UNTANGLNG THE WEB OF FAMLY RELATIONSHIPS

I had the good fortune of finding a relative on the Internet who was into genealogy. She had an extensive family chart included on her site, so I was busy for three days filling out family group sheets on my long-lost cousins.

Cousin relationships can become very tangled. There is first cousin, second cousin, and so forth. Then, there is first cousin once removed, second cousin once removed, and on and on. The label once removed always confused me. Removed? Doesn't that sound unfriendly? It isn't. It just means that you are separated by generations. For example, if my grandfather is your great grandfather, we would be first cousins once removed. We came from a generation apart.

All this cousin stuff can get complicated. To help you sort it all out I compiled a Relationship Chart that should clear it up. Now when you meet a cousin, you can say, "Hi, third cousin once removed."

My family tree site is slowly beginning to look like something. I will have to contact my Internet cousin when it is updated, so she can fill in some of the missing links of her chart with my information. That is what genealogy is all about. Sharing what we know.

In the words of David Podmajersky, at his Amateur Genealogy Homepage-List of Ships Passengers site, "We are all distant cousins."

HOT TIP OF THE WEEK: Cousins and Cousinhood, a great page for more discussion on family relationships, includes a chart showing the percentage of genetic sharing.

Next week, I will explore the world of surnames. They're not as straightforward as you might think.

Note: If anyone has a topic that they would like me to cover just drop me an email, or open a discussion. I will be happy to help on any personal questions, also.

Go To Page: 1

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic