Welcome to the Keith Surname Project! DNA testing is a great way to further your research - we hope it works well for you.
We are Worldfamilies.net, temporary administrators for the Keith Surname DNA Project that you just joined. (Read about us: www.worldfamilies.net/wfnstory.html) We will run the project until a family member is ready to take over as project administrator. Our services to you are completely free. If you are interested in becoming the project manager for this project, just let us know. We provide the tools and can support a gradual phase-in to the complete role for those who have the interest and desire, but not the skills. (To learn more, look over our Administrator’s page: www.worldfamilies.net/admin.html). For now, we will handle all of the basics and answer your questions. We hope you will help your project by promoting it within your network of family and researchers. The more people involved, the better chance you have of finding your genetic family and breaking down your blank wall.

Here are the important sites. You will probably want to bookmark these:

Keith Project 6 Page Website: www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/k/keith/

Pedigree Forum: www.wfnforum.net/index.php?topic=1513.0

[Please follow our directions: worldfamilies.net/postyourpedigree.html]

Our home page, with lots of DNA and project information: worldfamilies.net/
Answers to many of your questions: worldfamilies.net/faqs.html
DNA Testing the Smart Way: worldfamilies.net/dnatestingthesmartway.html

There are a few key things that you need to know. Your code identity is K-10. We will post your code instead of your name (or FTDNA kit number) on your pedigree and with your DNA result. We do not identify you by name at our site, but do identify the researcher listed with the pedigree.

We have a 6 page website just for this project. The page navigation is in the rectangles across the top. You’ll find the Patriarch and Results pages to be most important over time, but will want to look at all of the pages to see what is there.

The most important thing we do is to correlate genealogies to DNA results. We ask you to post your pedigree at our Pedigree Forum. We’ll then post it on the project’s Patriarch page, along with the researcher’s name and email address. Please follow our directions at the forum: www.wfnforum.net/index.php?topic=2976.0

After your kit is received by FTDNA, you will get an email about your personal page at FTDNA where you can see your results, compare to others in the project, order more tests, etc. FTDNA makes a test batch every 2 weeks. It will be about 6 weeks after that before you get results. You’ll get an email from FTDNA when they receive your kit, have results for you, or have matched your DNA to someone else.

We will post your (and everyone else’s) test results on the Results page of your project’s website. Please be sure you have posted your Most Distant Known Ancestor with your pedigree on our forum and on your Personal Preferences page at FTDNA, so we can post your results using that ancestor’s name.

Best Regards, Marilyn
World Families Network
www.worldfamilies.net

This a very interesting book, written by a Keith, on the history of the founding of Hollywood. Many of the stories are untold treasures that were hidden away in the family attic for years. At last you can learn how Hollywood got its name and who the Scot behind its creation really was. Nominated for many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. An added benefit is the author will speak at your meetings.

Written by Gaelyn Whitley Keith, who is a California native and a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. A writer, she wrote for South Bay Magazine and was awarded top honors in a national writing competition. Ms. Keith is working on her second book, The Father of Hollywood: After That.

The Keith books are completely sold out.
After the book was published, in 1997, I continued to collect Keith family information, making additions and corrections to computer files in the same format as the book itself. The original 800 pages has grown to something approaching 2000, including multiple notations with regard to disputed or unproven facts. It would not be practical to print another book, and would actually require two or more volumes. My children have instructions to make my material available (in digitized form) in the event of my death. Meanwhile, I continue to welcome inquiries and share information with Keith researchers.

I've just published a book about the most infamous Keith in modern memory, Alexander Keith, Jr., the infamous nephew of Alexander Keith of Keith's Brewery in Halifax. It's called The Dynamite Fiend: The Chilling Tale of a Confederate Agent, Con Artist, and Mass Murderer, and has some discussion of the old Keith Clan in Scotland. I think it would be of real interest to Keiths everywhere. It's available in all major bookstores and amazon.com. See www.dynamitefiend.com.

Cheers, Ann Larabee

A new stone was recently erected for William T. Holmes

William T. was a son of James and Kenhappage (Keith) HOLMES of Harrison Co., KY and Vermillion Co., IL. William m. 1866 to Sarah JOHNS; served in 3rd IN Calvary, was personal bodyguard to Gen George A. Custer, and won Congressional Medal of Honor; moved in 1867 to Joplin, MO; d. 31 Aug 1916, while visiting relatives in St.Clair Co., MO. [civil war information on Holmes family supplied by Raymond O. Wilson, robertowilson@mindspring.com]

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