I've been in touch with the major professional genealogical organizations, and they are telling me that they ahve no rule against listing stepchildren, adopted children and foster children in genealogical reports. One of them wants to know my sources for thinking differently. Can some of you who hotly insist that only direct ancestors and children of same please give me your authority for this rule. It sounds like you got or from more than your own imaginations, vivid though they may be, but it needs to be pinned down. Yours, Dora Smith Austin, TX [email protected] -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.14.19/556 - Release Date: 11/28/2006 3:22 PM

I have never come across such a rule or even a suggestion about leaving relationships of certain family members out of genealogy files/trees. There are though who will only list people in their direct line. While I personally think these people are leaving a lot of good information out. My views are one can put whatever he wishes into his/her genealogy trees. The more the merrier. Leaving or including information in your tree is up to you. What if there was a rule that you could not put anything in your tree that does not have a verifiable source documents. I know my tree would look like it lost all its leaves for winter. John in California

Why on earth would you even have the need to ask such a question? It has not been raised on this list (or any other for that matter as far as I know) so I am sure there is no one here who would "hotly insist" as you claim. Genealogical records are kept in a manner in which the individual decides. There are no hard and fast rules one must adhere to. There are guidelines which one can choose to follow and that's up to the individual. You can keep, organize, and arrange your records as you see fit, just as everyone else does. But to infer that there are some here who "hotly insist" this or that should be done, is beyond the pale. > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, 1 Dec 2006 19:54:47 -0600 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] Need sources on the idea that multiple spouses > and step children should not be listed in ancestor reports > > I've been in touch with the major professional genealogical > organizations, > and they are telling me that they ahve no rule against listing > stepchildren, > adopted children and foster children in genealogical reports. > > One of them wants to know my sources for thinking differently. > > Can some of you who hotly insist that only direct ancestors and children > of > same please give me your authority for this rule. > > It sounds like you got or from more than your own imaginations, vivid > though > they may be, but it needs to be pinned down. > > Yours, > Dora Smith > Austin, TX > [email protected] > > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.14.19/556 - Release Date: > 11/28/2006 3:22 PM > > -------------------------------------- > Having trouble with your subscription? Contact the List Admin at > [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Dora, There is no hard and fast rule for including adopted, step or foster children in your tree that I'm aware of. As a matter of common sense I would think that it is obvious that you would leave a large hole in the family history if such children were not recorded. You simply need to note their status in the family. Judith ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dora Smith" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 12:24 PM Subject: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] Need sources on the idea that multiple spouses andstep children should not be listed in ancestor reports > I've been in touch with the major professional genealogical organizations, > and they are telling me that they ahve no rule against listing > stepchildren, adopted children and foster children in genealogical > reports. > > One of them wants to know my sources for thinking differently. > > Can some of you who hotly insist that only direct ancestors and children > of same please give me your authority for this rule. > > It sounds like you got or from more than your own imaginations, vivid > though they may be, but it needs to be pinned down. > > Yours, > Dora Smith > Austin, TX > [email protected] > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.14.19/556 - Release Date: > 11/28/2006 3:22 PM > > >