I have submitted three DNA tests in my quest to find biological matches. In Ancestry.com, I’ve 677 such matches (out of 48,267 total) that I’ve been able to make a DNA MATCH connection on the Jerry Ban(n)ister Family Tree. 23andMe has yielded another 43 tree connections out of 1500 possible matches. A couple of these are duplicates with Ancestry. Family Tree gives me nine more Ban(n)isters plus links to the Sproul(e), Forbes, Koch, Vazquez, Ornes, and Hood families. Only Paul, Bruce, and Michael Patrick (all Ban(n)isters) have so far been identified on my tree that now includes 34,252 ancestors. 

The strongest DNA connection I’ve found is half-sister, Julianna Proctor, at 1719 cM across 32 segments. Her niece, Ashley Wilson Fujawa, is next with 1,109 cM across 31 segments. Susan Smith, the daughter of my birthmother’s sister is third at 991/33 and Julianna’s son, Gabe Burkman, is fourth at 894/25. Unidentified Sue Ramsey 654/27 rounds out the last of the First Cousin category. These five matches were all from my Ancestry test. 

The closest matches on 23andMe are 22 segments with Joyce Gourley, Janine Marthai at 17, Marilyn Banister with 12, Deb Vaughn with 9, and Brandon Willard, Marilyn’s son, at 7. These are ranked by percentage related, also positioning them as First Cousins. Those next closest DNA cousins with higher segments on this site include Carolyn Erley (11), Elsa Schneider (10), Derrick Sibley (8) just found today, Martha Napier (8) unknown tree connection, Phillip Legg (8), and Melisa Fales (7) found today.

Ancestry shared segments included Kristina Sampson (20), Telessa Hadley (19), Ada Pershing (15), Terry Bannister (14), Jessy Bramley (13), Cathy Crews (13), Shanda Heubner (13),  Eva Alama (13), Gladys Eichenbary (13), Jenny Bramley (11), Donna Pearcy (11) unknown, and Krista Hale (10). These 23 people, in addition to the other five, would complete my list of nearest biological relatives. 

There’s a lot more evidence of my connections on the birth father’s side from this data, but it’s all a matter of who submits to testing. New results come in every day and I was fortunate to find two new Top 28 connections today. It had been months since a close relative was discovered in my research. There are also too many people that try to remain anonymous on these testing sites by simply submitting initials. Without a name, I can’t find their relationship to me. However, not everyone is as motivated as me to find these family links. I scour through Facebook, Linked-In, obituaries,  old newspapers, on-line reports. It often feels like stalking, but I continue my mission.