Wednesday 12 March 2008

Family - I am totally confused!


As CDC says, I am a tease, but what I am about to share is the truth! The names are accurate to identify the guilty! I am telling the truth! Really!

The past several days Mama (yes, she is my first and only wife - 43 years) and I went to see my brother (we have the same mom & dad). But as I visited with extended family also there and tried to sort out the relationships, I began to wonder if my brother is now my cousin and if my dad may be his uncle? Now Al, (my brother) married Berta. Berta's dad Edsel was my dad's first wife's (Vera) brother. Berta's father-in-law, my dad, was also her uncle. Sometimes she would call him uncle Joe or "dad". Al & I are offspring of Joe & Alice. Alice was my dads 2nd wife. So if dad was Berta's uncle, and she married his son, that would make them at least cousins by marriage - right? So now maybe my brother is my cousin!

All I know is a few years ago I went to Berta's mothers funeral. When we entered the church for the service, one of the funeral director's assistant's asked us; "Are you family or friend, where can I seat you?" I said; "I have no clue!"

What I am excited about is that I am a "Child of God!" If you are, we are brothers & sisters in Christ! So someday when I pass away, and if you can attend my funeral, and they ask if you are family or friend, I hope you can say; "I am family!"

P.S. I just got off the phone with Berta, she said to be sure to tell you all their children turned out normal!

12 comments:

Robin said...

Aughhh... now I'm confused too :) Glad you are back and that you had a nice visit.

Anonymous said...

welcome back! I have a family like that..lol..only for us its more like redneck joke!

Brandy said...

Oh my goodness my head hurts!!! I was following along until about halfway through.....yowza!
I contemplated writing it all out in a family tree style, but who am I kidding....I'll never figure it out! haha! ;-)

My grandma has 9 brothers and sisters and Jake's mom has 5 sisters so I've got enough of our family to figure out! haha! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Papa, my sister Lynn's, family may not be as confusing as yours but may be able to match it in shear numbers. She was married four times and had five daughters by three of her husbands.

Husband #1, Ivers, remarried and had three children. Husband #2, Bob, has remarried twice and had four children by these marriages. Bob's second wife had six children by a previous marriage. Husband #3, Al, remarried twice and had three children. Al's second wife also had two or three children by a previous marriage. Husband #4 got remarried after my sister passed away and his second wife had two children by a previous marriage.

The above is as accurate as I can remember.

My five nieces are all married and are still with their husbands, I guess that have learned something from the above mess. They have 14 children between them. I would guess that have a hard time trying to figure out how many half brothers and sisters they have. I have no clue.

Indian Lake Papa said...

ED, in our "group" this past week was another sibling to my dad's first wife, another cousin which even complicates it further! And we are all close family! Have been for years!

We all went to a concert last night and I introduced a lady to the "family" who didn't know we were all "related". She is also kind of related to the group so I told her we were cousins now! :o) She left totally confused! I enjoyed that!

Anonymous said...

I do think another State has just been added to our United States of America:

The State of Confusion!!!

Robin said...

I like that the State of Confusion :)

Tam said...

Papa, I totally followed that drama. To prove it go to the link I'm providing to read a true tid-bit about my family =)

Oh, Welcome Home!!! Missed you!!!

http://kassota.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/its-a-meme-mee-mee-mame-may-may/

Tam said...

FYI - if you double click the link (cuz it appears it isn't all there in this comment) copy/paste, it will work

Indian Lake Papa said...

THat was great Tam !!

mandy said...

ha! they turned out normal.
SO funny!
:)

CrossView said...

Now the song is buzzing in my head. Anyway remember "I'm My Own Grandpa"??!! LOL!

Welcome Back! =D