By Richard Hill
We never know what our path in life will be and what will
shape it. Yes, biology and our general environment
play enormous roles in our lives, but so do major events. Parents who lose a child tragically often
focus on helping others in similar situations.
A person whose sibling or child has a handicap may become a teacher for
children with special needs. Clearly, major
events often shape our direction more profoundly than all else.
As a young adult, Dick Hill learned in a unique and shocking
way that he was adopted. Not only did
this new knowledge resulted in Dick finding his birth parents, siblings, and
other family members, but he became a genealogist, a genetic genealogy
administrator, a blogger, an advisor to adoptees, and an author. No doubt, this is a path he would not have anticipated
prior to his search for his family.
Dick’s book Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA
details the maze he traveled to find his birth parents. His story takes many turns with years of false
leads and dead-ends. These, plus the secrecy surrounding his conception and the
few clues extracted from relatives makes this story a wonderful mystery and
gives tribute to Dick’s strong desire to learn about his ancestors and his tenacity
to see the task to completion. This book takes us on a thirty-one year journey
through the ups and downs of determining his biological parents and finding his
family. It shares with us the joys of
finding his first blood relative, of traveling great distances to meet his
family, of bonding with his siblings, and in acquiring family photos of his
birth parents.
Every genealogist knows that a paper trail is valuable when
tracing our ancestors, and that a DNA test must accompany that paper for
accuracy. When Dick began his search,
DNA testing for genealogy did not exist.
Often, timing can be everything, and as Dick put aside his search in
order to have a career and to raise a family, he began his search again after
hearing about how DNA can help. Dick was
able to rule out one possible father, but then five other possibilities surfaced,
all brothers and most of who had ample opportunity to know his birth mother.
However, in the early days, DNA testing was not as robust as
it is now. Although Dick used the latest tests at the time, some results were
not specific enough to be certain about who his biological father was among the
brothers. He continued testing family members as the tests became more
selective, until eventually his biological father was determined.
Dick states: “I’m a lucky man…Most people are only blessed
with two parents. I had four. Two of
them created me form the DNA of my biological ancestors. And the other two molded me into the person I
am today.” (p. 223)
This book is a must-read for any adoptee, and for anyone
working on their genealogy. The sheer
joy of seeing someone’s hard work pay off so successfully brings a big smile. Dick’s
book also shows the researcher how to carefully check family lore and to dig
deep to find the correct answers.
Everyone should know their family, should know their
past. It centers us and helps us
understand who we are. Dick’s book FindingFamily: My Search for Roots and the Secretsin My DNA is an important story that will touch everyone.
Order the book through Amazon.com.
Dick Hill’s blog DNA-Testing-Adviser covers information on DNA testing and helps adoptees find their birth parents.
