I Found a Photo of My Great-Great-Grandma Thanks to a DNA Match on MyHeritage

Karla Saravia, 54, a MyHeritage user from New York, left a comment on one of our Facebook Live sessions mentioning an extraordinary photo she discovered thanks to a DNA match on MyHeritage. Here is her story:

I received a DNA match with a third cousin. One day, I got a message from him, and using the last names that we had in common, we were able to work out that we are connected through my great-grandparents — he is a great-grandson of theirs.

We continued to speak, and then he shared a photograph of our common great-great-grandmother. The moment I saw it I noticed a clear resemblance to my mother. It was pretty exciting to see that picture, because it was my first time “meeting” this ancestor!

The photograph Karla’s cousin shared was of their great-great-grandmother Maria Francisca Aristizabal (born Perez)

I colorized the photo with the MyHeritage In Color™ feature and shared it with all my family, who were thrilled.

That line of the family comes from Colombia. In fact, my mom was an opera singer — she had a singing contract that brought her to the U.S., and she stayed. That’s how we ended up here. My mother turns 90 this year, so she was able to see the photo and she absolutely adores it. She loves genealogy, and every time I share with her all these things she’s very happy. 

Karla’s mother Dolly Cadavid

The really nice part is that the person I had matched with lives close to me. He is from New Jersey, and I am from upstate New York; that’s about 45 minutes to an hour away. We were going to actually try and get together, but couldn’t because of COVID. He says he had more genealogy things to share with me and to show me, so I can’t wait to get together when we get the chance.

Karla Saravia