My Genealogy Trails

Greetings!! I took an Ancestry DNA test in the hopes of getting some leads of who the parents of Benjamin B Parker, my great great grandfather were.  I recently received my results. I did indeed get some very loose leads to my Parker ancestry.  Benjamin continues to be my brick wall.  But I will pursue these leads in the hopes of getting somewhere. However, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find this surprise.  Let me explain.  I found a very high match to someone who's name I did not recognize.  This match was for a first to second cousin.  I was sure I knew all my first cousins so was thinking a first cousin once removed.  But that would mean this person was perhaps an adoptee.  I sent him a message on ancestry asking for more information on his family because his tree did not show any information. He replied he was adopted!!  He was trying to find his biological parents.  Given his age and location I knew he...

Greetings! I am so confused it stopped being funny about an hour ago!! I have a copy of probate records for Penelope Bennett dated in 1843.  All the names are correct, including that of my great great grandmother, Emeline Bennett Parker.  This would lead me to believe Penelope died in 1843.  However, all other records I have found, including her grave say she died in 1864.  How do you probate an estate of someone who is not deceased? To further confirm I have the correct Penelope Bennett, married name Crawford I have a copy of her father's probate records which again confirm all the names including my great great grandparents. In Penelope's records, it states her brother William, deceased.  William was the father of my great great grandmother, Emeline and he was indeed deceased by 1843, he died in 1839.  In her father Abraham's records it states a son, William deceased.  Abraham died in 1842 so that is also correct.  In both cases thi...