Being an adoptee can make ancestry research challenging, but DNA testing makes it much easier to identify one’s birth family. At the Martin County Genealogical Society’s February 2026 meeting, Genetic Genealogist Richard Hill will present “Finding Your Family with DNA Testing.” Reviewing his own case, Hill will show how adoptees and others find biological parents and siblings through DNA testing. Sharing recommended strategies, he will discuss the tools used to identify relationships and provide examples of surprise discoveries.
The first adoptee to identify his birth family through genetic genealogy DNA tests, Richard Hill shared his story in the award-winning book Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA. He also founded two websites on DNA testing, most recently, DNAFavorites.com. A member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, Hill gives presentations on genetic genealogy topics both virtually and in person. He lives in Michigan with his wife of 57 years.
Free and open to the public, the meeting will be at the Blake Library, 2351 S.E. Monterey Road in Stuart, from 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 20. The meeting begins with social time followed by a short business meeting, and the presentation is at 2 p.m. The meeting will be available on Zoom; registration required. For details, go to mcgsfl.org/events.
The Martin County Genealogical Society offers a variety of services at the Genealogy Room in the Blake Library including an extensive research library, access to several genealogy websites and assistance from MCGS volunteers. For more information about membership, activities and services go to mcgsfl.org.
