Okay, this is neither a trick question nor a riddle, though it is pretty confusing. I am trying to figure out how my "Aunt" is actually related to me.

My great-great-grandmother, Camille, was married three times. She did not have any children with the first marriage. The second, she was married to a man named "Baldwin" with whom she had my great-grandmother Mae, and Mae's two brothers. The third marriage, to a man named Fitzgerald, she had two children: Loretta and John.

Mae (from marriage #2) had a daughter named Ruth, who had my father, who had me.

John had a daughter named Pat.

Pat is my "Aunt", whom I love dearly, but I'm trying to figure out how we are actually related. Like, second cousin, something like that.

Thanks.

I hope I am reading your description correctly, and also hope others will offer their confirmations or alternative suggestions.

My explanation uses this kinship chart.

As I understand things:

Pat is the grandchild of your great great grandmother, but not in your direct lineage. This would normally make Pat your 1st cousin twice removed and Pat's father, John, your great grand uncle.

Because John was Mae's half brother, then put "half" in front of these descriptions. Thus Pat is your half 1st cousin twice removed. Your genetic kinship is 1.5625%.

But you are obviously much closer

Thank you very much Fuse! Half first cousin twice removed sounds a lot better than "I don't know, but we're related somehow!" lol

We don't share any obvious genetic kinship--you'd never guess we were related lol

So Pat's son would be my half 2nd cousin twice removed? So that would be legally not related, which is EXCELLENT because I can't stand the little jerk Whoo hoo! I get to keep the one I love and disown the one I can't stand!

Half second cousin once removed (removed has to do with how many generations apart the two of you are even if you are close in age). Certainly far enough distant to disown

Yay!! Now I don't have to pretend to care when he gets in trouble any more!

I don't even think you have to go to his funeral.

Well, I wouldn't take it that far!

Hey, additional question: is the child of my mother's sister's daughter my second cousin, or my first cousin once removed? First cousin once removed, right?

Yup, 1st cousin once removed. Mother's sister's daughter is your first cousin, so her child is your first cousin once removed (and second cousin to your children).

Thanks! I'm about to have a little first cousin once removed, and I wanted to be sure what to call the relationship

This could sound really dumb of me, but I have no idea what 'once or twice removed' mean? What does it mean?

The child of your first cousin is not your second cousin but your first cousin once removed. The child of your first cousin once removed is your first cousin twice removed. Look here.

quote:

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Originally posted by honilov:
This could sound really dumb of me, but I have no idea what 'once or twice removed' mean? What does it mean?

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To be a full cousin you must be of the same generation and share the same relationship with common ancestors. Cousins share grandparents and 2nd cousins share great grandparents.

Cousins who are "removed" are not of the same generation. As Dixie said, the child of your first cousin (who is one generation removed from you) is your first cousin once removed.

Thanks Dixie and Fuse. I never knew how that work. I've always been lost on the cousins. I've heard people say, 'I'm some kin to so and so, I'm their cousin' and I'm wondering when do the blood line run out. I'm thinking to myself, at that rate, we are kin to Adam and Eve.

In a way, we all are. Here is a long dry explanation, but basically we are all related, and evolutionists refer to the first female of our species as Eve.