Kinship
  • About 2/3s of the persons listed on my site are either related to me or my wife, or they are linked to us via in-law lineages that we also track. I haven't figured out how to effectively include relationships on my web site. In the meantime, if you're curious about how we're related, just write and ask me! Also, if you're listed on my web site and think you may be related to someone else also listed on my site, then it's no problem for me to compute it for you -- just ask.
  •  "4th Cousins, Twice Removed" -- Duh? What does that mean? Usually you'll see it written as 4C2R. The notation is pretty simple, but what does all this "removed" stuff mean. Roughly, it refers to the number of generations someone is from the source person. My Relationships Diagram may make that a little easier to visualize. Even if the diagram establishes an understanding, it still isn't an easy concept to instantly recall with certainty, so it's prudent not to use it in conversation unless you are intentionally discussing specific relationships as a matter of interest or similar. Otherwise, you may be drawn into a discussion of the rightness / wrongness of a designation, and at best, is can be tedious and easily strayed from. It is always best to use the removed term when it is automatically calculated, but not to belabor it with any special significance.
  • EXPLAINING the GREAT and GRAND naming convention:
    • For some, the prefix for the 2d level naming of Aunts, Uncles, Nieces & Nephews is the prefix Great. For example: Greatuncle or unt, and Greatniece or Nephew. This preference is usually based solely upon internal family traditions, but is without merit.
    • Every person has a Grandmother and a Grandfather. Of this, there is no question for anyone.
    • Every person has a Great Grandmother, or Great Grandfather, and of this there is no question for anyone. This naming convention is clear and unconfusing to anyone.
    • Likewise for 2d Great Grandmother or 2d Great Grandfather; so on and so forth for each preceding generation.
    • No one would ever consider there next older generation to be a Greatmother or a Greatfather, yet that's exactly what SOME people do by butchering the naming convention concering Uncles/Aunts/Nieces/Nephews.
    • 2d generation relatives are ALWAYS "Grand"-- grandmother, grandfather, granduncle, grandaunt, grandniece, and granduncle.
    • 3d generation relatives are ALWAYS "Great Grand" -- great grandmother, great grandfather, great granduncle, great grandaunt, great grandniece, and great granduncle.