Old age can kill you
I’ve been transcribing county death scheduled from New Brunswick and discovered that: Sarah died in 1891, she was a 67 year old housekeeper and cause of death was “worn out,” length of illness “two months”.
Then there’s Margaret, she died in 1888, she was 92 years old and cause of death was “old age,” length of illness “one week”.
Phoebe, on the other hand, was only 88 when she died in 1888.  She, too, died of “old age,” but she had it “several years”.
William died in 1888 at 84 of “old age,” but he had it “not long”.
Mrs. Seeley, age 91 in 1888, died of “old age,” but she only had it “one day”.
Thanks to The YVGS Family Finders, Yucaipa Valley Genealogical Society, Inc., PO Box 32, Yucaipa, CA 92399-0032.

Genetic marker established by CDUSA Genetic Project. Viking?
The Clan Donald USA Genetic Project has established a 25 marker signature for identifying descendants of Somerled, ancestor to the Macdonalds, MacDougalls and MacAlisters. 
Somerled was an important figure in the history of the western highlands of Scotland.  He died in 1164 attacking Glasgow with 160 ships.  His descendants controlled most of the west coast of Scotland and the Hebrides for more than 500 years.
The MacDonalds are currently searching for the paternal ancestors of Somerled. 
Genetic studies have demonstrated that Clan Donald is heavily peopled with descendants of Colla, the historical father of the kingdom of Dalriada.  The genetic studies by Clan Donald USA concur with a parallel finding by Professor Sykes of Oxford that all lines descended from Somerled are Norwegian Viking in origin rather than Dalriadic gael. 
Clan Donald seeks to determine the Norwegian source of that line, whether it be found in Iceland, Scotland, Norway, the Orkneys or the Isle of Man. 
Any person who has a genetic signature with haplogroup R1a, similar in substantial part to Somerled’s signature, is urged to contact the Clan Donald USA Genetic Project through its Director and National Historian for Clan Donald USA, Mark E. MacDonald mark@macdonaldlaw.com .
Any persons of known pure paternal descent from Harald Fairhaired, Eric Bloodaxe, Rognvald of More, Thorfinn the Mighty, St. Olaf, Harald Hardrada, Jarl Hacon, the Arnesons of Giske, or the Viking Kings of Man are of special interest.  Each of these lines are historically present in maternal lines of the sons of Somerled through his wife Ragnhilda.  They are potential starting points for our search.  Persons who do not know their genetic markers, but know that they have an ancestry rooted near Trondheim, Alesund, Giske or More in Norway, Iceland, the Orkneys or the Isle of Man, are also welcome to participate in this study. You may also contact Mr. MacDonald at 325 North St. Paul Street, Suite 2400, Dallas, TX 75201, telephone 214-922-9050.

Can you identify this Clan badge?
Robert Madeux sent a picture of this Clan badge inherited from his second great grandfather and wondered if anyone could help him identify it.  The motto is  Tant Que Je Puis. 
Madeux said his second great grandfather, William Bisset, was born in New Deer, Aberdeen, Scotland.
If you have any information, contact Robert Madeux, 56 Seymour Road, Woodbridge, CT 06525, phone 203-393-1511.

Gulf County Genealogical Society requests newsletter exchange
The Gulf County Genealogical Society would like to exchange newsletters with other genealogical groups.  Their own publication, Gulf Waves, begun in May 2002, is the quarterly publication of the Gulf County Genealogical Society and is published in March, June, September and December each year. 
The Gulf County Genealogical Society would like to exchange publications with other societies.  Gulf County is located in the Panhandle of Florida.  Monthly meetings are held in Port St. Joe, Florida.  In November 2002, our society was nominated for and received an Achievement Award from the Florida State Genealogical Society. 
For full information visit http://www.geocities.com/heartland/meadows/5551/gcscfl.html  

McDuffie/MacDuff Clan sets up DNA Surname Project
A new genealogical technique is revolutionizing the tracing of ancestors and establishing links between different family lines.  Scottish Clans around the world are setting up DNA Surname Projects using the proven technology of male Y-chromosome DNA testing. 
Clans Campbell and McGregor have already well-established programs which have shown interesting results.  There are a large group of Campbells in the USA who clearly have a common ancestor showing the Clan to have been relatively stable.  The McGregors on the other hand have a large number of different family lines probably as a result of the surname being banned in former times.
Now a McDuffie/MacDuff  DNA Surname Project has been established with the following aims:
1.  To determine the degree of relatedness among those with surnames of  the great McDuffie/MacDuff diaspora and establish links with the ancestral homeland.
2.  To establish how closely associated surnames are linked.
3.  To assist with paper genealogical research in breaking through “brick walls”.
4.  To determine which McDuffs were McDuffies.
The project is set up with a genealogical research purpose only.  Participants are allocated a number on joining and anonymity of those providing the DNA is preserved.  Participants each pay for the test.  A DNA testing laboratory, which is currently the most popular one with Clan surname projects, is used to analyze the samples.  The project is not commercial.  The DNA sample cannot be used for any other purpose than the genealogical research.  The sample is taken from a standard mouth swab and is non-invasive.  Samples are tested in the USA and the University of Arizona controls and maintains the genetic library under strictest privacy rules.
These projects are most interesting and successful if the data set is reasonably large.  For this reason MacDuffs and McDuffies are being taken together.  There are good reasons for this.  In the pre-Dalriadic period of Scottish history, it is likely that Duffs and Duffies were one. Also in more recent times, records show some McDuffies changed name to McDuff. 
The project results may shed fresh light on our Clans history. For more details visit the Familytree DNA website http://www.familytreedna.com and McDuffie DNA Project website http://www.mcduffiedna.com
Thanks to the newsletter of The Clan MacDuff Society of America, Mac Dhubhaich, 100 Barcelona Court, Cary, NC 27513-4201.

