[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Figuring Relationships

[kaiser116 at aol.com]

Hallo SGGEE Group!
Yes this is an interesting subject for discussion. My grandparents, both now deceased, born in Wolynien just east of Zwiahel, shared a similar last name, "Arendt" or sometimes spelled "Arndt" in photos I've seen from those days in Ukraine. My research in the EWZ files at the Archives II in College Park, MD has revealed a complete file on my grandmother's brother's family also under the name Arendt. The EWZ files are so fascinating, wish I could just do full time research there instead of my accounting job!
beste Grüße,
Kurt Gillies
Pembroke, NH
USA



-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Krueger <dabookk54 at yahoo.com>
To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org; Leo Sonnenberg <sonnal at shaw.ca>
Sent: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 9:25 am
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Figuring Relationships



Leo,
thers have already explained the relationships you were wondering about. Your 
ther question about how often does this kind of thing happen was not answered 
hough. The answer to that question is this happens very often among the German 
ommunities throughout this area. Think of  having a restricted population of 
undreds to maybe a couple thousand people from which you can choose your 
pouse. In the first generation it is easy to find an unrelated person to marry. 
ut with each subsequent generation it will be more difficulat to find someone 
ompletely unrelated to you. It will only take a few generations before you find 
he majority of the population interelated to each other. I have noticed this 
henomenon studying EWZ records where my parents/grandparents came from. I found 
o many interrelationships betweens different branches of my distant relatives 
hat my family was never aware before I started building this database. Most 
eople I know now
through SGGEE whose ancestors came from the Lublin area are either related to 
e (2nd-5th cousins) or are related to others of my relatives (1st or 2nd 
ousins).

econdly, two other drivers for marrying was who your family knew and economic 
ressures to retain ownership of farm land. These factors tended to encourage 
arrying someone related to you. Cousins marrying each other was not uncommon. 
n rare instances marrying an uncle/aunt or even step daughter have been found. 
hey were not aware of the benefit of genetic diversity or the dangers of 
voiding it. In our society we have a better understanding of the genetic 
mplications and thus we avoid marrying relatives.
arl
--- On Wed, 10/1/08, Leo Sonnenberg <sonnal at shaw.ca> wrote:
From: Leo Sonnenberg <sonnal at shaw.ca>
ubject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Figuring Relationships
o: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
ate: Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 10:15 PM
I recently received a list of ancestors on my father's side back to 1790 
rom a cousin in Germany. I was surprised to see that my grandfather on 
y mother's side was also on the list.
y mother is a great granddaughter to the common ancestor and my father 
s a great great grandson to the common ancestor. I am both a great 
reat grandson through my mother and a great great  great grandson 
hrough my father.
My questions are -  A. what cousins are my parents to each other and B. 
hat am I to my distant grandfather?  How would I classify myself - a 
wo great grandson or a three great grandson? So who am I?
Also, does this situation occur very often?
Any definition of my relationship to my distant grandfather is welcome 
including any jokes).
Leo Sonnenberg

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