IT'S A SMALL DNA WORLD - CONNECTIONS TO PETAR BALTORINIC

Detail of Petar Baltorinic's baptismal record from 1844.¹

31 Days of Writing Family History Challenge

February 1, 2022:  Maternal Great, Great Grandfather #2 - Petar Baltorinic (1845-1912)

by Nancy Gilbride Casey

Working with DNA for genealogy is a fascinating process. Though I would not have believed it possible a year or two ago, it is completely possible to figure out genetic connections to one's DNA matches with a some education, hard sleuthing and luck. And once connections are made, they reveal some fascinating insights and can confirm branches on your family tree. 

Such is the case with my lineage to Petar Baltorinic (and his wife Bara Celinsćak, tomorrow's subject). I have been fortunate enough to find many genetic "cousins" on the branches of the Baltorinic family tree.

Below is a chart of just a few of my DNA connections back to Petar Baltorinic (blue), who is our Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA). My matches are identified in green (to protect my matches' privacy, I have not identified them by name). 

The information in each box includes the match's relationship to a daughter of Petar Baltorinic, along with the amount of DNA I share with them expressed in centimorgans (cM), and the number of chromosomal segments we share. Lastly, I identify their relationship to me.

For example, through Petar's daughter Zorica, I match her grandson with an appropriate amount of DNA for him to be my 2nd cousin, once removed.

I have DNA connections through several of Petar and Bara's daughters: Elisabetha (Elizabeth), Terezija (Theresa), Zorica (Zora), and my great grandmother Vjekoslava (Louise). Here are just five of them, but I've identified several beyond these as well.²

Interestingly, at least two of Petar's daughters—Elisabetha and Terezija—married into other Baltorinic lines from the same geographic area. As was often the case in small communities where the marriage "pool" was limited, it was not uncommon to marry a distant cousin.

Zorica and Vjekoslava emigrated to the United States in the late 1800s-early 1900s, while the descendants of later generations came to America too; all of these matches are based in the United States.

In some cases my matches in the Baltorinic lines have an altered surname and are known as Baltrinic here, but our DNA does connect us all back to the same ancestral couple of Petar Baltorinic and his wife Bara Celinscak.

More about Petar himself: Petar (Petrus) was baptized on 3 May 1844 in Srednjak, Gorica Svetojanska, Croatia, the son of Petrus Baltorinic and Barbara Parazaider. He married Bara Celinsćak likely in late 1867 or early 1868 prior to the birth of their first child. A marriage record has not yet been located.³

Petar and Bara had at least nine children: Elisabetha, Terezija, Francisca, Carolina Dragica, Zorica, Vjekoslava, Veronica, Pavao and Juraj.⁴

Petar died on 9 February 1912. His death record names "susica" as his cause of death. In Croatian that translates to "phthisis"—in modern terms—tuberculosis. He was 67 years old.⁵

 

NOTES

¹ Roman Catholic (Rimokatolička crkva) Gorica Svetojanska, Deaths (Umrli) 1878-1920, p. 180, #11, Petar Baltorinic, 9 February 191; "Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99X-DGCP : 1 February 2022); FHL film 005493817, image 465; Arhiva Hrvatske u Zagrebu (Croatia State Archives), Zagreb.

² "Member Matches for Nancy Casey," Tererija's Grandson, 23andMe.com (accessed 1 February 2022); predicted 3rd cousin, sharing 71cM/1segment (average cM shared = 73, range 0 – 234). Also:  "Member Matches for Nancy Casey," Tererija's Great Granddaughter, 23andMe.com (accessed 1 February 2022); predicted 3rd cousin, once removed, sharing 41cM/1segment (average cM shared = 48, range 0 – 192). Also: "Member Matches for Nancy Casey," Terezija's Great Grandson, AncestryDNA (Ancestry.com : accessed 1 February 2022); predicted 3rd cousin, sharing 48cM (average cM shared = 48, range 0 – 192). Also: "Member Matches for Nancy Casey," Zorica's  Grandson, AncestryDNA (Ancestry.com : accessed 1 February 2022); predicted 2nd cousin, once removed, sharing 30cM (average cM shared: 122, range 14 – 353). Also: "Member Matches for Nancy Casey," Thomas Kozlina's Daughter, AncestryDNA (Ancestry.com : accessed 1 February 2022); predicted aunt, sharing 1,789 cM (average cM shared: 17411, range 201 – 2282).

³ Roman Catholic (Rimokatolička crkva) Gorica Svetojanska, Births (Rođeni), Marriages (Vjenčani), Deaths (Umrli) 1782-1789 Births (Rođeni) 1789-1857, p. 208, Petrus Baltorinic, 3 May 1844; database with images, "Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994,"  FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899C-T991-1 : 1 February 2022); FHL film 005484836, image 389; Arhiva Hrvatske u Zagrebu (Croatia State Archives), Zagreb.

⁴ FamilySearch Family Tree, entry for Petar Baltorinic LTRJ-5KJ (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LTRJ-5KJ : accessed 1 February 2022).

⁵ Roman Catholic (Rimokatolička crkva) Gorica Svetojanska, Deaths (Umrli) 1878-1920, p. 180, #11, Petar Baltorinic, 9 February 1912.