Dorothy (Dolly) Bentley died on May 19, 2003 after a six month fight with pancreatic cancer.  Dolly was 71 years old.  William and Dorothy were married 52 years.  She was proud of her Scottish heritage: her maiden name was Fyfe.  Her father, John, was born in Kilberny  and her mother, Marion, was born in Peebles, Scotland.  Her parents met in Winnipeg, Canada after separate migrations.  They had two children and moved to Chicago, where three daughters were born, one was Dolly.  Bill and Dolly moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1993, where they were very active in The Caledonian Society.  They proudly hung their rampant lion shield on their home in Largo where they moved to seven years ago. 

Margaret (Marshall) MacDuff died on December 18, 2003.  She was the wife of  J. R. Earl MacDuff,  mother of Gail H. Hoadley, and grandmother of John Hoadley of New Jersey and Katherine Marshall of Oregon.  She was the sister of the late Hubert Marshall and Velma MacLean.  She was the sister-in-law of Muriel Marshall of Falmouth, and beloved aunt of Jean Engel of Falmouth and Janice Lavalle of Lexington.  Her husband Earl sent a note that Margaret had dementia from February 3, 2003.  They were married 57 years.

A genealogical codicil may be important to you!  Here’s a model...
The following item was printed in the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly, October 2003. 
Of course, it would be prudent to discuss this with your attorney or estate planning agent in advance and you will have to make changes to fit your particular needs, but this is a good beginning.
A Genealogical Codicil to my Last Will & Testament: To my Spouse, Children or Guardian: Upon my demise it is requested that you DO NOT dispose of any or all of my genealogical records, books, files, notebooks or computer programs for a period of two years. During this time period, please attempt to identify one or more persons who would be willing to take custody of the said materials and the responsibility of maintaining and continuing the family histories. In the event you do not find anyone to accept these materials, please contact the various genealogical organizations that I have been a member of and determine if they will accept some parts or all of my genealogical materials. Please remember that my genealogy endeavors consumed a great deal of time, travel and requests. Signed and dated by: Witnessed and dated by: Witnessed and dated by:
Thanks to Questing Heirs Genealogical Society Newsletter, Questing Heirs Genealogical Society, Inc., PO Box 15102, Long Beach, CA 90815-0102.

Pal-AM libraries are a great resource...and they are easy to access!
The Palatines to America Library is a non-circulating research library with a wide variety of materials published in the US, Europe and other countries. 
Currently, the library has more than 5,000 volumes of resources including: *  Genealogical directories and manuals; family histories and surname files *  Thousands of pedigree and Immigrant Ancestor Register family group charts *  Biographies of famous and not-so-famous Germans and German-Americans *  Geographical aids such as maps, atlases, and gazetteers (place-name dictionaries) *  Foreign language materials *  Surname dictionaries and other surname reference materials *  Rare books and unique manuscripts *  Church records, histories and their indexes, as well as religious reference works with biographical, historical, and family articles and bibliographies *  Over 300 periodical titles or various genealogical,  historical, religious and family associations, and commercial publishers *  Transcripts of immigration/emigration and passenger lists and their indexes *  German, United States, and European histories, including some with historical information on many of the major German settlements and migrations across North America *  Resources on German-speaking migrations to/from other parts of the world, such as Ireland, England, Russia, and the Danube Valley of Eastern Europe *  Hard-to-locate materials on the Hessians and other forces who fought in the American Revolution.
Those who cannot use the library in person can access the collection through the help of dedicated volunteers who will fill research and copy requests for a modest fee for both members and nonmembers.
The Pal-Am Library, #1, is located in central Ohio, minutes from the Ohio Historical Center & Archives, #2, the State of Ohio Library, #3, the Franklin County-Ohio Genealogical Society’s Library, several Family History Centers (LDS), and the Columbus Metropolitan Library. 
The Pal-Am Library’s resources are available to researchers most weekdays and some weekends and minor holidays. 
The Library is open to both members and the public (nonmembers pay a small usage fee).  Call for hours or to make an appointment at 614-267-4700 or  e-mail pal-am.lib@juno.com
You can visit www.palam.org and browse the Pal-Am Library collection.
Palatines to America is a society for researchers of German-speaking ancestors in Europe and their descendants in North America, 611 East Weber Road, Columbus, OH 43211-1097.