; died 22 Dec 1929). According to the census, she lived in Jefferson, NC in 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, … Continue reading Lou Bare, 1878-1960, great-grandmother →

Pearl Ethel Houck, 1891-1992, great-grandmother

Marriage record for Pearl Houck and Conley Houck I knew my Great-Grandmother Pearl Ethel Houck. I was able to spend some time with her in the weeks before she died at 101. (She had been glad that Willard Scott had mentioned her 100th birthday the year before.) Her mind was sharp until the end, and … Continue reading Pearl Ethel Houck, 1891-1992, great-grandmother →

George Cecil Bower, 1893-1987, great-grandfather

George Cecil Bower (back row, third from right) with siblings and parents. I knew my great-grandfather, George Cecil Bower. He was already 74 years old when I was born in 1967, so my memories of him are of a man well into his 80s. Nevertheless, I do have some prominent memories of him. First, for … Continue reading George Cecil Bower, 1893-1987, great-grandfather →

Joseph Conley Houck, 1888-1983, great-grandfather

The holler where my great-grandfather Joseph Conley Houck and great-grandmother Pearl Houck lived. I knew my great-grandfather, Joseph Conley Houck, who I called Great-Grandpa Houck. I have one predominate visual--if not visceral--memory of my great-grandfather: that of his--at age 90!--climbing into the ancient cherry tree that grew at the end of his and Great-Grandma's porch. … Continue reading Joseph Conley Houck, 1888-1983, great-grandfather →

Hattie Almedia Bare, 1895-1975, great-grandmother

Five generation photograph. This photograph is a five-generation photo, which is pretty rare. The baby is Monte Ann (Little) DeBoard. Monte Anne is sitting in the lap of her mother, Ruby Helen (Bower) Little. Behind Ruby is her mother, Hattie (Bare) Bower. To Hattie’s left, in the upper-left of the photo, is her mother, Kansas Missouri “Ori” Halsey. Seated in front of Ori, in the lower-left, is her mother, Ludema “Demie” Halsey.

Hattie with her mother, grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter. This photograph (circa 1940) is a five-generation photo, which I'm told is fairly rare. The baby is Monte Ann (Little) DeBoard. Monte Anne is sitting in the lap of her mother, Ruby Helen (Bower) Little. Behind Ruby is her mother, Hattie (Bare) Bower, at the upper-right. To … Continue reading Hattie Almedia Bare, 1895-1975, great-grandmother →

Jethro “Joe” Wilson Little, 1874–1951, great-grandfather

I didn't know my namesake, Joe Little, my great-grandfather. But my Dad did. On a snowy Christmas Day in 1951, when my Dad was eight years old, he was walking with his grandfather in wooded hills when Joe Little had a heart attack. For a long time my Dad blamed himself for his grandfather's death … Continue reading Jethro “Joe” Wilson Little, 1874–1951, great-grandfather →