Can DNA matches help me find my paternal grandfather?

[Sandra L Butler]

I have two DNA matches. They share the common surname, ZIEGLER. It took some time to find their connection because one changed his name from ZIEGLER to HALL. Their common ancestor is the grandfather, ELMER ZIEGLER (1887), and the shared DNA between them is 614cM's. I have attached DNA information that I hope will be helpful in determining where to look for my paternal grandfather. Below is a link to the ZIEGLER-MEYER Tree. The home person is JULIE HALL, with whom I share 76cM's, who is "first cousin once removed" to VICTOR ZIEGLER, with whom I share 59cM's. It is estimated that I am a 3rd-4th cousin to both JULIE and VICTOR. Any thoughts? Thanks!

P.S. I spoke with Anna Rossteuscher's grand-daughter, and we are not a DNA match.

Family View - Ancestry.com

[Biblioteque]

Sandra, the Ziegler Meyer tree at Ancestry is Locked/Private.

[KATM]

I was not able to see your tree, as it was marked as not publicly available. The granddaughter of Anna Rossteuscher may be related to you, but at a degree at which you share no DNA. You can check the charts in the ISOGG Wiki page, "Cousin statistics," to see how the possibilities of sharing no detectable DNA with a cousin increase, from 2.30% for second cousin twice removed or 3rd cousin, to 12.10% for a 3rd cousin once removed, and even further to 30.70% for a 3rd cousin twice removed, or a 4th cousin. The possibility of sharing DNA drops more dramatically after that.

But you can use the Shared cM Project tool at DNA Painter to view the possible relationships for Julie and Victor to you, based on the amount of DNA you share with them. Here are links to the relationships for 76 cMs (Julie) and 59 cMs (Victor). From the possibilities shown, there seems to be a higher (70-80%) likelihood of the relationship to you for both Julie and Victor as being a level from 2nd cousin up to half 3rd cousin, with possibilities of being some degree of being removed, than 4th cousin. Perhaps you can find a connection within the possible relationships shown at DNA Painter for those amounts. You may be related to Julie and Victor via a sibling/half-sibling of your grandparent or great-grandparent, etc.

[Sandra L Butler]

The Ziegler-Meyer tree is now public. Thank you so much for all the information and the links. Victor seems to think that we are related through Anna Rossteuscher, so I will not count that out now. Thanks again!