52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Week 38 Prompt - Cousins

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 38

Prompt – Cousins

When are cousins both first and second cousins?

I will get into that in a bit.

Cousins! Who knew there was so many combinations. I never really thought about it until I got into genealogy. What is a second cousin twice removed?

We all know that our first cousin or just plain cousin is our aunts or uncles children.  They share a set of grandparents.  Second cousins are those family members who share great grandparents. Third cousins share the same great great grandparents.  And so on. When that becomes cousins once removed, it indicates that the two cousins are from different generations. So for example my mother's cousin is considered my first cousin once removed. And if twice removed it means they are two generations apart.

Clear as mud!

The best way to figure it out is to google cousin chart and pick the one that makes it the easiest to understand. Copy it or save it to your favorites. Refer to that. This is my favorite. 

George and Helena Heide and Children. Circa 1950.

This is a photo card of my first cousins. George and Helena Heide and some but not all of their children. Circa 1950?!  Helena is my father's sister. Thus we share grandparents of Frank and Elisabeth (nee Dyck) Peters. 

Sept 26, 1983 - After Jake Peters Funeral.  His Grandchildren.

Left to Right:

 Back Row: Greg P., Glenn O., Scott L., Murray C., Joelle P.,  

 Front Row: Jill H, Sandy L, Cathy O, holding Matthew C, Sarah L, Jackie H, Sue L,  Ben P. 

This is a photo of my father's grandchildren and my nieces and nephews but to each other they are all first cousins.

First cousins are easy but when first cousins start having children and then grandchildren it becomes a cousin once removed scenario.

How are my Heide cousins related to my nieces and nephews?   I think they may be first cousins once removed. But really don't quote me on that. My head exploded on trying to figure it out.

In Bill's family, his mother is both a first cousin and a second cousin. It all began in Bromberg, Prussia in the spring of 1890.

Leonhardt, Julius and John Jahnke. The Jahnke Brothers.

Clara's father's father, Johann Friedrich Jahnke married Ernestine Emilie Heyn (Hein).

Johann's brother Leonhardt Heinrich Jahnke, married Emilie's twin sister, Henriette Amalia Heyn (Hein). Typical to German naming convention they go by their second name.

1890 Marriage of John and Emilie Jahnke.

 I do not have a marriage photo of Leonhardt and Amalia.

Leonhardt and Amalia had several children but for clarity I will mention only their son, Julius John Jahnke. Also German naming convention is naming children after parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  So one has to be careful of which generation child they are talking about.

1913 - Julius and Dorothea Jahnke Wedding

Johann and Emilie had two sons and the one we are interested is Clara's father, Arthur John Jahnke. Arthur and Julius are first cousins. They married sisters. Julius married Dorothea Bachmann and Arthur married Dorothea's sister, Ida Bachmann. 

1917 Arthur and Ida Jahnke

Julius and Dorothea had 5 sons of which one is still living, William Harvey Jahnke born in 1927. 

Arthur and Ida had three children of whom one is Clara (my mother in law) who was born in 1928 and still living. 

Harvey Jahnke

Clara Hoffart on Her 90th Birthday

 

According to Clara, Harvey said that makes them first and second cousins.  That means they share grandparents and great grandparents, but please don't make me tell you exactly which ones.  It is really all too complicated and I just want to take their word for it.  

Wendy