Old Letters for DNA Testing

Living DNA announced at RootsTech that they were able to locate someone’s father through the DNA off a postage stamp. I was standing in line at the Living DNA booth to purchase a DNA kit from them, and all around me was the talk of postage stamp DNA. The discussions were basically about what letters and from whom did they have in their possession. Now, these old letters have taken on a new purpose.

Adoptee Anthea had been abandoned under a blackberry bush when she was about nine months old. Her hands were tied so she could not move. A family heard her cries, and she was rescued and adopted by a very loving family. When Anthea was older, she found out her story and went in search of her biological family. DNA testing found four brothers who were candidates for who Anthea’s biological father could be. Two of the brothers showed that they were first cousins, so that left the other two brothers as potential matches. A cousin had saved letters from those last two brothers, and it was the salvia from these stamps that provided the DNA to prove which one was Anthea’s father. An incredible story, but it opens a whole new way of identifying our family members.

Denise May Levenick’s blog, theFamilyCurator.com, has an article “How to Preserve and Test Old Letters for Grandma’s DNA.” Denise interviewed David Nicholson, Managing Director at Living DNA, and he stated that the ability to test postage stamps for DNA would be available by the end of 2018 at the cost of $1,000 - $2,500. Living DNA will test both the stamp and the flap that was licked.

David Nicholson’s advice on how to save these old letters is:

1. Look for family letters where the flap and seal are intact. Multiple samples are best. If the letters are stored in a bundle, the ones in the middle are usually in better shape.

2. Wear white cotton gloves when handling these letters to avoid further contamination.

3. Keep the letters stored in acid-free folders and boxes in moderate conditions. Avoid plastic. Metal file drawers or archival boxes are best.
If you have any keepsake letters from your relatives, you may want to hold on to them. They may hold the secret to your past. How to preserve letters for DNA testing is great information and thank you, Denise, at theFamilyCurator.com for sharing.