A to Z Challenge - Z

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is to post everyday (except Sunday) in the month of April 2016 starting with the letter A and going all the way to Z. The theme I chose is Genealogy Tips. At the end I will give a related post from my blog Genealogy: Beyond the BMD.

Z is for Sister

Ah ha, you weren't expecting that, were you?

According to the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alabama, in the Kinship Glossary the letter Z = sister, since the letter S is already used for son.

Don't forget the unmarried and/or childless sisters in your tree.  My 2x great grandmother Elizabeth always had her unmarried sister Mary living with her. She is among many unmarried sisters on my tree.

My Aunt Stella was my grandmother's unmarried sister.  She was lots of fun.  She never married because her parents would not let her married the boy she loved. He moved away to the US and married, but that did not stop him from bringing his daughter to visit my aunt from time to time over the years.

Sometimes on my tree I find a male ancestor who is widowed with young children marrying his wife's sister. Keeping it all in the family.

Then you have sisters marrying brothers. Now, now!! Not their own brothers. My 2x great grandmother Susanna Johnston married John Porter and her sister Margaret Johnston married John's brother Thomas Porter.

My great uncle George Seale's wife Clara Annie was a serving sister for the St John's Ambulance in Winnipeg for many years. She was also Honorary President of the George Seale Nursing Division. Her daughter Eleanor also did Red Cross work, and eventually became a doctor.

Eleanor, sitting on the arm of the chair, looks just like her father!

My husband's aunt was a sister with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

Sister Thérèse-Joséphine (nee Marie Otila) 

I wrote to the order and they forwarded my email to their archives.  I received a very nice reply with all her service information and dates.  "Ask and ye shall receive."

And finally.... my four daughters (born within 5 years) who are more than sisters, they are best friends.

Photo taken July 1984 at La Ronde, Montreal, Quebec

Related Posts:  Nurses, Red Cross and More
                       Keep the Faith



Thank you for taking this A to Z journey with me.  I have enjoyed meeting and interacting with many fellow bloggers and seeing what is different or the same in our lives although in different countries and cultures. I have also learned a lot on this journey and I thank you.

I hope you will continue to read my regular blog at Genealogy: Beyond the BMD where I post at least once a week, sometimes more. 

My family stories are at The Days of Their Lives  where I post when the spirit moves me.