Another DNA Discovery: The Descendants of Robert Williams – Grandson of Julia Lee

This “DNA stuff” has me hooked!

For those of us who have spent years researching our lineages and building our family trees, we know all too well the many brick walls we face in our journey. If you descend from African slaves, those brick walls are even thicker!  Genetic Genealogy is becoming increasingly popular due to the opportunities it presents to knock down some of those walls.  I am of the belief that Genetic Genealogy, when used to compliment traditional genealogical research techniques (versus using it as a primary source for research), can be a very powerful tool to break brick walls, bridge gaps in identifying ancestors and reunite families.

To explain my presumption, I take you back to 1990 when I interviewed my great-grandmother, Essie Beatrice (Taylor) Mckinley, better known as “Essie B.”  She spoke of her mother, Lizzie’s siblings: Johnny Stone, Rob Williams and Kate Williams.  Essie stated Lizzie was the daughter of her mother’s slave owner, Col. Richard H. Haile, but her stepfather, Sheppard Williams (aka “Shep”), raised her. Her older brother, Johnny Stone, was the son of another white male who’s name is unknown. Sheppard fathered Mary’s last two children, Rob & Kate. Many relatives knew of Johnny & Kate, but no one recognized the name “Rob.”  I mention that fact to emphasize had it not been for Essie, much of what I’m about to tell you would be nearly impossible to conclude.  Essie only mentioned Rob’s name nothing more.  The only other info she provided was that “Aunte Kate’s” daughters or nieces moved her to New Orleans where she subsequently died.

Larry Schaeffer

Over the course of several months, Elodie and I discussed our family trees hoping to find the common ancestor, but part of the problem was not knowing which side of her family I related.  Her mother tested with 23andme and the results showed no one in my family matched her, thus, the process of elimination, stated the obvious– we are related to her father, Larry Schaeffer.  Elodie shared with me that her father and uncles carried their mother’s surname, “Schaeffer”–not their father’s which is “WILLIAMS.” She was unsure of her paternal grandfather’s name which she suspected to be either “Ronald” or “Robert Williams.”  Despite my excitement, their was no certainty the common ancestor was on that branch of her tree.  Even if her paternal grandfather was “Robert Williams,” the age would not match with “my Robert.”  My Robert was born in 1873 which was too old to be Larry’s father.  Also, her uncle told her that his father died in late December of 1971 or 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  As a result, I spent months examining her paternal grandmother’s side (which she knew more about)–if for no other reason, to disprove a relationship on that branch.

Bobby V. Schaeffer

April 14, 2015.  Elodie and I are texting each other throughout the morning and I suddenly receive the following text from her:

“You’re gonna kill me too…Look what I found…”

Attached to the message was Bobby Schaeffer’s Funeral Program from 2003–her paternal uncle.  The obituary states he was the son of Robert Williams, Jr. and Valerie Schaeffer.  Now that we know that her grandfather was named after his father, Robert Williams, Sr., it’s certainly plausible the elder Robert’s age could match my Robert Williams. It also states he is survived by several family members including, but not limited to four brothers, Larry, Tommy, Jimmy & Charley.

This graph illustrates shared DNA between Elodie Carter and some of my other known relatives in a one-to-many relationship validating the existence of close common ancestor.

The Family Pedigree of Julia Lee