Genealogy

BACKGROUND

Since the Wannamaker family has already been extensively researched and well-documented by so many others, it is certainly not my intention to duplicate those efforts on this site. Many records and established genealogies are readily available on Ancestry and FamilySearch, and there are excellent resources online and in local libraries. However, I will share records and documents which support my current goals, and I have had several of them translated. Perhaps, as the site develops and if interest grows, we can add research, documents, and information about individual family groups and members within the extended Wannamaker family.

Regarding traditional genealogical research, I believe we all owe a great deal of thanks to many of those Wannamaker family researchers for their tireless efforts, sifting through libraries, scrolling through microfilms, and writing down details inscribed on headstones. But, in particular, the work of Sherry Koshney Downard and Craig Kanalley has been instrumental in providing documentation to support the current Y-DNA findings. And, unbeknownst to them at the time (15-25 years ago), their well-documented research would serve as a “baseline” for the present day Wannamaker DNA Surname Project. You can read more about Sherry, Craig, and others who I would like to acknowledge for having assisted me on this quest.

But, despite decades of collective research conducted by many people, no one has been able to determine “if” and “how,” with certainty, that the SC branch of the Wannamaker family is related to the others. Documentation which could have demonstrated a direct familial connection to the other branches remained hidden for centuries. I even hired a professional genealogist in Germany (2002-4) to search for Jacob’s baptismal record. He had found some great possibilities, but nothing offered proof of any kind.

Searching for Jacob’s baptismal record has been like looking for a needle in a haystack. Almost 10 years later, DNA testing was my next stop on this long journey home….

All the best,
Julia

Julia Wannamaker
juliawannamaker@gmail.com

Project Administrator
Family Tree DNA (FTDNA)
Wannamaker DNA Surname Project

* When I have permission to do so, I would like to give recognition to some other people whose research has been invaluable.