Janet Masingill
Family History & DNA
Finding inspiration in every turn
Stuck on your family line? Let Janet take a look!
If you’ve hit a brick wall in your family history, have a dead end with your DNA matches or do not know where or how to begin—it can often be visible in your DNA matches and records when you know what to look for. Janet will personally review your situation and identify:
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What your DNA may already be revealing
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The likely direction to move forward — and more.
Every family has a story, and it would be an honor to help you discover & understand yours!
Janet specializes in decoding complex family-history and DNA mysteries. She uses Y-DNA and autosomal testing and has successfully identified and proven numerous paternal and maternal lines — helping individuals and families connect the dots between historical records and genetic evidence in a clear, practical way. Her practice is grounded in making advanced DNA research accessible for those facing brick walls — helping families uncover answers and gain a deeper understanding of their roots in a way that is honorable, relatable, and genuinely kind.
Recognized as the leading genetic DNA researcher (as an avocation) of the Massengill, Massengale and Variants family, worldwide, Janet is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She has created and administers numerous private DNA projects and genealogy-focused communities — supporting collaborative research and guiding others through genetic genealogy with confidence.
In 2024–2025, Janet had the pleasure of assisting her direct-line fifth paternal Texas cousins — and their sons and grandson — in researching and completing their successful applications proving their proud lineage as Sons of the Republic of Texas (SRT), with ancestral DNA and paper-proven ties to circa 1836.
She began her genealogy journey in 2017 after watching a YouTube video of Donny Osmond performing in 2007-08 at a castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. During the concert, he called out to his Donny.com'ers in the audience, inviting fans to connect and explore his career through his personal website and his family history through FamilySearch.org. Curious, Janet followed that suggestion — and through continued practice of her new hobby and refining her knowledge, discovered that she and the Osmond family share a genetic connection as cousins through their paternal lines, as their fathers are 6th cousins once removed.
Janet is especially grateful to Donny, who told her they are cousins during an in person, private conversation they shared in 2018; to his older brother, the late Alan Osmond, who helped confirm both the paper and genetic connection; to Alan's son Nathan, host of the Achieving Awesomeness Now summit, which Janet attended in May 2025; and to older brother Tom Osmond, who sent personal photos of his parents, which he autographed, to Janet for her personal collection. The kindness and generosity of the family has played a deeply meaningful role in her genealogy journey. As Eric Osmond, son of Jay, so eloquently put it when they met in May 2025: "DNA all the way!"
Janet is currently writing her family's updated Massengills, Massengales, and Variants 2.0 DNA: The Next Generations™ family-history book (begun at the suggestion of cousin Montie Michael Massengale) and she has recently collaborated with cousin Montie Michael Massengale on an exciting digital format he created of a personal genealogical lineage family history remembrance book which is due to drop in early 2027..
