How far back can you trace your family history?

[epchick]

Originally Posted by gphi426

And supposedly George HW Bush is my seventh cousin 4 times removed or something crazy like that. haha

OMG this reminds me of this guy I know who claims he's related to a bunch of presidents.

Here is his list (directly from myspace):

George W Bush
George H W Bush
Richard M Nixon
Gerald Ford
Ronald Reagan
Teddy Roosevelt
John F Kennedy
Rutherford B Hayes
William Howard Taft
James A Garfield

He used to have a list of how he was related to them, but it read like the Bible (ie. XY begot AB who begot DE who begot YT)

[honeychile]

^^ If you're related to the right one or two, chances are very good that you're related to several! It's a little suspect, though, that he claims to be related to President GW Bush but not President Franklin Pierce.

Things that make a genealogist say "Hmmm...."

[RU OX Alum]

^^how could he be related to one Roosevelt but not the other? I know they were distant, somewhat, but they had the same last name.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

^^how could he be related to one Roosevelt but not the other? I know they were distant, somewhat, but they had the same last name.

Good catch & my bad! That's exactly one of the things they teach you to catch when checking someone's genealogical charts!

[agzg]

Teddy and Franklin were fifth cousins. Teddy was also Eleanor's uncle. Eleanor and Franklin were fifth cousins, once removed.

[Still BLUTANG]

slight hijack

what does "once removed" mean? i've heard and seen it several times but never completely understood the concept.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Still BLUTANG

slight hijack

what does "once removed" mean? i've heard and seen it several times but never completely understood the concept.

See post 49 above:

Originally Posted by AGDee

In this sense, removed means they are of a different generation than you. My aunts and uncles children are my first cousins. My first cousins' kids are my first cousins once removed, because they are not from my generation, they are one generation off from me.

[Still BLUTANG]

ooooooooooh. thanks!

[epchick]

Originally Posted by AGDee

In this sense, removed means they are of a different generation than you. My aunts and uncles children are my first cousins. My first cousins' kids are my first cousins once removed, because they are not from my generation, they are one generation off from me.

Does that work in the opposite direction (like you are going down the family tree, i mean going up). Like i'll give an example. I'll use one of my grandmother's siblings--her brother Mauricio.

Mauricio had 6 kids (and i'll use my godfather Rudy as more of the example)
Rudy had 3 girls
His 3 girls all have kids (Rudy's grandchildren)

Rudy & his siblings would be my mom's first cousins. But "my generation" would be his grandchildren, so would they be my first cousins? Or would my "uncle" Rudy still be my first cousins as well?

Originally Posted by honeychile

^^ If you're related to the right one or two, chances are very good that you're related to several! It's a little suspect, though, that he claims to be related to President GW Bush but not President Franklin Pierce.

Things that make a genealogist say "Hmmm...."

He used to have the "how he was related to" geneology on his facebook, but now it's been greatly reduced to only these:

Jane Whitney (1669-1693): 8th Great Grandmother of epchick's friend; 6th Great Grandmother of Richard M Nixon

Sybil Gould (1527-1571): 14th Great Grandmother of epchick's friend; Great Grandmother of John Locke

Alice Farnham (1610-1652): 11th Great Grandmother of epchick's friend; 5th Great Grandmother of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Jane Hogg (1598-1688): 10th Great Grandmother of epchick's friend; 6th Great Grandmother of William Howard Taft

Mary Farnham (1628-1714): 10th Great Grandmother of epchick's friend; 8th Great Grandmother of Gerald Ford

Alice Gulley (1553-1596): 11th Great Grandmother of epchick's friend; 8th Great Grandmother of Ronald Reagan

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by epchick

Does that work in the opposite direction (like you are going down the family tree, i mean going up). Like i'll give an example. I'll use one of my grandmother's siblings--her brother Mauricio.

