One of my Grandpa Neill's few remaining cousins passed away last week. What is interesting is how many great-great-grandparents they shared: 14 out of 16.
First cousins normally share 8 out of the 16 great-great grandparents. This cousin and my Grandpa were not just first cousins. They were also second cousins and they were also third cousins.
Grandpa Neill (Cecil Neill 1903-1968) was the son of Charles and Fannie (Rampley) Neill.
Edna Dion (1914-2007) was the daughter of James E. and Sarah (Neill) Rampley.
Charles Neill and Sarah Neill were brother and sister.
Fannie Rampley and James E. Rampley were first cousins, children of brothers Riley and James Rampley.
But there is one more connection.
Brothers Riley and James Rampley both married Nancy Newman, just not the same one. Riley married Nancy J. Newman, James married Nancy E. Newman. Nancy J. was the daughter of William Newman. Nancy E. was the daughter of Edward Newman. These two Newman men were brothers. I can keep it straight, but explaining it sometimes is difficult.
When one looks at their great-great-grandparents on a five-generation chart, 14 out of the sixteen names are the same. Only one set of great-great-grandparents are different. Now that is related.
