cousin's relationship.

Hello, Jana!

This is one of the most confusing things in genealogy, so I completely understand your frustration! I find the chart at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin#Cousin_chart to be helpful.

If I'm correctly following what you wrote, Kim's great-great-grandfather is George's great-great-great-grandfather? (I got a little confused there -- my fault, not yours!) That makes Kim and George third cousins once removed.

The simplest way to do it is: figure out what the common ancestor is to each, then consult a chart. So if I followed you, there's:

KIM -> Kim's father -> Bob -> Bob's parent -> Bob's grandparent (so Kim's great-great-grandparent)

GEORGE -> father -> father -> Sue -> Sue's parent (sibling of Bob's parent) -> Sue's/Bob's grandparent (so George's great-great-great-grandparent)

So if you look at the chart and see where two people match if they share a great-great-grandparent and a great-great-great-grandparent, you get third cousins once removed.

Does that help at all?

(Sorry for the post flood! Mobile is not my friend.)

Last thing: We posted this on the unofficial Geni Users Group Facebook page several months ago and people found it helpful. If the visual display from Wikipedia doesn't make sense to you, perhaps this one will: https://m.facebook.com/GeniUsersGroup/photos/pb.133736453463322.-22...

And if it doesn't, just ignore it. I just figured I'd share it in case maybe that format works better for you. I personally prefer the table, but everyone's brain works differently.

Thanks Ashley!! These charts are interesting....... cant wait to check them out in details!!!!!

For myself -- easiest way is not to find the common ancestory --
but to find out where the siblings are they descended from - then figure how many generations down to (or up from - same difference) the closest of the two you are looking at -- if down one for both - that is first cousins.

If down two for each - that is second cousins.

If they are not down the same amount - if closest is down two, and then other is down one more (additional) generation - then they are second cousins once removed.

ie -- down (from the siblings) to first of pair (ie, of the two you are looking at) = X generations. Additional down to second of pair = Y generations - Then they are X cousins Y removed.
[use ordinal number for X and Y when reading above - ie say third cousins twice removed -- not three cousins two removed]

If this does not make sense to you, use the charts. For me, it is crystal clear and easy - and I am thrilled I figured it out -- but we each differ as to what is the "easy way" for us. [and/or I may have explained it poorly]