Mauricio had 6 kids (and i'll use my godfather Rudy as more of the example)
Rudy had 3 girls
His 3 girls all have kids (Rudy's grandchildren)

Rudy & his siblings would be my mom's first cousins. But "my generation" would be his grandchildren, so would they be my first cousins? Or would my "uncle" Rudy still be my first cousins as well?

If I'm following you correctly, Rudy and your mom are first cousins. Rudy and you are first cousins once removed. Likewise, Rudy's kids and your mom are first cousins once removed. Rudy's kids and you are second cousins. Rudy's grandkids and you are second cousins once removed. Rudy's grandkids and your kids would be third cousins.

Generation is this sense doesn't mean age -- i.e., Rudy's grandchildren and you are around the same age. It means number of generations removed from the common ancestor. One generation means that you are both the children of the common ancestor(s), or siblings. Two generations, grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or first cousins. Three generations, great-grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or second cousins. Etc.

So "your generation" is Rudy's kids, even if they are old enough to be your parents.

Make sense?

[agzg]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If I'm following you correctly, Rudy and your mom are first cousins. Rudy and you are first cousins once removed. Likewise, Rudy's kids and your mom are first cousins once removed. Rudy's kids and you are second cousins. Rudy's grandkids and you are second cousins once removed. Rudy's grandkids and your kids would be third cousins.

Generation is this sense doesn't mean age -- i.e., Rudy's grandchildren and you are around the same age. It means number of generations removed from the common ancestor. One generation means that you are both the children of the common ancestor(s), or siblings. Two generations, grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or first cousins. Three generations, great-grandchildren of the common ancestor(s), or second cousins. Etc.

So "your generation" is Rudy's kids, even if they are old enough to be your parents.

Make sense?

Did anyone watch Gilmore Girls? This reminds me of Emily and Richard's (second) wedding.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If I'm following you correctly, Rudy and your mom are first cousins.

Make sense?

Yes they are first cousins. I do believe it makes sense now. My family has sooo many people in it, it is hard to keep track of it. lol.

I guess i've always been confused with this whole thing because i've always understood the "Mexican" way. Like Rudy and I are cousins, but he's always been "uncle Rudy" to me b/c in Mexico my mom and Rudy would be considered primos-hermanos or cousins-brothers. So that would mean that Rudy (and his siblings) and my mom (and her siblings) are more siblings than cousins because they all are around the same age.

Thanks for clearing it up MC & AGDee

[XSK_Diamond]

My ex-husband is from West Africa and his family (and maybe his entire ethnic group) follow the same kinship system. What's interesting though, is that my family (black American) does the same thing and always has. My mom's first cousins are considered her sisters/brothers and my aunts/uncles. And one of my cousin's kids call me Aunt Rosalind. Even close family friends get in on it.. I have a childhood friend that won't refer to me as anything other than her cousin. WE ALL understand the connections, but I know we confuse the mess out of other folks when we try explain it, LOL.

Originally Posted by epchick

Yes they are first cousins. I do believe it makes sense now. My family has sooo many people in it, it is hard to keep track of it. lol.

I guess i've always been confused with this whole thing because i've always understood the "Mexican" way. Like Rudy and I are cousins, but he's always been "uncle Rudy" to me b/c in Mexico my mom and Rudy would be considered primos-hermanos or cousins-brothers. So that would mean that Rudy (and his siblings) and my mom (and her siblings) are more siblings than cousins because they all are around the same age.

Thanks for clearing it up MC & AGDee

[AGDee]

Uncle Rudy and you are first cousins once removed.

You and Rudy's kids are second cousins.

Your kids and Rudy's kids' kids are third cousins.

You and Rudy's kids' kids are second cousins once removed.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Uncle Rudy and you are first cousins once removed.

You and Rudy's kids are second cousins.

Your kids and Rudy's kids' kids are third cousins.

You and Rudy's kids' kids are second cousins once removed.

lol lol this made me laugh really hard.