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Group Administrator: John Smeltzer johnsmeltzer@comcast.net

Background

Project Surnames:

Schmeltzer	Schmelzer	Schmutzler	Selser
Selsor	Seltzer	Setzer	Smaltzer
Smalzer	Smelcer	Smelcur	Smellser
Smelser	Smelsor	Smelsur	Smeltser
Smeltz	Smeltzer	Smetzer	Smillzer
Smiltzer	Smitzer	Snelser	Snelsor
Sulser

Group General Fund:

Y-DNA37 2007 Gift Certificate $30* - Kit 106968
Y-DNA37 2007 Gift Certificate $30* - Kit 107596

Project Background:

There has been a tremendous coming together of the various Smelser/Smeltzer family cohorts over the last 10 years. Following on the heels of great work by Marjorie Smeltzer-Stevenot, Polly Pollack, Jesse and Ralph Smeltzer, Cleo Smelser Bailey, Sylvia Schmelzer, Paul Schmelzer, June Smelser, Harold Smelser and many others, there is a resurgence in our efforts. Newfounded tools like DNA testing, better Internet access to ever increasing files, and great collaboration by many many family researchers of all surnames are reinvigorating our quest to better understand our family.

Meticulous and sometimes boring research in libraries, courthouses and records repositories, countless letters, emails, phone calls, Internet searches, photographic collections, website development and management, and recording of GPS locations of important places have and will continue to contribute in large part to the body of knowledge regarding family origins and the lives of those Smelser/Smeltzer (and other surname variations) who have come before. These efforts will not be replaced by DNA testing. However, DNA testing will enhance the quality and focus of those efforts.

Most of our family members lived their lives not knowing (and maybe not caring) that people like us were curious about our roots and cared so much about their individual existence. Their stories and our stories are important. Their lives (and our lives) were and are important. This DNA project specifically is intended to simply add to that knowledge base in its own unique way, hopefully to find new cousins, to clarify the unknowns that have puzzled us for years, and to add new stories in our quest to know and understand. The total research effort, including all of the traditional methods of genealogical research, should continue and grow.

This project is dedicated to all of you who have worked to gather, save, interpret, share and enjoy information about OUR family. To all of you I say THANK YOU. We encourage you to join us today.

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All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project

Project Goals:

This project was created to further the exploration and advance the knowledge of Smelser-Smeltzer family genealogy in North America. Our primary goal is to identify connections between the identified surnames Smelser, Smeltzer and other surname variations being researched in North America. However, the project is not limited to North American submissions. The Smeltzer-Smelser (Schmelzer - Schmeltzer) family has distributed itself around the World and it would be a great tribute to family members who came before to identify those past and continuing connections. DNA testing promises to help us all accomplish that and other goals currently beyond our vision.

Project News:

The Project officially started March 1, 2006. As of January 27, 2008 we have 21 members who have received or purchased test kits. The newest results add a member of the Irish-Palatinate Smeltzer line into the project and a second test has identified a new I1c line related to Adam Schmeltzer b. 1755.

Thanks to all of you who have been willing to serve as the "early adopters" for this project. The entire Smelser/Smeltzer clan will benefit. And, for those of you reviewing this website I encourage you to help bring someone from your family line into the project. The entire family will benefit from their participation. We will be conducting a second snail mail and email campaign during the winter of 2007-2008 to help bring an additional 10 plus participants into the project. Our 2006-2007 efforts resulted in about 10 new participants.

As to project administration, I continue to learn. I've joined a couple of the DNA genealogy forums, have recently uploaded my Y-DNA information to the new DNAancestry files started by Ancestry.com and have been eagerly reading all of the material I can get my hands on regarding this new genealogical tool.

For those of you wishing to see how the results of the testing on FTDNA can be displayed go to the following link. It does an excellent job of illustrating the similarities and differences between geographically distinct lines and it provides links to many other interesting and useful bits of information regarding Genetic Genealogy. If you are looking for more details on how this DNA world is working take the time to check out Charles Kerchner’s website.

http://www.kerchner.com/

Project Results:

Well, results are in and out of the nineteen participants whose results are back as of January 27, 2008 we have several solid matches. Note those matches in Adam 1755, Jacob-Harmon 1800, and Paulser 1720. You will see matches that are 36/37; 35/37; 34/37l; and 12/12. We have added two new surnames to the list, including Schmelzer (two new entries) and Schmeltzer (one). We have also added three new haplogroups to the ones we have been seeing up until now. That means we have at least 8 apparently distinct lines of descent and 7 distinct Haplogroups (I, I1a, I1c, R1a, G, R1b1 and R1b1c).

The names used to identify the respective family lines will likely be updated as more information becomes available. We are using the Jacob-Harmon title to describe the line common to Jacob Smelser b. 1807 and Harmon Smelser b. 1800 but now have a "John Smelser" as the earlier ancestor for one of the participants from that line. We do not current know the actual family relationship between Jacob-Harmon and our “John”. Stay tuned.

One of our two new Schmelzer members traces his line to Johan Heinrich Schmelzer the Classical Composer and comtemporary of Johan Sebastian Bach. His R1a line also adds a more eastern European connection to our family.

DNA Test Results (mtDNA) for Project Members