Despite the recent “refusal” of my certified letter, “Banister World” continues to expand. (See Post #459). My interest in this newly discovered family tree has also generated some activity on my wife’s part to build her own genealogical chart through ancestry.com. She spent a couple of days on the site working on her father’s side of the family, and discovered some never-discussed relatives. It was a pleasant diversion from work, puzzles and video games. We will both but our family projects on hold during the upcoming cruise – another nice diversion – as we fulfill visits to some of the destinations on our bucket list.

I used my Jerry Lee Bannister moniker on Facebook to make some new connections with the Bannister clan. Two people accepted, including probable Indiana relatives in Shelbyville and Seymour. Most of my other “friends” on this site are from the Rome, Georgia area, where I initially was directed to find my birth mother. That particular lead turned out to be wrong, coming from an adoption search angel out of Lafayette, Indiana. www.SearchAngels.org. They describe themselves as “a non-profit organization here to assist you with your genealogy and DNA test results for those seeking help unraveling the past in search of their biological family.” I should probably tell them that the word “unraveling” is misspelled on their website banner. They were very helpful but in retrospect sent me down the wrong path.

I thought that the Jerry Lee Bannister Facebook page would provide some clues, as I formed “friendships” with fellow Bannister’s down in that area of Georgia. I used my picture, but disguised my true identity in an effort to protect my birth mother’s secret, as her illegitimate child. As it turns out, her maiden name was actually Banister without the two n’s that appear on my birth records. It was probably an honest mistake, but could have been an attempt by her family to further protect her identity. Finding her turned up some other twists in masking her given name, with two marriages where she used the names of Poole and Davidson. The certified letter I sent was addressed to Edna Davidson, the latest name on record for her. There was no reason for her to know the contents of that letter, so I feel confident that the “refusal” was because I had the wrong address instead of the incorrect person. I may send the letter again without certification.

I continue to wait for my ancestry.com DNA results. My hope is to confirm a genetic link with my birth mother’s nephew, one of the people that I just connected with on Facebook today. He probably doesn’t realize yet that I’m the same person that randomly contacted him. He was listed as the primary research provider for the Banister (Bannister) family tree on ancestry. He immediately answered my message with “have you had a DNA test yet, cousin?” I replied by writing that I had my DNA test through the competitor, so there was no way to compare our results. I then took the initiative to purchase a second test, and should have my results soon. If my information is correct, it should match up closely with his sample. I will then be able to communicate with him directly through Facebook, although the only apparent indication on his page of a relationship with my birth mother is his “friendship” with her son. This was the same son who signed for my initial certified letter to his address, but has never responded. I had provided a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the purpose of either confirmation or denial.

It is obviously important to use both of these genealogy websites, since the DNA lab tests are not interconnected. If I had not submitted to 23andme, I would have never heard from a suspected “third cousin,” whose genealogical expertise provided me with the birth certificate and 1940 census information on my birth mother’s whereabouts. He also just recently notified me that a second DNA test on his part led to finding a Bannister relative in his background. We will continue to compare notes on solving the mystery of our genetic relationship. The are many more secrets to unlock.